Youth Field Guide
“You will be known, by the tracks you leave…”
– Native American Proverb
We get it, you want to make good money but money isn’t enough. It’s about footprints.
With most jobs when you stop and turn around to look at your footprints they have either disappeared or are fading fast. Leave that job and in six months no one will remember your name. Sure, your work mattered to your employer and you did your job well, but your influence was never felt outside the confines of the business. You didn’t make a difference in the world. You earned a paycheck but not a legacy.
If you want to make a difference, you’ll want to leave footprints that matter – footprints that will be visible for years and years. You want to leave a legacy that will influence future generations.
At STAR Guides we are all about footprints. We help repair families and relationships in ways that endure. Your footprints will be seen in places you have never been and by people you have never met.
OUR CULTURE
Call Josh With Any Questions
Some of our staff are earning money to go back to school. Some are trying to decide what they want to do for the rest of their lives. Some have college degrees but aren’t ready to settle into a career just yet. Some were born under a wandering star and have settled here until the wind changes. They come from all walks of life but have one thing in common; they are altruistic and want to leave footprints that matter.
Think you have what it takes to be a Star Guides Field Staff? Explore our pages to find out more about what we do, then mosey on over to the application page, lace up your boots, and get ready to make some tracks.
Join Our Field Team
ABOUT THE POSITION
What does a field guide do?
Safety is the first responsibility of Field Staff. Field Staff learn to allow the natural consequences provided by the wilderness to unfold while maintaining both physical and emotional safety. They work with therapists and administrators as a team to maintain a therapeutic environment for our clients.
A typical day begins at 8 AM when students rise and gather to prepare breakfast. With staff supervision, clients eat, perform hygiene, and complete camp chores associated with breaking camp in preparation to hike. Staff plan the day’s hike and lead the group to their planned destination. Field Staff then supervise clients as they set up camp. Evenings are generally spent working on hard skills such as learning to make bow and drill fires or doing other aspects of the client’s phase work. The dinner process is much the same as breakfast with hygiene being performed and each client preparing their own meal.
At some point during the day staff lead group discussions on a variety of topics, from providing feedback and processing of the day’s events to topics designed to provoke contemplation of, or insight into, therapeutic goals. While often done at night, these groups can be held at any time during the day.
Field Staff also call in to base twice each day to report plans, locations, group needs, etc. They also communicate with the base through written reports and paperwork to track the client’s physical well-being along with therapeutic status and observations.
Are there requirements to be a Field Guide?
State law requires that Field Staff be at least 19 years of age and Lead Instructors must be at least 21 years of age. We prefer applicants to be within 6 months of their 21st birthday but accept younger staff as circumstances allow. To reach the highest levels of responsibility and compensation you must be at least 21 years old.
Field Staff must also be drug-free and able to pass a pre-employment drug screening along with annual physical exams and a Background Criminal Investigation (BCI). Field Staff must also have a high school degree or equivalent along with current certifications in CPR and First Aid.
What will my work schedule be like?
What gear do I need and what gear is provided?
At the end of the internship staff are able to choose between the same gear package we provide our students or the cash value of that package ($400). We also have pro-deals to help you purchase gear at or near wholesale prices. A list of required gear will be provided to you. Gear used by the group is provided by the company.
What about food?
We provide our Field Staff with the same food we provide our clients. This is a simple diet designed by our nutritionist to provide needed nutrients and calories. Staff and clients prepare their own meals individually.
Why is an internship required before I can be staff?
State regulations require that you have 24 days of field experience before you can be counted in the staff-to-student ratios. During this time you are expected to learn safety and procedure protocols along with experiencing and learning the hard skills you will help teach our clients. There is a checklist of tasks for you to complete in order to complete an internship.
During the internship, you will learn to make and carry a survival pack along with learning skills like making fire with a bow and drill.
Our Lead Instructors and even our clients will be happy to help you accomplish all you will need to do. After you complete your internship you will be able to use your own backpack. We are certain you will find the internship to be challenging, rewarding, and fun.
How will I be compensated?
Field Instructors can expect to earn at least $53,000 in their first year if they sign a 12-month contract (see below) and meet advancement qualifications on time. Below is the breakdown of compensation for each level.
Internship – We provide a stipend of $3,500 for the internship. This is broken into 3 categories.
1) Daily pay – each day of the internship is paid at $100 per day. The internship is paid during the same pay period as all other employees which is paid bi-monthly(twice per month). So if 10 days of internship is completed during a pay period the pay for that period would be $1000.00.
2) Training completion bonus of $600. Interns have a checklist of trainings to be completed to qualify to be a staff. If all trainings are completed by the last day of the internship we pay a $600 bonus.
3) Gear Stipend of $400. If the intern advances to staff after the internship a stipend of $400 is paid to help cover the cost of the gear needed to perform the job.
Field Staff (FS) –are paid $175 per day. This is an average of the hourly wage paid with 40 regular hours and 20 overtime hours. The daily rate is for comparison only. Actual wages are paid at an hourly rate and can be lower if a staff member doesn’t work the full shift and higher if a few extra hours are worked.
Training bonus of $500. Training doesn’t stop at the internship. We want to make sure you are well-trained and prepared to advance in your position. If the advancement to field staff training is completed within 3 months of becoming a field staff, we pay an additional $500 bonus!
Lead Instructor (LI) – pay starts at $215 per day. Lead instructors also have the opportunity to increase their pay to $262 per day by completing the required trainings and demonstrating continued competence and adherence to policies and procedures. There is no time limit on these advancements. The sooner you complete the training while adhering to policy and procedures, the sooner the pay increase. The yearly amount quoted above is calculated by taking 2 months to complete the L2 and L3 trainings.
Advancement bonuses. Along with a pay increase, each level of advancement is accompanied by a bonus.
Lead 1 – $750 this bonus is paid only if the staff becomes a lead instructor at the earliest eligibility of 6 months of employment.
Lead 2 – $1000 bonus. There is no time constraint here. Whenever you become a Lead 2 you get the bonus!
Lead 3 – $1250 bonus. There are also no time limits on becoming a lead 3. We just want to reward you for getting there!
All field staff sign a nighttime sleeping agreement as provided for in the Fair Labor Standards Act. This agreement provides that staff are not paid during the 8 sleeping hours with the understanding that should a member of staff be unable to sleep due to supervision needs they are to be paid for those hours they were unable to sleep.
We also offer Length of Stay contracts to our staff. These contracts are available to staff willing to commit to certain lengths of time as a Field Guides. The time commitment helps us better plan our staffing needs. In return, we offer contract completion bonuses in appreciation of the commitment you make to us.
The current Length of Stay contract is 12 months. The 12-month contract includes a $2,000.00 completion bonus, 2 shifts (8 days) of paid time off and other benefits such as free gear are included when you sign a length of Stay contract. Staff can sign additional contracts upon completion of their current contract as long as their performance and conduct reviews are positive.
Do you have Field guide experience? We pay for experience! If you have experience as a wilderness field guide talk to us about a custom compensation package! We will create a package based on your experience and offer custom sign on bonuses along with a custom length of stay bonus based on a time commitment that fits your life’s schedule and plans.
Other benefits include dental and vision plans along with our Concierge Medical Services. We also offer pro and wholesale gear deals to our staff!
Is this seasonal work?
No. We operate year-round. We require our staff to commit to at least 6 9 months of employment and give preference to applicants who can commit to 9 12 months and longer. With the amount of time it takes us to train our staff, shorter terms of employment make it difficult or impossible to meet state regulations for required field time to lead a group.
Where Is STAR Guides located?
Our offices are located in beautiful St. George Utah. The physical address is 377 E. Riverside Dr. Bldg B, St. George, UT 84790. The wilderness we use is located about 40 minutes northwest of our offices. The area is rich with recreation opportunities, including close proximity to Zion National Park.