Skills and Job Requirements:
Please read carefully

Skills Needed

1. Relates well to people of varied ages and backgrounds; enjoys people; is outgoing.
   
2. Is physically active, loves the outdoors.
   
3. Able to economically and accurately handle the business aspects of the trip including purchasing and organizing supplies, preparing expense reports and other trip paperwork, and presenting a professional, positive image to innkeepers and other vendors.
   
4. Hard working; self-motivated; conscientious; results-oriented; able to work unsupervised.
   
5. Intelligent and mature; capable of handling problems independently and professionally.
   
6. Physically strong and fit: able to lift bicycles onto roof rack; carry 50 lb coolers; hook up and move trailers by hand.
   
7. Have a clean driving record (no more than one moving violation during the last three years) plus vehicle operator liability insurance.
   
8. Skilled at bicycle maintenance and repair.
   
9. Able to skillfully and safely drive and back up large van with attached trailer.
   
10. Certified in Adult Basic First Aid and CPR.
    
11. Cooking: able to prepare a cooked meal for a large group.
    
12. Skilled in problem solving and decision-making.  Able to make decisions on own and deal with difficult guests in a firm but customer service oriented fashion.
    
13. Cycling: able to complete our most difficult trips at a level that is at least on par with our stronger guests.
    
14. Live within a two-hour drive of Olympia, which is generally between Seattle and Portland.
    
15. Be a minimum of 25 years of age due to vehicle insurance requirements.

Duties

1. Support the Head Guide, follow his/her directions; identify problems and help solve them.
   
2. Prepare rental bicycles for trip; inspect and repair as needed, load on top of van.
   Prepare van; install seats, racks and trailer as required.
   
3. Purchase food and supplies and load into trailer.
   
4. Drive van shuttles as needed to pick up guests on first day of trip; take to starting point.
   
5. Adjust bicycles to each rider.  Instruct guests in the proper operations of bicycles as well as safe riding technique.  Inspect and maintain bicycles for the duration of the trip.
   
6. Communicate group’s needs to hotels and restaurants.
   
7. Drive the route in the van, offering assistance to cyclists as needed.
   
8. Prepare lunch; maintain snacks in van, clean up from meals.
   
9. Load and unload cyclists’ luggage into/out of van each day, place in guests’ rooms.
   
10. On some days, as determined by the Head Guide, ride your bicycle with the cyclists; offer support, encouragement and assistance.
    
11. At end of tour, drive guests back to airport in van; return van to our warehouse; unload and clean van and trailer.  Put away all bicycles and supplies.
    
12. Help maintain an atmosphere that is positive and supportive to each guest; create goodwill towards Bicycle Adventures among all the participants, plus inns and restaurants.
    
13. Become knowledgeable of the history, geology, botany and cultural features of the area toured in order to share this information with our guests.

Work Schedule

1. Initial work assignments in May, June or July, are probationary, and are for one-trip-at-a-time only.
   
2. For a Tour Guide who has successfully completed several trips, a typical work schedule during the peak season would be to work every other week through September or October.
3. New leaders need to be free to work any week during the months of June, July, August, and September.
   
4. A typical first-year season work schedule would be 6 or 7 trips that take place mostly in the Pacific Northwest.

Miscellaneous requirements & expectations

1. A Clean Driving record of 3-5 years is required. There can me no more than 2 infractions.  We cannot insure those drivers with any of the following on their record: reckless driving, DWI or multiple accidents caused by you.
   
2. Age- In order for BA to insure it's guides, you must be a minimum of 25 years of age.  Every so often we make an exception for 22-24 year olds, but it would constitute a unique scenario.
   
3. We prefer that you have a college education or equivalent life experience.  In order for guides to be successful, one must possess the skills to interact with highly successful, educated adults from a diverse background.
   
4. You must possess personal Vehicle Liability Insurance (in order to operate a motor vehicle in the State of Washington- you must provide proof of Liability Insurance).
   
5. You will also be required to share sleeping quarters (ie: hotel rooms) while in the field with other guides & staff members of the opposite sex.
   
6. A car- we highly recommend that people have their own motor vehicle. Due to the demanding work schedule and the remoteness of the Olympia facility — we think it works best for applicants to have a car once they become employees.
   
7. Credit- you are required to possess at least one credit card, possibly 2. You should have good credit and the ability to manage large sums of money from your personal banking account & credit cards.
   
8. Cell phones- it is a job requirement that you possess a personal cell phone- we do reimburse cell phone costs incurred in the field.