Work for Venture Out

Venture Out employs current Mizzou students as challenge course facilitators. Facilitators lead groups through our high and low ropes teambuilding programs. Our staff are trained in technical high ropes and climbing skills, as well as in experiential education theory, group facilitation, and debrief skills. No previous climbing or experiential education experience is necessary to apply.

We’re looking for people who are eager to learn and love to have fun. Venture Out facilitators are people who love the outdoors, who love working with diverse groups of people, who are confident, and who care about leadership development. Venture Out is committed to hiring a diverse staff. No previous high ropes experience is necessary. First and second year students are encouraged to apply.

Apply Here!

We typically hire year round as needed. Check Mizzou eRecruit for any current job openings by clicking the link above and searching Venture Out. You can also reach us by phone or email which can be found on our contact page.

Please make sure to read all of the information on this page before applying.

WHAT: Venture Out is the University of Missouri’s outdoor experiential education program. We offer customized teambuilding courses to groups of all types utilizing high ropes and on-the-ground challenge courses. Venture Out facilitators are the people who lead the groups (ranging from elementary school students to corporate professionals) through our challenge courses. Venture Out staff also operate the MizzouRec Climbing Wall, belaying for members and teaching them the basics of climbing

WHO: Venture Out facilitators are energetic and positive, can think on their feet, love to be outside, and are able to connect with diverse groups of people. New facilitators go through 40 hours of paid training before they become full Venture Out facilitators. Pay for training and Venture Out is $13.00/hour and MizzouRec Climbing Wall shifts are $12.75/hour. Facilitators who have completed training submit their availability for when they want to work. This position is flexible with student schedules and no prior experience is required. Hours vary greatly week to week, and by season.

WHEN: Venture Out hires year round. It’s strongly preferred that students work for at least one month during their first summer. Venture Out and the MizzouRec Climbing Wall are open year-round, but Venture Out courses are scheduled significantly more in the fall, summer and spring than in the winter.

WHAT OUR STAFF LEARN: 

  • Extraordinary public speaking skills
  • How to calmly and confidently manage high-stress situations
  • Effective communication, conflict resolution, and teamwork strategies
  • How to facilitate high-quality programs for groups ranging from elementary school students to corporate professionals
  • Experiential education and leadership development theory
  • How to belay and tie in for rock climbing

DO I NEED A CAR? Venture Out is located about 5 minutes driving away from the main MU campus. While having a car is helpful, it’s not necessary. Check out the Mizzou Tiger Line here. It is also a 20 minute flat, shaded bike ride on the MKT trail from campus to Venture Out.

WHAT DOES THE HIRING PROCESS LOOK LIKE? Good question! The hiring process consists of 5 rounds before being hired on as a full facilitator:

  1. Submitting the application: Interested students should click the hyperlink below to be redirected to the job listing on Student Affairs’ job posting site. Students should login with their Pawprint and password on the job listing site and submit the application.
  2. Pre-screening: Once students have applied, they will be sent a link to a pre-screening. This pre-screening will be used to select applicants for interviews.
  3. In-person interview: If you are selected for an interview, you will sign up for a time to interview with the Venture Out coordinator and staff. Interviews are business casual attire. Need an interview outfit? Check out Truman’s Closet!
  4. Group interviews: Applicants who pass the interview round will be invited to participate in the group interviews at Venture Out. Group interviews will include going through the Odyssey High Ropes course and a demonstration of your own facilitation skills.
  5. Training: Those selected will move on to Venture Out training. Training consists of learning technical skills like knot tying, soft skills like debriefing and customer service, and experience like shadowing Venture Out courses.
  6. Working: Upon successful completion of training, you will be considered a full facilitator for Venture Out and will be able to work courses with your fellow staff!

Have questions or want more info? Email us at ventureout@missouri.edu.

What our current staff and alumni are saying: 

“Having the ability to work a super flexible, exciting job has been one of the highlights of my college career so far. Each day at work is thrilling and provides new challenges to overcoming mental and physical barriers. The level of interpersonal relationships and interaction that I obtain from working with community groups has been fantastic. Venture Out has provided me with abundant opportunities to learn and grow more confident in myself while working the various high and low ropes courses.” -Lana Hill, Finance

“I have loved my experience with working at Venture Out because there are very few opportunities where you feel like you can have an impact on others while getting to play games. The staff has been a second family for me and are people that I know I’ll be connected to long after my time at Mizzou is over. Seeing a group overcome a challenge and leave after their course feeling like they have a fundamentally better understanding of how their team operates is so gratifying. The skills I’ve been able to develop as a facilitator at Venture Out have also been surprisingly translatable to other fields; my ability to pull meaning out of experiences and apply it to other situations has been invaluable at my other jobs and I’ve got a much better working understanding of how I function on a team and how my particular skills and talents lead to the most positive impact in a team setting. This job has been a once in a lifetime opportunity and I’ll cherish it forever.” – Tyler Hannsz, Music

“I love working at Venture Out because I love to see how a group can transform from the beginning of their time with us to when they leave. It’s so rewarding to see a group of people become an effective team, and to know that you personally had something to do with that. I have learned so many impactful lessons from participants, fellow staff, and through my own experiences on the course that have truly helped me grow as a leader and as a person. If you want to work with a staff you can call close friends and have a lot of fun, all while making a difference, you should work at Venture Out!” -Lizette Burciaga, Journalism