Backroads Trip Leader Positions

Dear Leader Applicant,

31 years ago, I was inspired to start Backroads by the belief that traveling actively, under one's own power, was the most rewarding way to experience the world. Researching and leading those first trips was an education and a challenge. But most of all, it was fun. And it's still fun. After more than a quarter century of being intimately involved in the growth of Backroads into the world's #1 active travel company, I'm more excited than ever about where we're headed. Our quest is an escalating level of excellence, based on a passion for creating an extraordinary guest experience.

Backroads exists to treat our guests to a style of travel that is unparalleled in the travel industry. The foundation of our extraordinary guest experience is legendary service - and we go so far as to guarantee the quality of our trips. This is where you come in. Fulfilling this commitment is not an easy job, and it's not for everyone. It may be for you, however, if you can share our passion for this unique mode of travel and the quality of experience for each Backroads guest. Both the challenges, and the rewards, are abundant.

Do you have "the right stuff" to be a Backroads leader? Although leaders enrich each trip with unique personality, they all bring certain critical qualities along as well. A love for the beauty of the natural and cultural world. The joy of interacting actively with the outdoors - biking, walking, kayaking, rafting. Appreciating the elegance of dining in a 16th-century chateau as well as sleeping beneath the stars. Possessing a zest for life and a desire to share it with others. Connecting with each and every guest, and appreciating them for who they are. Showing compassion, patience and an unwavering sense of humor. Thinking on your feet and communicating with your head. Sustaining energy and motivation through long days and myriad tasks. Taking the initiative to discover the best an area has to offer. Sharing your knowledge intelligently and generously. Always searching for smarter ways to get the job done. Helping to create an even better work environment. Never losing sight of the big picture while focusing on the details. Being forever flexible. Delivering the highest level of service. Loving what you do.

Our goal is to accommodate guests’ individual needs and desires for their vacations in a personal and flexible manner. Every employee at Backroads, myself included, works toward this goal. As the company grows, we're looking for more natural leaders who can do a world-class job with style and professionalism. Please study the information packet and enjoy the videos that give a visual sample of the essence of the job and leader lifestyle. If you feel that you're a match for the challenges and opportunities of being a Backroads Trip Leader, we look forward to receiving your application soon.

Sincerely,

Tom Hale
Founder & President

Becoming a Trip Leader

Legal Requirements
We can only accept applications from candidates who have legal work authorization in at least one of the following countries: the United States, Canada, Switzerland or any EU country. You must possess a clean driving record.

Qualifications
The following list of qualifications serves as our guide as we search for exceptional Trip Leader candidates. You’ll see that we have very high expectations of our leaders - so do our guests! Being a world-class Trip Leader requires a rare combination of talents. Do your skills, experiences, and aptitudes enable you to answer “yes” to most of the questions below?

• Are you committed to delivering the highest level of quality and service to our guests?
  
  
• Do you possess superb people skills? Do you have a dynamic personality? Are you a sophisticated conversationalist? Are you confident, caring, warm, and friendly? Do you have a zest for life?
  
  
• Are you good at anticipating, troubleshooting, and solving challenging problems?
  
  
• Do you have in-depth knowledge of any of our regional destinations and/or cultural activities—art, natural and cultural history, food and wine, etc.?
  
  
• Are you comfortable working long hours? Are you capable to hike or bike for long periods of time? Are you capable of lifting bikes and luggage?
  
  
• Are you passionate about—and experienced in—active traveling and the outdoors? Do you enjoy camping, hiking, and cycling?
  
  
• Do you speak other languages fluently? (Italian, French, Spanish, and German are extremely desirable, but language skills for any of our destinations are helpful.)
  
  
• Do you have a valid driver’s license and an excellent driving record? Are you mechanically inclined?
  
  
• Are you over 21 years of age? (If not, please see our Camp Assistant position for more information.)
  

Skills and Seasonal Schedules
The trip-leading schedules available in 2010 will primarily be in North America and Europe during the spring, summer and fall. Winter schedules may be available on a case-by-case basis in the first season, and become more likely in subsequent years depending on factors such as language skills. We are especially interested in hiring applicants who have foreign language skills, experience working with families, and rich backgrounds in cultural and/or natural history. We encourage those of you with these talents in particular to highlight them on your application.

New leaders' schedules will be assigned after you have completed the training process. Schedules will begin, in most cases, within 5-30 days after finishing training. Trip leading schedules will vary and may include camping, casual and premiere trips, as well as biking, walking, or multisport trips, for groups of families, independent travelers or couples. We anticipate most of our new leaders to be placed on North American trips, however, new leaders with language skills and regional expertise may be scheduled on European trips in their first season, depending on our needs. Note that US leaders are eligible to work in Europe, see sidebar for more details.

Hiring and Training Process

Application
Once you have read the Leader Information Packet, and you feel your skills match our qualifications, go to the Trip Leader Application for details (also on this site’s sidebar) to start the application process.

We will begin reviewing applications as follows:

• US Trip Leader positions: We will begin reviewing applications in February 2010. See below for more information about type of schedules available.
  
  
• Canadian Trip Leader positions: Since we have limited spots available, we will be reviewing applications on a referral-only basis (by a current Backroads employee) beginning April 2010.
  
  
• European Trip Leader positions: Since we have limited spots available, we will be reviewing applications for candidates based in Europe on a referral-only basis (by a current Backroads employee) beginning February 2010. These positions are open to Expats, European Nationals, and individuals with legal working documents for our European Destinations (see sidebar for more info.) If you are currently living in the US, you are still eligible to lead in Europe, but please refer to the US leader packet on the sidebar at the right. See above for more information about the types of schedules available.
  
  
• US & Canadian Camp Assistant positions: We will begin reviewing applications in April 2010. Please see sidebar for more information about these positions.

Interview
After we review your application, we will contact you via email or phone to let you know the next steps. We may follow-up with a few questions to learn more about your skills and experiences that relate to the leader position in a brief phone interview.

Leader Hiring Event and Training
Based on applications, phone interviews and references, the most qualified prospective leaders will be invited to attend a day-long interview known as the Leader Hiring Event. If you are invited to an event, you are required to attend in order to be considered for the Trip Leader position. These dates have not yet been finalized but will most likely occur as follows:

• April 1: Berkeley, CA
• April 29: Berkeley, CA
• June 3: Salt Lake City, UT
• Canadian and European based applicants, location and date TBD, as needed.

Once hired, New Trip Leaders are required to attend a Training Session. These dates have not yet been finalized but will most likely occur as follows:

• May 18-June 2: Salt Lake City, UT
• June 8-June 23: Salt Lake City, UT
• Canadian and European based applicants, location and date TBD, as needed.

Please reference back to this site for confirmation of dates. We will list them as 'confirmed' once finalized.

Thank you and we look forward to hearing from you soon!

The Backroads Leader Hiring and Training Team