How to Become a Camp Counselor

By eHow Careers & Work Editor

Rate: (8 Ratings)

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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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Palm Handheld Organizers
Personal Organizers
Online Career Search
résumé software

Step1

Get online and research your options. Check job boards for camp job listings throughout the United States and review the required qualifications.

Step2

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.

Step3

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.

Step4

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.

Step5

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.

Step6

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.

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.

Comments

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 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.

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 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!

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 I've worked at a camp for 6 summers, and enthusiasm is one of the most important things you can offer as a camp counselor. During your interview, talk about how much you love working with kids (if you don't love working with kids and can't muster this convincingly, you shouldn't be a camp counselor). I also agree with the above comment that scout camps are looking for people even as late as a few weeks before camp. I think boy scout camps are creepy, but I loved working at a girl scout camp.

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 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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