What it's Like Working for Global Leadership Adventures (GLA): An Interview

Global Leadership Adventures (GLA) is a company that runs service-based travel programs for teens during the summer. To successfully run their programs they need mentors and directors to be positive role models for their students while assisting with daily programing, ensuring safety, facilitating activities, and more. Unless you have worked with them in the field, it can be hard to understand your role and how these programs run. To gain a deeper understanding of what it's like working for GLA, I interviewed my friend and college, Ingrid who has been running summer programs for the company for five summer. This interview will provide you with information on how to apply for Global Leadership Adventures, what GLA programs are like, what the salary expectations are, and more.

Photo Credit: Mike Swingunski

Q: What is Global Leadership Adventures (GLA)?

A: GLA stands for Global Leadership Adventures. They have leadership based, community service based, summer programs for students ages 14-18. They also have a spring break program.

We have a whole leadership curriculum, so there is a bunch of different initiatives and activities that we do, but mostly they are based in travel and have programs all over the world; Africa, South America, Central America, Europe, Asia… a pretty wide variety. Usually there is up to 30 students on a program, but sometimes it’s as low as 9 or 10. All [program themes vary but] they are centralized around a service project. 

Q: What’s your experience working for GLA?

A: [I’ve worked with GLA for five summers.] I started as a mentor and my first three summers were in Costa Rica. Right now, I am an International Director and I have done that the past two years. [One summer] in the Dominican Republic and then this past summer in Peru.

As an International Director my job is focused on mostly the student experience. I run the programs and manage my staff [who are mentors]. I am in charge of safety, I enforce the code of conduct, I talk to parents when there is a disciplinary or medical issue… basically my job is to make sure the students are safe and having fun, the programs are going according to plan, and that all my staff are doing their job.

Q: Can you explain the roles and hierarchy in the field? 

A: There is an International Director for every program. Like I said, that’s more centralized around the student experience… safety, enforcing the code of conduct, making sure everything is going to plan. 

Then there is a Local Director for every program. Sometimes there is more than one. They handle all of the program logistics; communicating directly with partners, translating, and providing cultural competency for the students. Local Directors are always from the country that we are in. 

Then, the Mentors basically support the International Director and the Local Director. They have more time to have that one-on-one connection with the students. Mentors will run something called mentor groups [where they] divide the students into groups, and [facilitate] smaller group activities. [On my programs] I try to do them every other night, sometimes there are programs that run them every night, its up to [the International Director].

The International Director and Local Director are on the same level. I think from the students prospective it looks like [IDs are] in charge [because] we have different roles and people that we report to. [Then below them are the Mentors who are all on the same level.]

Q: What are the requirements to work as a Mentor or International Director for GLA?

A: You have to be at least 21 to work for GLA. To be an International Director you have to be at least 25 years old. Mentors can’t be over the age of 39. You have to have a bachelors degree in something. You have to have some sort of experience with kids or working with students. [You also need to be First Aid/CPR certified.]

Q: What is the application process like for GLA?

A: There is an application online, you can find it on their website. There is a different one for International Directors than there is for Mentors. You can apply to be an International Director first. I know some that have not been mentors first [but they generally all have a lot more experience].

The [application] asks you a lot of questions about [yourself] and there are two scenarios that they ask you [such as,] 'It’s storming and you are suppose to go ziplining, what do you do?' [Then you move onto the interview process.] They have a Hiring Manager, and I think he interviewed me first, then I got interviewed by one of the Regional Directors, so it was two interviews in total.

Q: What should someone add to their resume to have a better chance of getting a job with GLA?

A: I think working with kids is the biggest thing that they look for, and having managed a group of students in some way. Teaching is good but I think outdoor education is even better. Definitely any sort of travel experience, especially backpacking or longer journeys.

Also if you have a specific focus. For example, I have my dive master and have worked in the diving industry, so often they will put me on the marine conservation based programs because I have a lot of knowledge about that kind of stuff.

Any travel experience, second languages you speak, working with kids, managing a student group, logistics management… being an RA in college probably would be helpful… those are all good things to put down.

Q: How are instructors assigned their program locations?

A: There are probably a lot of factors that go into it. When they hire us they always ask us for our preferences and what is most important to us… the location, the program itself, who you are working with… they have us prioritize what our priorities are. So let's say I really wanted to go to Bali but they only had Mentor positons open. They would ask, 'Would you rather prioritize your role as an International Director or are you okay with being a Mentor because you get to go to Bali?'

You rank each program. If you worked there longer you get more of a say. I think they base it on location too, [meaning] if you are closer to a certain country, they probably would send you there first. Also, your experience [plays a role]. For example, there are certain programs that involve overnight, high altitude, cold hikes, so you need to be able bodied enough to do that.

Q: What is staff training like with Global Leadership Adventures?

A: Training is always in May, [usually] the last couple weeks. Then most programs are from early/mid-June to mid-August.

I believe, if you are a Mentor, it’s just an online training. They have a bunch of modules and videos that you watch. If you are an International Director, we have a training for 5 days every year. Usually we go to Costa Rica, and that is all expenses paid for. We didn’t have it last year due to the market being the way it is, and I think they were trying to save money. So we had it all online, but we did get paid for our time. 

We then have something called 'in country training'. We arrive usually 4-5 days before the first group of students. The International Director and Local Director get there before everybody else and have a few days to [prepare]. Then the Mentors will arrive and do team building within our staff team and get everything ready for the students. We go over all of our policies and make the orientation. The Local Director will bring us everywhere that we are going to be going [during the program]. We go to the health clinic and make sure everything is all set up there, we go to the service site and get introduced to the service partner and ask any questions and familiarize ourself with the area. That is one of my favorite parts about [the job].

Q: How does a GLA program work? 

A: Every program is very different. There are a few programs that are traveling programs. [For example,] I did one in Costa Rica that was half in one part of the country and half in another. But for the most part you have one home base.

There are 10-day programs, 14-day programs, and 21-day programs. There are all different kinds of [programs] but there is always a service project included and each program is going to have a different amount of service hours. There is a lot of marine conservations [programs]. There are language immersion programs and I know that those have language lessons at least every other day or during the afternoons. I also did a surfing program where they had surf lessons every other day.

The one I just did in Peru for 2-weeks was 30 service hours. After breakfast we had service in the morning and lunch at the service site. Then in the afternoon we will do something fun like go to the beach or maybe do a leadership activity. We have dinner, then after dinner is when the mentor groups happen. Then maybe we will do a group activity or maybe we will just chill.

We have a [no] cell phone policy and it’s up to the International Director how you want to do that. I usually hold onto [the student’s phone’s] during the day and give them back at night so they can call their parents and use them as an alarm in the morning. They give their phones back at breakfast. We also have a leader of the day initiative, so every student will do that at least once. If it’s 24 students I have 2 leaders every day.

Photo Credit: Beth Macdonald

Q: How much do you get paid working for GLA?

A: For Mentors, base pay is $400 USD a week. For International Directors it is $550 USD a week but it goes up every year. Included [in your contract] is your food and housing for the entire program, your round trip flights, and your transportation to and from the program.

Pay is negotiable. If you’re a teacher, if you have a masters degree, if you have other accomplishments [or certifications] you can [get a pay increase]. If you have your WFR (Wilderness First Responder) you get a $200 stipend, if you have you WFA (Wilderness First Aid) it’s $150 and a Lifeguard certification is $150.

Q: This is a 24/7 job. Do you get any time off?

A: I usually give my staff one morning and one afternoon/evening off each week.

So, if its a 2-week program they would get 4 blocks of time off. Obviously, if we can fit it in, they can take a break. It’s flexible and it depends on how the International Directors [run their program]. They decide what works with your team and find what makes sense for your program.

You will [be assigned your] contract/program and you will have [a number of] sessions. [Each session is] the same program every time and the same itinerary each time. You will get [around] 3 days in between each session as time off. [You can explore or relax, but] you are not allowed to leave the country. 

Q: What are the biggest pros of working for GLA?

A: Biggest pros is that you get to see the world and get paid to do it. I love the in country training aspect and the fact that they hire international staff. I’ve had a lot of international mentors which is really cool and exciting. I love having a Local Director that is from the country that we are in.

I always feel like I have good support from the higher ups in the office. I think they take pretty good care of us and I feel valued as a person who has worked there for several years. I feel appreciated.

Q: What are the biggest cons of working for GLA?

A: It’s long hours, it’s tiring, it comes with sacrifice, and you have to live like a teenager for several months.

It's hard that the Local Directors don’t always have the same training, bosses, hierarchy, or even the same system of being paid as we do. I’ll show up and I don’t know what they know or what they think their role is. I’ve learned to just run the program the way I want to run, otherwise it can be confusing and there is miscommunication. I’ve had amazing [Local Directors] and I’ve had terrible ones. If you get a good [Local Director] that has done that program for several years, that is nice but thats not always the case. 

Q: Would you reccommend working for GLA?

A: Yeah, I would. I think, especially if you want to get into this field, it’s a really great [company to start with]. Its a big company but you have a lot of support. They are good at starting you off in a more comfortable [program] and then you will [be assigned] harder programs as you continue to work for them. My first year they [assigned me a program] called, the beach side service adventure. They usually send [instructors] who have never done this before [to that program] because there is a ton of staff and its not too intense in terms of activities. 

Q: What type of person would really enjoy this type of job?

A: Overall, any program like this [can be] chaotic... things happen. I think you have to be the right kind of person to be able to manage all of these things under pressure. 

I have ADHD and that was always really hard for me growing up and trying to make myself do the types of jobs and types of things that I was 'suppose to do'. This is a very unconventional lifestyle and workplace, but it works for me and my brain. I'm someone that really needs to be stimulated and doing things all the time. I am constantly changing where I am living, collecting skills, taking new trainings to do random things.

If you are like me [in that way] then you would love it. I think I thrive under pressure and when I have a million things to do is when I preform my best… but it's hard and obviously it takes a lot of stamina and a lot of momentum. You have to know how to find those moments of self care because... if you are willing to keep going no one is going to tell you to stop, there is always going to be stuff to do, you have to be able to advocate for yourself.

Q: GLA offers summer programs. What do you do during the year?

A: It’s not that different. [In the fall,] I work as a gap program instructor. [It’s a lot like the summer programs but it’s with older students and you are traveling with the same group for 10 weeks.] I’m also a snowboarding instructor, so I work snowboarding from November to April and by that time GLA is about to start again. For awhile I was traveling and working online as a mental health counselor because that's what my degree is in. I have worked as a diving guide, I’m a yoga teacher, and other random stuff.

Teachers, a lot of the time, will do this as their summer job. [Or contract workers in the seasonal and outdoor education field.]

Q: Is there any advice you would give to first time Mentors or Instructors?

A: Get really organized before you go. I really like to make notebooks that have all my information handy. I try to familiarize myself with all the student info ahead of time, so I can best connect with and support them. They can feel when you have done that research and you care for them in that way, it means so much to them when they are already so far out of their comfort zone.

Be honest about your needs. Be real about what time you need off, be honest about what rejuvenates you and what you need to do this job well. If you don’t know then do some internal searching and establish a self care routine because you need that to be successful in a job like this.

Have fun! Have so much fun. If you have fun the students will have fun along side you. Have as much of an experience as they are. 

Conclusion

Global Leadership Adventures is one of many companies that offer summer travel programs for teens. If you love to travel, enjoy working with youth, and are looking for are summer job, then they are a great company to work with. Hopefully Ingrid's experience has provided you with some insight about what it's really like working as a Mentor and an International Director on a GLA program. If you have worked for GLA, or have more questions about the industry, please feel free to share your thoughts down in the comments below!