Become an outdoor professional and make a real difference — a job with RedCliff Ascent is unlike anything you will ever experience.For over 30 years, RedCliff Ascent's wilderness therapy program has helped thousands of teenagers (ages 13 to 17) and their families find a new beginning. Through experiential therapy in the novel and challenging environment of wilderness, teens are able to prove to themselves what they are capable of and gain new insight about themselves and the issues they are facing. RedCliff helps put life in perspective while dealing with the issues and problems that currently govern their existence. |
| What You'll Be Doing |
Employment with RedCliff Ascent is more than a job — it's a lifestyle! Working with licensed therapists, Field Guides are responsible for ensuring their students’ physical and emotional safety without interfering with the natural consequences provided by the wilderness. A big part of the job is becoming a good mentor—helping participants develop new tools for wellness, self-regulation, and accountability while having fun. Whether mentoring in primitive skills or helping students process their emotions, RedCliff guides work as a team, using the clinical and wilderness skills they've developed to help their group reach new heights of achievement.
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| Location |
RedCliff is located in the beautiful red rock and high desert terrain of southwest Utah and covers an area of over 400 square miles. Many parts of the field are heavily forested with pinyon and juniper trees while ponderosa pine, scrub oak, and mountain mahogany blanket the higher elevations. Field elevations range from 5,000 to 9,500 feet. The weather can be unpredictable. Summer temperatures can reach as high as 100 degrees with nights in the upper 40s. Occasionally, winter nights can fall below zero with days in the teens. Normally deep winter days hang around freezing. The dry desert climate, regardless of season, lends itself well to hiking and camping.
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| Time Commitment |
Field Guides work an eight-day-on, six-day-off schedule. The eight days are spent backpacking in the wilderness with the youth. RedCliff asks for a minimum 6-month commitment, although 12 months is about how long it takes for a guide to truly come into their own leadership style.
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| Perks & Rewards |
New field staff can make up to $43,000 their first year and $50,000+ after that. Benefits include dental, vision, and health Insurance (RedCliff pays a significant portion of premiums), pro-deals, and continuing education and certification opportunities. Additionally, this job tends to attract the best kind of people: kind, adventurous, unassuming, and always striving to better themselves and the world around them. The RedCliff team is close-knit, supportive, and a lot of fun. The connections you make here will last a lifetime.
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| The Essentials |
Field Guides must be at least 19 years of age, have a high school diploma or equivalent, love the outdoors, want to help others, be teachable, work well on a team, and always desire to continue learning and growing. Applicants must also be able to pass an annual health assessment per state regulations and background checks. Successful applicants are self-motivated, resourceful, mature, willing to learn and able to handle stressful situations with a sense of humor. Wilderness and clinical experience is helpful; however, RedCliff will teach the necessary skills.
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| Your First Move & Connections |
Filling out the online application is super easy—you'll just need your resume to upload.
Emily Novakovich
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Few roles are more fulfilling in life than the role of mentor, and few jobs offer the wide range of opportunities that RedCliff offers to its field staff. Hiking, camping, backpacking, beautiful scenery, wildlife, and dynamic interpersonal relationships all come with the job.
