DeKALB | The First Year Experience and Orientation office is beginning its search for new orientation leaders for the 2007-2008 school year.

Orientation leaders help incoming students and their families become acquainted with the campus and answer any questions a parent or student may have about life at NIU.

There are 24 orientation sessions in the summer where informational sessions and campus tours happen. Training takes place over the entire span of the spring semester and leaders will attend a week-long training session at the beginning of the summer to prepare.

“We have a couple of retreats for bonding so they can get to know other people on the staff and we’ll have guest speakers come in to help them with communication skills so they’re well prepared for the summer to give information,” said Artice Weston, an orientation leader in 2006 and a 2007 team leader.

Students will meet every Wednesday starting in February to work on interpersonal skills, communication skills, how to do a tour of campus, and go through diversity training, said Abbey Wolfman, assistant director of First Year Experience and Orientation.

Students do not have to fit a specific mold when applying for a position as an orientation leader, said Amanda Scott Born, a 2005 leader and 2007 team leader. The orientation office is open to people of all personalities and backgrounds.

“The best-case scenario is that we could take the 25,000-student population we have at Northern and kind of fit it into 10-12 people,” Weston said.

Some of the qualities sought are a desire to help people and a positive outlook on the NIU campus and what it has to offer, Born said.

Being an orientation leader is not as hard as it may look, Wolfman said. Students can learn to overcome fears of public speaking and gain leadership qualities that will help in their future careers. People who feel they are too shy or hate speaking in public should not overlook becoming an orientation leader, she said.

“I think a big misconception would be that you have to be a huge, outgoing, in-your-face person. You can be shy, you can be quiet and be an orientation leader,” Wolfman stated.

A group discussion and introduction to NIU, a campus tour with students, a family tour and a discussion with family members are some of the activities orientation leaders will oversee during the summer.

“The great experience is being able to talk to people and this really helps you learn how to develop those skills,” Wolfman added. “I can talk to anybody now and I think that’s a fantastic skill to have.”

Optional housing is included over the summer and orientation leaders are paid an hourly rate for spring training and about $2,700 for the summer programs.