Internship FAQ
When does Wilderness Inquiry select interns?
Applications are accepted year round. Internships can take place at any time during the year.
How long is the application process?
It depends on when you apply. Certain times of the year–like July and August–are very busy for us and we are less likely to check new intern applications.
When can I expect to hear if I am selected?
You should hear within a month of your application. If you do not hear from us within a month, please call and remind us that you are waiting for a response. Call 612-676-9400 and ask for the intern coordinator–don’t be shy!
How many interns does Wilderness Inquiry usually select?
Usually 10 to 12 in the summer, and 5 or 6 at other times of the year.
Does WI offer paid internships?
No, but we do provide many benefits such as housing and travel. Doing an internship is a great path to gaining employment at WI–we frequently do hire interns after they have successfully completed their internship.
I know that the majority of interns complete their internships between May and August, but I need to do mine from July to November. Is this possible?
Our intern schedule is fairly flexible so that we can meet your needs.
I don’t have experience working with people with disabilities. Can I still do my internship with Wilderness Inquiry?
Absolutely. Patience, understanding, communication skills, a willingness to learn, and having an open mind will help you to gain the necessary skills you will need.
If I’m selected, what kind of trips might I be assigned to?
If you are applying for a trail staff internship, you can expect to be assigned to anywhere from 3 to 15 trips, depending upon the season and your skill level. We will need to get to know you–either through staff training or other means–before we can say for certain how many trips you will be on or where you will go. Interns are usually included as part of our leadership teams with other staff members. As such, you will be evaluated on your ability to contribute to the overall quality of the experience. If you wish to see the types of trips we do, please review our general website–you can see all upcoming trips and events there.
What are the trips like?
They are great–rewarding and challenging. Videos from some of our trips can be found here:
www.youtube.com/user/WildernessInquiry
What will my schedule be like as an intern?
Your schedule will vary depending upon the type of internship you have. Trail interns usually get assigned a mix of trips and other activities, such as working in the warehouse. Full-time interns generally work 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, when not on trail. Your schedule will be determined with your supervisor when you arrive. If you have special considerations, like a part-time job, please let us know in your application, we can usually accommodate them.
Will my experience vary depending on the time of year I decide to intern?
Yes. See below for the break down of responsibilities based on the time of year.
Example of Summer Intern Responsibilities: The summer internship position emphasizes both on outdoor adventure leadership and the related administration and logistics of wilderness canoeing, kayaking and backpacking. Specific experiences depend on your educational requirements, experience, interests, skill level and the needs of Wilderness Inquiry.
- Wilderness adventure execution
- Group facilitation and integration
- Gear and food preparation and logistical planning
- Participant and gear transportation
- Equipment and warehouse maintenance
- Pre and post trip evaluation
- Photography
- Social Media
When on trail, summer Interns usually act as assistant leaders working closely with primary trip leaders. Interns often act as secondary leaders as well, depending upon staffing needs and intern experience level.
Additionally, you will be required to engage in administrative opportunities in the office. Administrative duties include specific projects in areas such as outreach and marketing, research, evaluation, volunteer coordination and special events. Ideas for projects are welcomed and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Example Fall Intern Responsibilities: The fall internship focuses on fund-raising, outreach, and marketing related to Wilderness Inquiry adventure trips. The following are some areas where interns may gain experience during the fall and winter season. Specific experiences depend on your educational requirements, experience, interests, skill level and the needs of Wilderness Inquiry.
Development
- Identify fund-raising opportunities
- Assist with the organization and implementation of fund-raising and special events
Outreach & Marketing
- Develop strategies for marketing WI trips
- Assist with the creation of promotional materials
- Attend events to promote WI
- Identify needs and opportunities for volunteer recruitment
- Assist with costumer service
Outdoor Opportunities
- Assist with winter programming (snowshoeing, dogsledding and cross country ski trips)
- Participate in logistical planning, gear preparation and maintenance, and trip evaluations
Fall/Winter interns can expect to spend about 90% of their time in the office and about 10% of their time on outdoor leadership/practical experience.
Example Winter/Spring Intern Responsibilities: In the winter and spring, Wilderness Inquiry focuses on preparing for the summer trip season. Intern experiences will revolve predominantly around projects that relate to planning for the upcoming season. The following are some areas where interns may gain experience during the spring season. Specific experiences depend on your educational requirements, experience, interests, skill level and the needs of Wilderness Inquiry.
Preparation and Development
- Gear maintenance, inventory, and organization
- Staff training development and preparation
- General administrative assistance
Outreach & Marketing
- Develop strategies for marketing WI trips
- Assist with the creation of promotional materials
- Attend events to promote WI
- Identify needs and opportunities for volunteer recruitment
- Assist with costumer service
Outdoor Opportunities
- Assist with local canoe trips and day workshops
- Possibility to assist with trips such as Lake Powell and Missouri River (depending upon staffing need)
- Participate in logistical planning, gear preparation and maintenance, and trip evaluations
Spring interns can expect to spend about 80% of their time in the office and about 20% on outdoor leadership/field experience.
Do I need my own gear for the trips?
You will need basic personal items such as a sleeping bag, a sleeping pad, appropriate outdoor clothing. Wilderness Inquiry provides the group gear such as tents, cooking gear, boats, etc. For items you need to purchase, we have an arrangement with several outdoor companies, which allows us to give trail staff and interns a substantial savings on outdoor gear (Pro-deals). You will have the opportunity to look through catalogues to choose the items you would like to purchase. We are excited to offer this great perk.
What is WI’s staff training? As an intern, can I attend staff training?
Summer Staff Training is a week long training that is held each year in early June. If you are an intern during this time, you will participate in staff training. Read the general FAQ for more information about staff training.
I have a wedding or other event that I need to attend during the middle of the summer. Will this be okay?
Time-off requests should be submitted as early as possible. The sooner you let us know about your schedule, the better the chance of your time-off request being approved.
I am a [insert major] and would like to do my internship with Wilderness Inquiry. Can I?
Yes. One of the things that make our interns and trail staff such a talented and strong group of people is the diverse backgrounds and experiences that they come from. All share an interest in learning about and experiencing the mission of Wilderness Inquiry.
Do you have a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) on staff?
No. We work extensively with people with disabilities in finding and creating adaptations for them, but we do not have a CTRS on staff.
How can I obtain hands on experience at WI before I apply?
One good way to do this is to sign up to be a Trip Assistant (TA.) TAs go on WI trips at a reduced cost in exchange for helping out on the trip. This is a great way to get a better understanding of what our trips are about, as well as the expectations we have for our trail staff. Volunteer opportunities are listed on our website. Volunteer applications are available here. TA applications are available upon request at 612-676-9400.
Here’s what a recent intern had to say about his experience:
My summer as a Wilderness Inquiry intern was amazing. So incredible that it is nearly impossible to put my thoughts and feelings into words. It has changed me in so many ways, I don’t think I could talk about them all. I will do my best. It has opened my eyes to a whole new world and way of viewing it.
It has hit me on a personal level in a few ways. First and foremost helped me be a more compassionate and patient person. When leading trips like ours these things necessary, and to be honest before I came here I did not have much of either. But now I have more than I thought I ever would. I have also learned how to be a better leader and how to adapt my leadership qualities to different types of groups. Confidence is key when in a leadership position, especially in an outdoor setting. When the summer started I was very timid when on trail, but as the summer wore on I became more and more confident in the decisions I made and in my own abilities as a leader. This is in part because of the great staff that is always willing to help their other leaders in their own quest to become a better leader.
This internship has also prepared me for the professional world and changed the way I look at the idea of professionalism. Of course it has given me a great jump on my technical and hard skills, but that is the easy part. More importantly, I have learned how to deal with people of all abilities and from all over the country and world. The soft skills are really what separate a good leader from a great leader. These are all things I can apply to any leadership situation I come across in my future.
I would like to take a minute to talk about the people involved with WI. First are the people I worked for and with. The staff here is top notch. The office staff is so knowledgeable in what they are doing, but at the same time they are very easy to talk to and are willing to work with us. It seems like they have our best interests in mind. As for the rest of the trail staff, I am speechless. They are incredible and have so many crazy stories and knowledge about the outdoors to pass on to us newbies. They were always willing to work with me to figure something out whether it was how to tie a knot, or how to deal with a certain situation on trail.
The reason we do this is to give people of all abilities an opportunity to do something adventurous and outside their normal realm of activities. These people influence us in so many ways. People never cease to amaze me. I see the outdoors as the great equalizer. Different people of different abilities and locations coming together and becoming great friends is a great thing to see. This happened on every trip I went on. There is always something to learn on a WI trip.\
This experience was worth more than gold to me. It was priceless. And know that I have had this experience; no one can take it away from me. It was the most rewarding experience of my life and I would not trade it for anything in the world. I learned so much about life and people that I am forever indebted to Wilderness Inquiry. This was the opportunity of a lifetime and I am glad that WI gave me the chance to see what I was capable of. I came just to fill an educational requirement, but left a changed man. Thanks to everyone at Wilderness Inquiry.
-Brian Crosby