You may have spent some amazing summers at camp as a child, or perhaps you only wished you had…or maybe you just want to work at a camp during summer break from college? Many great experiences are guaranteed when you are employed as a camp/youth counselor, but there is great responsibility as well. Not only are you taking care of other people’s children, and protecting their well-being and safety, you are also representing the camp as a role model. If you still think camp counseling is for you, then you are ready to follow our easy steps towards employment:
Get Certified: Camp counselors protect the health and safety of their little charges, so they must be qualified to deal with emergencies. Things like CPR and First Aid Training are essential. You can obtain certification in these areas by visiting: www.redcross.org. If you have a specific camp in mind, you should check with them to see exactly what levels of certification they require to work as a counselor: then you won’t spend money unless you have to, as these courses are not free. Once you’ve learned CPR and first aid, though, you could consider taking things like life guarding courses as well, as they will make you much more desirable to a prospective employer. You’ll never regret getting these certifications. Safety courses always enhance your resume, in any kind of employment, and they also serve a practical purpose: if someone is in trouble, you are trained to help.
Are You Good With Children?: Take a moment and think about how you relate to children: have you spent a lot of time looking after them, or are they a little alien to you? If you feel comfortable and happy around a raucous group of chattering kids, and don’t get that impatient, irritated feeling when surrounded by all the noise and activity, you are perfect for this job. The more good-natured and genuine you are with the kids you supervise, the better you will be: they will see through anything else. If children tend to annoy you, then you should probably stay away. Children need kindness, firmness, and boundaries in order to enjoy the small community that is summer camp: they really do appreciate having kind counselors who can enter into the spirit of things while still maintaining their position of authority.
Where To Work?: There are camps right in your area, but, if you are looking for camps in America that might not be right on your doorstep, check out www.acacamps.org. They have a lot of job opportunities, and also have a lot of information on the job itself. You can look for similar groups on the Internet, or in magazines and local newspapers directed at parents. All these resources should provide you with everything you need to know about being a camp/youth counselor. Spending the summer outside, canoeing, sitting in front of a campfire…could be the start of an amazing career.
