3 Activities to Help You Find Summer Camp Counselor Jobs
Whether you have attended camp throughout your whole childhood or just last summer, you may be looking now for a job as a summer camp counselor. Transitioning between camper and counselor can be an exciting time in your life. However, it can be difficult to be the best counselor you can be during your first year.
Below are some things you can do during your senior year of high school to help prepare you for the transition:
1. Take a First Aid and CPR Class
Most summer camps do not require that all of their counselors have formal first aid and CPR training. However, counselors who do have basic medical training often get small bonuses and are put in more active positions. If you hope to be leading overnight hikes or supervising campers at the beach, medical training will make you stand out among your other counselors.
A basic first aid class should only take a weekend of your time, and a more intensive wilderness first aid course may take a week or several weekends.
2. Take a Child Development Class
If your school offers it, enroll in a child development class. This will give you insight to how children think and behave and help prepare you to be a better camp counselor. You should keep in mind that first year counselors are often paired with the youngest campers. This is to create a bigger age gap between the campers and the counselors. Because of this, you should be prepared to work with your camp's youngest age group, which is usually around 8-9 years old at most camps.
3. Become Familiar With Your Camp's Counselor Application Process
You may be surprised to learn that most camps start recruiting for camp staff in January or February. As a younger counselor with less experience than other applicants, getting your application in as soon as applications open will help you get noticed.
Additionally, if you were a counselor in training or a frequent camper at your camp, you may want to send a brief email to your camp director expressing your interest and asking for tips to make sure you get accepted as a counselor.
