SUWS of the Carolinas Reviews
77% would recommend to a friend
(19 total reviews)
Daniel Fishburn
100% approve of CEO
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Found 19 of over 19 reviews
Updated Oct 18, 2023
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- 5.0Jul 24, 2023Wilderness Field InstructorFormer Employee, more than 3 years
Pros
amazing shift culture, met my best friends, meaningful work, hiking, outdoors, if you want to be a therapist this is a great trial run as you work very closely with them, 6 days off between shifts to adventure!
Cons
shift work, 8 days on/6 days off, can get burned out, hard work, kids not always easy to work with
- 3.0Oct 18, 2023Office ClerkFormer Employee, more than 1 yearOld Fort, NC
Pros
I enjoyed the overwhelmingly vast majority of people I worked with, and especially the serenity and beauty of nature
Cons
The pay is laughable. SUWS did not pay a living wage for Asheville. Their pay is based on Old Fort, a rural locality almost twenty miles from Asheville. I was subject to intense micromanagement, often. There is so much I would write about what I personally went through, and I've rewritten this so many times, that I'm just going to say simply: What I went through at SUWS caused severe trauma affecting all levels of my professional and personal life.
- 5.0Jan 19, 2023Wilderness Field InstructorFormer Employee
Pros
+Great community of people at SUWS
Cons
-The pay rate could use some work
- 5.0Feb 1, 2022Chief Executive Officer (CEO)Current Employee, more than 3 years
Pros
The community of people at SUWS is stellar! Everyone is so supportive and willing to learn/grow from each other. The work that is done here makes a huge impact on the lives of so many adolescents and their families.
Cons
The work does require awareness and compassion for the students we serve. Working at a 24/7, 365 residential program requires grit, openness to personal growth, and skills for personal self-care.
- 5.0Jan 25, 2022Field DirectorCurrent EmployeeOld Fort, NC
Pros
+Best work community i have been a part of. +Supportive environment from co-staff, managers and everyone that works here +Receive lots of feedback given in a way that is focused on growth and still forgiving of mistakes +Fulfilling work and a company that puts its values first and stands by them
Cons
+Field instructor schedule of week on week off is one of the best parts and a hard part
- 5.0Jan 10, 2022Anonymous EmployeeCurrent Employee
Pros
I love this company and the community it fosters. Employees are empowered and supported through their process.
Cons
Hard work, difficult client base
- 2.0Feb 10, 2022Wilderness Field InstructorFormer Employee, more than 1 year
Pros
Working here is a growing experience.
Cons
Kids who are not fit for wilderness therapy are accepted (super violent kids), bad pay, undertrained employees (field instructors should actually have knowledge in
- 5.0Dec 19, 2014Field InstructorFormer Employee, less than 1 yearOld Fort, NC
Pros
I spent a summer working here in between college. It was an amazing experience working with teenagers who were battling with school failure, anger issues, substance abuse, and emotional regulation issues. As a field instructor you work week long shifts, Wednesday to Wednesday. - Rewarding experience - Lots of personal growth - Spend you time hiking in the Appalachian Mountain range - Diverse and fun staff members - Living in Asheville, just a short drive from Old Fort, is great - Staff treats you well - Teaches you to be intentional with your words/actions and not take life for granted
Cons
- Not showering for a week while you are in the backcountry - Sometimes went on hikes while we were understaffed
1 - 3.0Feb 18, 2020InstructorFormer Employee, more than 1 yearOld Fort, NC
Pros
SUWS definitely has supplied me with some of the best work experiences of my life. The co-staff and fellow guides are mostly wonderful, exceptional people who are a treasure to work with. Being able to support these kids in such a raw and radical way can at times be more rewarding than you could possibly imagine. This job will push the limits of what you think you're capable of and can provide incredible amounts of personal growth. Plus camping in the wilderness 8 days straight.. lovely!
Cons
Like most things in the social service sector, the pay is brutal. There is a terrible irony of being a guide there.. you are supporting traumatized young people with often dysfunctional family systems who are obscenely wealthy and you are paid as little as the company can legally pay you. It can be difficult to get sufficient sleep during the summers as the long days are so demanding. This job takes everything you've got. It is not for everyone. High highs, but low lows. SUWS is a faced paced machine, and you can feel like you're on a sprint for 8 days.
- 5.0Jan 20, 2016Master Field InstructorFormer Employee, more than 3 yearsOld Fort, NC
Pros
SUWS of the Carolinas, offered and challenging, ever changing work environment. Offered constant support and growth for everyone.
Cons
Field Staff work scheudules are hard to adjust to and are not for everyone.
SUWS of the Carolinas Reviews FAQs
SUWS of the Carolinas has an overall rating of 3.9 out of 5, based on over 19 reviews left anonymously by employees. 77% of employees would recommend working at SUWS of the Carolinas to a friend and 64% have a positive outlook for the business. This rating has improved by 3% over the last 12 months.
77% of SUWS of the Carolinas employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews. Employees also rated SUWS of the Carolinas 2.8 out of 5 for work life balance, 4.6 for culture and values and 2.9 for career opportunities.
According to reviews on Glassdoor, employees commonly mention the pros of working at SUWS of the Carolinas to be management, benefits, career development and the cons to be senior leadership, diversity and inclusion, compensation.
