Summer camp jobs include counselors, sport and nature instructors, lifeguards, kitchen staff, maintenance jobs, and many other jobs that keep summer camps running. While you will have a greater variety of jobs available to you if you have some previous experience in management, teaching, or other areas, lots of summer camp jobs are open to high school and college students.
Camp counselor jobs are some of the most popular and rewarding jobs for college students and recent graduates who truly like with young adults and children. While previous experience helps, it is not a requirement. The main requirement for working at a summer camp is enjoying working with children! Counselors and other staff are nearly always on duty, organizing activities, keeping campers safe, and acting as supervisors and mentors. At many camps, some counselors do double duty as lifeguards or instructors.
Other jobs open to college students and recent graduates include sports and nature instructors. Sports instructors are often college athletes, and science and nature camps often offer assistant instructor positions to science majors with an interest in education.
Starting Your Summer Camp Job Search - To find a summer position, begin searching early, around March. Interviews, whether in person or via the phone, are important for summer camp jobs.
There are many places online to find summer camp jobs, starting with hundreds of summer camp websites. Non-U.S. citizens desiring to work in the U.S. at a summer camp should research the staffing agencies that recruit and hire staff for hundreds of American camps.
Applying for a Summer Camp Job - As with any job, make sure your resume and cover letter are polished and proofread and highlight your skills and experience that are relevant to the job. If you are applying for different types of jobs or different types of summer camps, you may want to tailor multiple versions of your resume and cover letter.
Try to convey your excitement about summer camps and working with children in your cover letter.
Like most employers, summer camps typically interview prospective hires. Even though summer camps tend to be a relaxed work environment, treat the interview as you would any other - dress appropriately and be polite. However, it's still important to honestly convey your enthusiasm and personality. Summer camps want to hire fun, interesting counselors and instructors.
Choose appropriate jobs to apply for - jobs that fit your skills and experiences. For example, if you aren't a certified lifeguard, don't apply for lifeguard jobs. Summer camps will provide some on-the-job training, but they expect you to meet basic qualifications. First Aid, CPR, Wilderness First Responder, and lifeguard certifications all make you more competitive, even if you are not applying for a lifeguard job.
Read the minimum requirements - if a job requires a college degree and you're still in college, you probably want to apply as an assistant if there's an option to do so.
Personality is probably the most important factor - you need to show in your interview that you are a positive, fun, patient person who will be a good role model for campers. You also need to be prepared to work long hours - counselors in particular are on call 24/7.
You will probably have to apply for several positions and won't always get interviews, but don't get discouraged. If you are qualified, submit a strong application, and convey your interest in working at a summer camp during your interview, a great summer job and a memorable experience will be yours.
