Work with BFF

BFF Community Advisor
BFF Community Advisors
make a Difference!
As a community advisor, you play an active role in the lives of young people from all corners of the globe, and the effect you have on their lives ripples out into the world in ways we never fully appreciate. Community advisors are an integral part of our students’ program.
There are many qualities that make a great community advisor. To decide if you think this will be a good fit for you, ask yourself the following questions:
- Are you looking for a part-time, flexible position?
- Do you believe that teens are impressionable?
- Would you like to make a positive impact on teens both locally and globally?
- Can you see the value in teens from around the world understanding American culture and vice versa?
- Do you have experience working with children? Teens?
- Are you a friendly, confident communicator?
- Are you organized and thorough?
If you answered yes to all, or most of the questions above, please consider joining us in our mission. We are always looking for new people to join our team and help us create a network of caring, loving host families in their local communities.
If you are interested in the possibility of becoming a BFF Community Advisor, please continue reading all parts of this section and complete the inquiry form at the end of this section.
Benefits
At BFF we highly value our community advisors and offer the following benefits:

Flexible Hours
Being a community advisor allows you the flexibility and freedom of creating your own schedule for the most part. Much of the work can be done from the comfort of your home, in the hours that are most convenient for you. There are only a few times in which we request the honor of your presence at a certain date and time: at our monthly student gatherings and in the event of a true emergency. The monthly student gatherings are scheduled by each local team of community advisors for a calendar year at a time to ensure you have ample time for planning.
Placement Bonuses
We offer placement bonuses for community advisors who place early in the season! The sooner you place, the bigger the bonus!
International Connections
Have you ever thought it would be great to have friends around the world? Well here’s your chance! As you work diligently to ensure the success of each student in your care, you are creating an environment of friendship that will last a lifetime. When you help a child have a successful experience here, you become a valued member of their extended international family and will likely remain there for years to come.
Friendships
Many times, due to the close, communicative nature of the host family/community advisor relationship, the process often creates an opportunity for friendships to develop. Based on the fact that you each have a penchant for international affairs, you each enjoy working with children, and you each have open hearts, it’s not hard to see how friendships could materialize.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a great community advisor (CA)?
There are many qualities that make up a strong community advisor. This is a leadership role and requires someone with:
- Excellent communication skills
- Strong rapport with teens, families, and school officials
- Proficient writing skills
- Ability to meet deadlines consistently
- Timely response to student or family issues
- Responsive to emails and requests within 24-48 hours
- Effective communication with manager/director
- Continuously learning and improving on skills and keeping current on policies and procedures
What are the daily hours and how many hours a week does this require?
Our Community Advisors work from home and in their community. While there are no set hours each week, CAs will spend time in the spring and summer looking for Host Families and approximately 3 – 5 hours per month per student during the school year supervising students. During the supervision phase your time is spent seeing and talking to the students and host families to make sure everything is going well. The great news is this position is flexible, you get to choose the number of students and families you work with, so it can range from a couple hours a week to a serious part time endeavor, it’s all up to you!
How do I find the host families and does BFF help me find them?
BFF doesn’t usually find families for you, but BFF staff will guide you on developing and improving your recruiting skills to be an effective host family recruiter. There’s no one right way to find host families. Host families do not grow on trees, but are often found at your children’s sporting events, hobbies, interest centers, recreation centers, schools, networking sites, social events, and even the grocery store! The sky is the limit on where and when you find host families! Your regional director and our office staff are there to coach you on the phone or through online training to help you improve your recruitment skills and continuously improve on your success as a CA.
Do I have to be a salesperson or have sales skills to be successful as a CA?
Absolutely NOT! Many of our CA’s have had no formal sales training at all! The best CA’s are passionate about international relations, working with teens, have good communication skills, and are attentive to details. CA’s are always willing to learn new things, are open to learning about different nationalities and cultures, and are able to work with host families, students, and schools in a positive manner. We look for these qualities rather than specific educational degrees, backgrounds, or specific past careers.
Which comes first, the host family or the school acceptance?
Just like the “Which comes first, the chicken or the egg?” there’s no ONE WAY to get a placement. If you find a family that is interested in hosting, please do encourage them to host. If their nearby school is not taking students at that time, there are alternatives to this situation. We work hard to make it work or at least put them on the top of the list for the following semester for acceptance.
I am new to my neighborhood/city/state and I don’t know anyone. Will I still be successful as a CA?
Absolutely! Many CA’s find that it’s easier to ask strangers to host rather than their own family and friends. Some CA’s don’t get many of their personal connections to host but are extremely successful at recruiting host families outside of their immediate circle. This is because there are unlimited ways to find host families (see question 2 above). Some CA’s are more comfortable talking to people they know, and some are more comfortable talking to people they meet through their networking and marketing efforts.
How am I compensated?
CAs are compensated as 1099 independent contractors. BFF pays CAs a stipend for each placement that you make. This payment will depend on which parts of the placement were done by you. The full placement fee is paid to a CA who finds a host family, assists them in the application process, performs the in-home interview, matches them with a student, and gets the school approval. Partial payments can be made for any portion of this process. As a recruiter, you will be paid a stipend once the paperwork is all complete and the placement is approved. A CA can also supervise the students that are physically here in the US. In this role, the CA supervises the student and host family. Each month, you are paid for each student you oversee when the contact form is submitted on time and approved.
How many students do I have to place to continue as a CA from year to year?
There is NO minimum or maximum number! We appreciate any number of placements our CA’s make. We want to be sure that the students/host families that you oversee are getting quality attention, timely responses, and have any of their concerns/struggles addressed. However, each CA has their own goals and can choose how many hours they want to devote as a CA. As long as the aforementioned requirements are met, you may supervise the number of students that you desire.
What if I have a full time job? Can I still be a CA?
Absolutely! Many of our CA’s work full time and devote part-time hours to BFF. As long as you can meet deadlines, address student/family issues in a timely manner, and meet the standards of the Dept. of State as well as BFF, you are a very valuable asset to our organization!
Do I get reimbursed for expenses related to this position?
Because you are an independent contractor, most expenses are not reimbursed by BFF. However, you can keep receipts for tax purposes. BFF cannot advise you on tax-related items. At times, BFF may have materials for setting up a table at an event for recruiting host families, but it’s not a guarantee. BFF will do their best to support you with training and advising you on the best ways to advertise and recruit families without incurring many expenses.