Work for Wildstaff
From WildWiki
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What can I do in the Wilderness Department?
Working for the Wilderness Department is an on-campus employment opportunity, and is open to both those with and without work-study. It requires alot of time and dedication, but can be very rewarding. The Wilderness Department offers several avenues of work that can fit many personalities and interests.
For more information regarding employment opportunities, please visit the Position Description page. The section regarding program area descriptions will provide a brief overview of areas within which students can work.
Getting Started
Many people often find it difficult to get started working for the Wilderness Department. The following information is designed to help the process become more transparent. However, be warned that applying for Wilderness is designed to take some time and motivation. This is how we narrow down who is really passionate and self-motivated enough to lead great courses. If you really want to work for the Wilderness Department, be sure to make yourself known in the wilderness community and impress the administration. It is your job to make sure you do not slip between the cracks.
Hiring and Training Process
Step One: An interested student applies to be an instructor in the program. Each student will either complete a “traditional” interview or go on our Beginning Field Practicum course in Fall or Spring.
Applications can be found at the Wilderness web page (Wilderness Staff) or picked up from Tom Ferrell's office in LBC 319.
Step Two The student is "hired" and added to the Staff mailing list. At this point the student is on-staff, but may not be working any programs. He or she will be responsible for showing up to staff meetings and respective trainings. This step should coincide with Step Three.
Step Three: The student enrolls in the Outdoor Trip Leadership course in the Spring and has an evaluation meeting with Wilderness senior staff.
Step Four: The student is designated as an “Apprentice." He or she is able to work any course in this role but will not be paid. This helps students gain experience and attain some practice before leading courses themselves. Students must apprentice before leading a course.
Step Five: The Student moves from Apprentice to Co-Instructor status in a particular area based upon previous experience, demonstrated skills, and reliability. This student is now eligible to work courses for pay.
Step Six After leading courses as a Co-Instructor, a student may continue to advance based upon demonstrated skills and abilities. Taking additional trainings including the Advanced Field Practicum May Term or other summer employment is highly recommended for continued advancement. Students may become a Lead Instructor and, ultimately a Teaching Assistant or Program Coordinator which could involve training others.
A couple of hints to help you succeed in the hiring process:
1. Don’t expect to show up and lead a big program if we have never seen you before. Be prepared to apprentice or observe a course prior to working it.
2. The more you work for us, the more we know your knowledge, skills, and experience. This sets you up for more opportunities to work “bigger” programs like August Wilderness.
3. Reliability counts.
4. Appearance and professionalism count.
5. Attend as many trainings as you can. Some of our instructor positions require trainings and a higher level of expertise is always recommended.
6. Talk to older wilderness staff about the program. They may be able to provide additional information regarding the program and how to get involved.
7. Go out and get experience on your own. Take personal trips, go on a NOLS or OB course. There is no substitute for experience.
8. Be willing to be involved in more than one program area and be a lifelong learner.
FAQ
If some areas of the hiring process still seem opaque or you are having diffuculties with one of the steps please visit Frequently Asked Questions page (FAQ). If this does not help you, send an email to either Jay Roberts or Tom Ferrell. They are both always happy to help.
