RAFT GUIDES for an AWESOME SUMMER

Are you passionate about the outdoors? Have you successfully worked in a rapid-paced, customer service oriented position that required thinking on your feet, great listening and sales skills, and a sincere desire to serve others? Do you feel you have stop notch leadership and teamwork qualities that you would love to use in a physically exhilarating position with an outstanding training program?

APPLY HERE, NOT ON CRAIGSLIST: https://www.kokopelliraft.com/employment/

You may qualify for our group Zoom interview on 4/14 at 3:00 PM.

You may have past experience in other hospitality industry positions, delivering high quality fun and service with a smile. If so, you may qualify for an interview for this position, even if you don’t have direct experience. If so, read on!

We are looking for clean cut, polished, and professional Raft Guides-In Training with leadership skills to add to our dynamic and busy team at New Mexico’s Best Rafting Outfitter - Kokopelli Rafting Adventures.

We are not the typical rafting company, nor are we looking for the typical river guide. We know there are several options out there for the young-at-heart river dreamer excited to become a rafting professional, and each has different expectations for performance, standards of training, and company cultures, - which is why our screening and interview process is designed to ensure the right fit, both ways.

Our rigorous training program begins 4/30/2021 and comprises:

International Rafting Federation and American Canoe Association raft guide standards for top technical skills including boat-handling technique, river safety and rescue, thorough understanding of river dynamics, energy and currents, in-depth understanding of equipment and usage, and team building and leadership skills that will last a lifetime.

Requirements for Emergency Response, Wilderness First Aid, and First Responder training.


In-house teamwork training for:

Polished skills in leadership.

Critical thinking.

Best teamwork practices.

Emotional intelligence.

Effective communication.

Professionalism standards.

Behavior accountability.

Local history.

Geology, flora and fauna.

Soft skills that may make you more educational, entertaining and marketable as a professional river guide.

Ongoing optional training for those wishing to continually exceed their own personal best such as Swiftwater Rescue, Wilderness First Aid, Whitewater Kayaking, and instructor-level certification for the right employees.

Our onboarding and selection process involves:

1. Screening, group interview, testing, and a one-to-one interview.

2. Accepting those candidates for Guide School with the potential to excel in our complete training program.

3. Training candidates in Guide School at cost to participants, with no guarantee of employment. Our recruiting process filters out under-performers. The best of the best are admitted to our eight-day Professional River Guide School with the goal of meeting our staffing needs. Top performing Guide School graduates are candidates for employment consideration, however, participation in Guide School does not guarantee employment.

4. Selecting Guide School graduates for probationary employment that have displayed the markers for success in our complete program and alignment with Kokopelli’s standards and values.

5. Understanding of true leadership. The most basic leadership starts with the customers in your raft on Day 1. For the right candidates, we will continue to invest in your personal leadership development throughout your tenure at Kokopelli Rafting Adventures through Trip Leader training, Advanced River Guide training, ongoing continuing education, Team Building training and facilitation, and much more.

We have no room for glory hogs, egomaniacs, or negative competition. We train heavily for leadership skills because of our philosophy that each individual will support and hold the whole team accountable - and most importantly, each of us must be able to communicate areas for improvement with tact, sensitivity, and caring for the welfare of the team and Kokopelli.

Successful leaders will advance with the company while earning notably higher wages and gratuities, and participating in coaching and mentoring of Junior guides so they, too, can be successful throughout their tenure at Kokopelli Rafting Adventures.

Please review this list of true leader qualities to see if it leaves you feeling warm and fuzzy, or with feelings of resistance.

True leaders:

Put the needs of their team and its end goal before themselves.

Check their egos at the door and focus on cooperatively getting the job done.

Want their team to shine and look good.

Position their teammates for success.

Never throw their teammates under the bus.

Feel pride when they have accomplished all this and send clients away with positive lifetime memories.

Understand that we are allowed to make earnest mistakes because it is our opportunity for growth and discovery.

Understand that with behavior standards of honesty, trust and coaching, each of us can make own our mistakes and sprout to the next level of our potential.

6. Onboarding the working probationary period of 30-days in which your training and testing will be used to further evaluate your position and potential within the team, as well as solidifying whether you are the right fit for Kokopelli.

7. Your teamwork training will groom you with deep life skills that we think you will use for years to come. This involves reading, writing, testing, and a feedback system to help you improve. You must be an active participant in all aspects of the program and complete markers successfully, by indicated (generous) deadlines to make the team.

8. Graduation to official team member status for those who have excelled in the probationary period.

Your Career at Kokopelli

When we onboard team members we expect their first year to be a learning process and a chance for both of us to get to know one another. We also make decisions, give feedback, and shape our relationship based on our desire to have you work with us year-after-year, growing to your full potential.

We offer continuing training opportunities, bonding group activities with great food, and supreme discounts on equipment and trips for you and your family and friends.

Because of the communications and accountability portions of our training program we are able to offer some flexibility in scheduling when it is requested in the correct format. We are kind and generous, but do not tolerate tardiness, no-shows, or other unprofessional displays of immaturity. These are grounds for immediate dismissal.

We are quickly growing and our ultimate goal is to be able to offer our most team-oriented employees more earning opportunities during the off-season as well as other perks.

Job Perks and Compensation

Rates for our raft guides are:

$55 for half-day trips.

$105 for full-day trips.

Happy customer tips.

$12 starting rate for as-needed additional hourly work. Potential to earn at a higher rate for added hours is dependent on displayed skills. Guides must not rely on hourly work as the ebb and flow of this is unpredictable and considered extra.

RV hosting near the Embudo River in Rinconada. Our boathouse is stationed a mile from a couple put-in spots on the river and is on a quiet, peaceful acreage. We have the potential to host you in your own RV with hookups. You would be sharing the beautiful surroundings with your team mates.

Free equipment use after hours. Love to raft and kayak? You could have a great summer in your off-hours paddling with our equipment in an incredible environment. All equipment requires check-out.

Discounted trips for friends and family. We offer 30 percent off of one commercially professionally guided trip per year for each of our staff members during approved times. Many of our employees use this discount for family reunions and other large get-togethers.

For non-guided, non-commercial trips, we offer the use of company equipment for the low rate of $10 per person, if you want to take your own group out solo. We offer this to those skilled enough to safely do so during approved times.

Company parties with camaraderie, delicious vittles, and fun activities.

We would love to be able to offer a health benefits package in the future but are not able to do at this time. We also want to see the same team come back every year and hope if you join our team that you will be with us when we evolve to that point.

If you think we are a match, please follow our link to apply. You will be asked to fill out some basic information, write a short cover letter, and upload your resume, if you have one.

APPLY HERE, NOT ON CRAIGSLIST: https://www.kokopelliraft.com/employment/

You may qualify for our group Zoom interview on 4/14 at 3:00 PM.

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