How to Become a Camp Counselor
Working as a camp counselor is a great way to meet new people, gain experience in the outdoors and spend time with kids. Whether you sign on for the season or enjoy part-time work at a day camp, you are guaranteed a rewarding summer.
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Things You'll Need
- Palm Handheld Organizers
- Personal Organizers
- Online Career Search
- résumé software
Instructions
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Get online and research your options. Check job boards for camp job listings throughout the United States and review the required qualifications.
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Network. Talk to people at your church about church camps, check school job boards and look for opportunities at your local parks and recreation department.
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Assess your skills. Any special qualifications, such as lifeguard, first aid, or CPR certification, will work in your favor. Other useful skills include horseback experience, guitar playing, work as a naturalist and anything else that might relate to the camping experience.
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Look for a camp that will use your strengths. If you play soccer, apply at a soccer camp. If you're a super cheerleader, apply at a spirit camp. If you're an accomplished musician, apply at a music camp.
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Consider a local day camp if you want to stay at home. You'll need to provide your own transportation to and from camp, but you'll get paid and gain experience that you can add to your résumé.
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Apply to camps that interest you. You might need to supply a résumé, letters of recommendation and even high school or college transcripts. Appear at interviews as requested.
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Tips & Warnings
Camps have different age and experience requirements. Check carefully to find those camps that meet your needs.
Some camp Web sites allow you to post your résumé, as well as apply for jobs.
If you're not old enough to be a camp counselor, consider spending the summer as a counselor-in-training (CIT), which will give you valuable experience. The downside is that you won't get paid - you might even have to pay to attend camp.
Competition for summer jobs is fierce. Be sure to apply as early as possible.
Make sure you get a complete listing of what is and isn't provided at the camp. Room and board are usually provided for full-time counselors, but you might have to pay for everything else you need.
If you're going to work at a camp that isn't local, you'll probably have to pay for your own transportation to and from the camp.
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Comments
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Nov 22, 2005
Many camps are looking for a diversified staff and only get applicants that are (for examples) female or Jewish, for their respective camps. I am a female who works at an all boys camp. I was hired three days before camp (my first year) because they had only male applicants. -
Nov 22, 2005
If you're already a Boy Scout, Venturer, or Girl Scout, check with your local council office. Every council has at least one camp and many are looking for people up to the week before the camp opens.
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Nov 22, 2005
All the kids are different and you will like some campers better than others. But it's the guys who get on your nerves and don't get a lot of attention that will cause you the most trouble down the road. Treat them like family and it's so much easier!
