Meet the Triton Leaders + Orientation Leaders

Orientation Leader Job Description

Orientation Leaders will be able to work with domestic and international students for the following offices: 

• Office of UMSL Global - promotes understanding of peoples and cultures through international and multicultural programming, study abroad and exchange opportunities, and providing international experiences for UMSL students and the community.
• Office of New Student Programs & Campus Visits - (NSP) provides ongoing programs and services that support new students and families in transition to University of Missouri – St. Louis

 Orientation Leader (OL) Position Responsibilities: 

• Serve as a positive role model, set an example, & be excited to promote the UMSL community to students.
• Must be able to communicate effectively, to provide assistance, and to promote accurate information to students regarding UMSL, campus, and welcome programming. 
• Initiate and develop open communication & interaction with your new students, fellow leaders and professional staff. 
• Work closely and effectively with Orientation Leaders and staff to make a memorable and welcoming environment for new students.
• Lead other students in programmatic components & sessions during family or student Orientation programs.

 Requirements:

• Reliable, responsible, confident, creative, sincere, flexible, willing to help, and good communication skills.
• An energetic and fun personality, positive attitude, and dedication to the role.
• Minimum of 2.5 cumulative GPA for the OL role. 
• Eligible to register as an undergraduate student at the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL) for Spring 2026 to Spring 2027 for both NSP and UMSL Global OL Teams. *Only on the UMSL Global OL team can a graduate student apply, but no graduate assistants or similar role from Spring 2026- Spring 2027 can apply.
• Basic knowledge of UMSL campus and desire to further knowledge.
• Able to attend all training, work events, and Orientation dates on following tab

 Compensation:

• The opportunity to impact the lives, experiences, and academic success of first-year students at UMSL.
• To build deep bonds and friendships with other students and increase your professional network with staff/faculty on campus. 
• Experience as a Paraprofessional to gain personal and professional skills for your future with the training.

• Hourly wage: $15 per hour

• Additional Perks: OL apparel items, meals during programs, and much more!

Required Dates:

You will be notified upon hire or as soon as NSP/Global staff knows of dates to work. If any dates have changed to the dates listed on the following pages. Please note the hour’s estimation is an estimate and is subject to change. 

Team socials are NOT PAID EVENTS. 

Timeline Hiring OL 2026Team:

• Recruitment Season - Feb 2 - Feb 27, 2026
• OL Informational Sessions - Monday-Friday at 12pm-12:30pm on zoom -- register at tritonconnect.umsl.edu - must attend one to receive the OL application. 
• OL Application Deadline - Sunday, March 1 at midnight CT
• OL Group Interviews - select one to attend (Thursday, March 5 from 2pm-5pm and Friday, March 6 from 2pm-5pm) on campus events, business casual attire. 
• OL Selection - notified by week of March 9 at latest

Required OL Work Dates:

April  (NSP paid 3 hours) *both Orientation Teams for Offices of  Global & NSP team

Sunday, April 12 (1pm-4pm) OL Team Retreat 

August Global Team (NSP paid 80 hours)

August NSP Team (NSP paid 88 hours)

Fall Global + NSP team - Friday Night Live Events  (September - November—NSP paid16  hours) 

OL Team will connect will come together for social events for our new students, expected to attend if available, (4 hours, per month)

• Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec (4 hours each) Orientation Teams Attend Friday Night Live Series

OL End of Semester Celebration  ( NSP paid 3 hours) 

TBD Before Winter Break (3 hours) OL Team End of Semester Celebration

January Global Team (NSP paid 88 hours)

Friday, January 15 (10 hours)                    UMSL Orientation - NSP & Global OL Teams 

January NSP Team (NSP paid 39 hours)

Spring Global + NSP team  (February - April—NSP paid 20  hours) 

OL Team will connect will come together for social events for our new students, expected to attend if available, (4 hours, per month)

• Jan, Feb, March, April, May (4 hours each) Orientation Teams Attend Friday Night Live Series

Additional Opportunities:

• Team Meetings or Additional OL tasks as needed - paid experiences
• Team Socials & Professional Development Opportunities - not paid but could be an opportunity for growth and fun!

How to Apply for OL?

Step 1 

Attend OL Informational Session. Go to tritonconnect.umsl.edu and register for one of the Virtual OL Information Sessions. Save the zoom link of the OL Information Session and add your date/time to your calendar for the info session. You will receive the OL Application link after attending this OL Info Session.

If you need assistance on writing a resume, please make a virtual appointment with the Career Services Office where they can assist you with resume assistance or check Career Services Online Tools.

Step 2

All applicants are required to attend at least one Virtual OL Information session to receive your unique application link to apply for the OL Team position. 

**You will receive an email following this Informational Session with your Application link. 

If you you have any questions, email us at newstudentprograms@umsl.edu  

Step 3

• The application should take 30 to 60 minutes to complete (general information about you, upload a recent resume, include a list of current involvement on campus and jobs, list of any awards, answer the essay question, and cumulative GPA.) GPA---we will check grades upon end of semester. 
• If you need assistance on writing a resume, please make a virtual appointment with the Career Services Office where they can assist you with resume assistance or check their online tools. 

Step 4

• Select Group Interview Date/Time – must attend one to be an OL 

1. • • Thursday, March 5 from 2pm - 5pm in person
     • Friday, March 6 from 2pm - 5pm in person

Step 5

Attend your OL Group Interview on campus to be considered for the OL position. The OL Group Interview will be with professional staff and other applicants for the OL position, where you will be asked various questions as a group to perform various tasks. 

You will receive emails and calendar invites prior to your selected date/time with your OL Group Interview, if you advance to an interview.

*Required to attend OL Group Interview to be consider for OL role. 

If you you have any questions, email us at newstudentprograms@umsl.edu  

Tips for your interview:

• Check out UMSL Career Services Office to learn best practices for interviews. Plan ahead and make an appointment. 
• Business casual attire is recommended.
• If you are a first semester first-year student, you need to bring a copy of your midterm grades and submit them during this interview to verify your GPA. 
• Arrive early to your interview.  Please be patience and NSP staff will let you in when they are ready for you. If you have an emergency and need to reschedule, please contact the New Student Programs Office at (314) 516-5271 or newstudentprograms@umsl.edu as soon as possible. 
• If at any time you need to withdraw your OL application, please contact the New Student Programs Office at (314) 516-5271 or newstudentprograms@umsl.edu as soon as possible. 

Notification of the OL Position

After you completed the OL application, you attend your OL Group Interview -- you will be notifed by email if selected or not.

Not Selected for the OL Role

You are encouraged to apply again next year! Now you went through this process, you have learned more items to prepare for the future, and you can utilize the UMSL Career Services Office to gain more insight on how to prepare as well. If you would like to learn how you can grow from the OL interviewing experience, you can email newstudentprograms@umsl.edu to make an appointment to talk about areas of growth in your interviewing skills. 

Nomination Form

Yes, a fellow student, an UMSL staff member, and/or an UMSL faculty member are eligible to nominate an individual you think would be a great Orientation Leader. If you have someone in mind, please complete the nomination form (your name as nominator, your email, and your list of students first, last name with email, and with any reasons why.) After you submit your nomination form, the Office of New Student Programs will send them a follow-up email about the role that they have been nominated. Please note, the students must still complete the OL/TL Application before it closes. If you have any questions, you can email newstudentprograms@umsl.edu or call us at (314) 516-5271 to answer any questions.

Nominate a student for Orientation Leader & Triton Leader Role - Students must apply by Sunday, March 1 by midnight CT

All quotes from past Triton Leaders and Orientation Leaders of how they would describe their experience:

Learned how to be a better leader--on stage and off stage with work and life. Enhanced communication skills and to be more a empathetic listener. 

Mentorship to other students on the team and incoming students. 

Beneficial position that gives you great exposure to resources on-campus, people on-campus, and knowledge of UMSL. Transferable skills (communication, public speaking, empathetic listening, Disney Customer Service, conflict management, working on a team, dancing/stage presence, gratitude/appreciation, Resume, LinkedIn account, job/graduate school search, etiquette dinner, and Being the best you).

Mix of professional Development and growing my UMSL Family. :)

Great group of friends to hang out with now and the student job didn't feel like work! 

Confidence in myself, enhance school pride, knowledge of campus, and considering myself a leader now.

Helped me grow as a person.

Growth in my confidence, meaningful relationships, and inspiring new students.

Valuable experience that was enjoyable and enhanced my leadership skills. 

Built quick connections on the team with relationships, a group I can trust, and a team I was able to learn/grow!

Great networking opportunity! 

Really great experience that enhanced my public speaking skills. 

Learned how to be a better me, personally and professionally--by working with others, learning more about the university, building connections, and confidence to do my role.

Built valuable connections of faculty, staff, and new students (first-years & transfers) that will all assist in your college experience. 

My experience was really awesome that it provided me with ways to learn (critical thinking, trouble shooting, communication skills, self-confidence, how to build rapport with others, etc.) about myself and help others find their passion. 

A great experience to learn more about my own leadership style, how to work in a team, where my strengths are best used in a team, and how I like to help others transition into a new life/career. 

Enjoyed reconnecting with students after Orientation season during the school year to know I was able to help impact them to be here at UMSL. :) 

This experience made me self-reflective on all the incoming student's passions in the excitement of Orientation, to realize what I want to do in my own life. 

Eye opening experience that builds you up as an individual.  I built close friendships with my teammates who help me through my ups and downs.  It is fun, sometimes long days, but it is a good experience to build you personally and professional with a network on campus from staff, faculty, and students. 

Triton Leader Job Description

Department Mission:

The Office of New Student Programs & Campus Visits  in the Enrollment Management Division provides ongoing programs and services that support prospective, admitted, new students and families in transition to University of Missouri – St. Louis (UMSL).

Triton Leader Position Opportunities: Will work in all areas listed below. 

• Admissions Front Desk
• Welcome Center Front Desk
• Communication Station
• Campus Daily Tours + Group Tours
• Special Events 

Triton Leader - Admissions Front Desk  Position Responsibilities:

• Assist prospective and admitted students and their guests with questions in-person or on the phone.
• Serve as greeter to all that come into the New Student Programs
• Navigate questions and concerns at the desk and to connect students with correct service or information. 
• Work on various tasks at the desk from phone calling, assist with walk-ins, daily tasks, and much more. 
• Serve as a positive role model, set an example, & be excited to promote the UMSL community to students.
• Must be able to communicate effectively, to provide assistance, and to promote accurate information to students regarding UMSL, resources, and campus. 
• Initiate and develop open communication & interaction with your students, fellow leaders and professional staff. 

Triton Leader - Welcome Center Position Front Desk Responsibilities:

• Assist prospective and admitted students and their guests with questions in-person or on the phone. 
• Serve as greeter to all that come into the Welcome Center.
• Navigate questions and concerns at the desk and to connect students with correct service or information. 
• Work on various tasks at the desk from phone calling, assist with walk-ins, inquiry cards, and much more. 
• Serve as a positive role model, set an example, & be excited to promote the UMSL community to students.
• Must be able to communicate effectively, to provide assistance, and to promote accurate information to students regarding UMSL, resources, and campus. 
• Initiate and develop open communication & interaction with your students, fellow leaders and professional staff. 
• Work closely and effectively with student leaders and staff to make a memorable and welcoming environment for prospective and admitted students and their guests.
• Other duties as assigned.

Triton Leader - Communication Station Position Responsibilities:

• Assist in the back office to do various communication and marketing tasks that will vary including phone calling, stuffing folders/mailers,  and much more.
• Serve as a positive role model, set an example, & be excited to promote the UMSL community to students.
• Must be able to communicate effectively, to provide assistance, and to promote accurate information to students regarding UMSL, resources, and campus. 
• Initiate and develop open communication & interaction with your students, fellow leaders and professional staff. 
• Work closely and effectively with student leaders and staff to make a memorable and welcoming environment for prospective and admitted students and their guests.
• Other duties as assigned.

Triton Leader - Campus Daily Tours + Group Tours Position Responsibilities:

• Provides tours to our prospective and admitted students and their guests in daily Monday-Saturday campus tours and group tours. 
• Serve as a positive role model, set an example, & be excited to promote the UMSL community to students.
• Must be able to communicate effectively, to provide assistance, and to promote accurate information to students regarding UMSL, resources, and campus. 
• Initiate and develop open communication & interaction with your students, fellow leaders and professional staff. 
• Work closely and effectively with student leaders and staff to make a memorable and welcoming environment for prospective and admitted students and their guests.. 
• Other duties as assigned.

Triton Leader - Special Events Position Responsibilities: 

• Lead other students in programmatic components & sessions during family or student programs for large scale events for prospective and admitted students. 
• Availability to work event dates may range from Monday-Friday and some weekends with various times. 
• Serve as a positive role model, set an example, & be excited to promote the UMSL community to students.
• Must be able to communicate effectively, to provide assistance, and to promote accurate information to students regarding UMSL, resources, and campus. 
• Initiate and develop open communication & interaction with your students, fellow leaders and professional staff. 
• Work closely and effectively with student leaders and staff to make a memorable and welcoming environment for prospective and admitted students and their guests.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements:

• Reliable, responsible, confident, creative, sincere, flexible, willing to help, and good communication skills.
• An energetic and fun personality, positive attitude, and dedication to the role.
• Minimum of 2.5 cumulative GPA for the role. 
• Eligible to register as an undergraduate student at the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL) for Fall 2026, Spring 2027.
• Basic knowledge of UMSL campus and desire to further knowledge.
• Able to attend all training, team meetings, NSP events, and dates - will be given upon hired.
• Expected to work all Triton Leader Position Opportunities as needed for the team (campus + group tours, welcome center desk, front desk, communication station, special events, and other).

Compensation:

• The opportunity to impact the lives, experiences, and academic success of first-year students at UMSL.
• To build deep bonds and friendships with other students and increase your professional network with staff/faculty on campus. 
• Experience as a Paraprofessional to gain personal and professional skills for your future with the training.
• Hourly wage: $15 per hour
• Additional Perks:  apparel items, meals during programs, and much more!

Required Dates:

You will be notified upon hire or as soon as NSP staff knows of dates to work. Typical shifts times Mondays - Fridays from 8am-5pm, attend a weekly TL staff meeting time will vary, and all TLs work at least 3 Saturday Shifts 8:30am - 12:30pm shifts. In addition, we will have special events and Orientation + Welcome Programming that will have various other times to work. 

Team socials are NOT PAID EVENTS. 

• Recruitment Season - Feb 2 - Feb 27, 2026
• TL Informational Sessions - Monday-Friday at 12pm-12:30pm on zoom -- register at tritonconnect.umsl.edu - must attend one to receive the OL application. 
• TL Application Deadline - Sunday, March 1 at midnight CT
• TL Group Interviews - select one to attend (Thursday, March 5 from 2pm-5pm and Friday, March 6 from 2pm-5pm) on campus events, business casual attire. 
• TL Selection - notified by week of March 9 at latest

How to Apply for TL?

Step 1 

Attend OL/TL Informational Session. Go to tritonconnect.umsl.edu and register for one of the Virtual Information Sessions. Save the zoom link of the Information Session and add your date/time to your calendar for the info session. You will receive the OL/TL Application link after attending this OL/TL Info Session.

If you need assistance on writing a resume, please make a virtual appointment with the Career Services Office where they can assist you with resume assistance or check Career Services Online Tools.

Step 2

Attend at least one Virtual OL/TL Information Session with your provided link from Triton Connect Event for Information Session. All applicants interested to apply for the Orientation Leader (OL) & Triton Leader (TL) position are required to attend at least one of the Virtual OL/TL Information Sessions. This will be a time you will have professional staff and past OLs/TLs talk about the position and answering any questions from application to interviewing process. 

All applicants are required to attend at least one Virtual OL/TL Information session to receive your unique application link to apply for the OL/TL Team position. 

**You will receive an email following this Informational Session with your Application link. 

If you you have any questions, email us at newstudentprograms@umsl.edu  

Step 3

Complete your TL 2026 Application by Sunday, March 1 by midnight CT.  

• The application should take 30 to 60 minutes to complete (general information about you, upload a recent resume, include a list of current involvement on campus and jobs, list of any awards, answer the essay question, and cumulative GPA.) GPA---we will check grades upon end of semester. 
• If you need assistance on writing a resume, please make a virtual appointment with the Career Services Office where they can assist you with resume assistance or check their online tools. 

Step 4

Sign-up for your OL 2026 Interview in your OL Application the last question of your application: 

• Select Group Interview Date/Time – must attend one to be an OL 

1. • • Thursday, March 5 from 2pm - 5pm in person
     • Friday, March 6 from 2pm - 5pm in person

Step 5

Attend your OL/TL Group Interview on campus to be considered for the OL/TL position. The OL/TL Group Interview will be with professional staff and other applicants for the OL/TL position, where you will be asked various questions as a group to perform various tasks. 

You will receive emails and calendar invites prior to your selected date/time with your OL/TL Group Interview, if you advance to an interview.

*Required to attend OL/TL Group Interview to be consider for OL/TL role. 

If you you have any questions, email us at newstudentprograms@umsl.edu  

Tips for your interview:

• Check out UMSL Career Services Office to learn best practices for interviews. Plan ahead and make an appointment. 
• Business casual attire is recommended.
• If you are a first semester first-year student, you need to bring a copy of your midterm grades and submit them during this interview to verify your GPA. 
• Arrive early to your interview.  Please be patience and NSP staff will let you in when they are ready for you. If you have an emergency and need to reschedule, please contact the New Student Programs Office at (314) 516-5271 or newstudentprograms@umsl.edu as soon as possible. 
• If at any time you need to withdraw your OL application, please contact the New Student Programs Office at (314) 516-5271 or newstudentprograms@umsl.edu as soon as possible. 

Notification of the TL Position

After you completed the TL application, you attended your TL Individual Interview---you will be notified by email if selected or not. 

Not Selected for the TL Role

You are encouraged to apply again next year! Now you went through this process, you have learned more items to prepare for the future, and you can utilize the UMSL Career Services Office to gain more insight on how to prepare as well. If you would like to learn how you can grow from the TL or OL interviewing experience, you can email newstudentprograms@umsl.edu to make an appointment to talk about areas of growth in your interviewing skills. 

Nomination Form

Yes, a fellow student, an UMSL staff member, and/or an UMSL faculty member are eligible to nominate an individual you think would be a great Orientation Leader and/or Triton Leader. If you have someone in mind, please complete the nomination form (your name as nominator, your email, and your list of students first, last name with email, and with any reasons why.) After you submit your nomination form, the Office of New Student Programs will send them a follow-up email about the role that they have been nominated. Please note, the students must still complete the OL/TL Application before it closes. If you have any questions, you can email newstudentprograms@umsl.edu or call us at (314) 516-5271 to answer any questions.

Nominate a student for Orientation Leader & Triton Leader Role - Students must apply by Sunday, March 1 by midnight CT

All quotes from past Triton Leaders and Orientation Leaders of how they would describe their experience:

Learned how to be a better leader--on stage and off stage with work and life. Enhanced communication skills and to be more a empathetic listener. 

Mentorship to other students on the team and incoming students. 

Beneficial position that gives you great exposure to resources on-campus, people on-campus, and knowledge of UMSL. Transferable skills (communication, public speaking, empathetic listening, Disney Customer Service, conflict management, working on a team, dancing/stage presence, gratitude/appreciation, Resume, LinkedIn account, job/graduate school search, etiquette dinner, and Being the best you).

Mix of professional Development and growing my UMSL Family. :)

Great group of friends to hang out with now and the student job didn't feel like work! 

Confidence in myself, enhance school pride, knowledge of campus, and considering myself a leader now.

Helped me grow as a person.

Growth in my confidence, meaningful relationships, and inspiring new students.

Valuable experience that was enjoyable and enhanced my leadership skills. 

Built quick connections on the team with relationships, a group I can trust, and a team I was able to learn/grow!

Great networking opportunity! 

Really great experience that enhanced my public speaking skills. 

Learned how to be a better me, personally and professionally--by working with others, learning more about the university, building connections, and confidence to do my role.

Built valuable connections of faculty, staff, and new students (first-years & transfers) that will all assist in your college experience. 

My experience was really awesome that it provided me with ways to learn (critical thinking, trouble shooting, communication skills, self-confidence, how to build rapport with others, etc.) about myself and help others find their passion. 

A great experience to learn more about my own leadership style, how to work in a team, where my strengths are best used in a team, and how I like to help others transition into a new life/career. 

Enjoyed reconnecting with students after Orientation season during the school year to know I was able to help impact them to be here at UMSL. :) 

This experience made me self-reflective on all the incoming student's passions in the excitement of Orientation, to realize what I want to do in my own life. 

Eye opening experience that builds you up as an individual.  I built close friendships with my teammates who help me through my ups and downs.  It is fun, sometimes long days, but it is a good experience to build you personally and professional with a network on campus from staff, faculty, and students.