Summer Camp Counselor
As a former summer camp counselor and director I have a great deal of experience with what it takes to be a summer camp counselor and more importantly valuable information about the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that are required to fill this very important and meaningful summer employment. Most summer camps usually offer a variety of special programs and true summer camps treat campers from five to sixteen years old.
The first thing that anyone really needs to be able to demonstrate to become a camp counselor is the love of children. For anyone wishing to be a counselor, volunteer your time working with children so that you can make the important connections and references for the counselor position. You will simultaneously gain valuable experience in dealing with children. Be certain to choose experiences that are more hands on and not just sitting around doing nothing. The more actively involved that you become, the better your references will become and you will highly effective and valuable knowledge and skills. Some of the best places to look for these positions are at schools, churches, and clubs.
The next thing is to differentiate yourself from the rest of the people that are seeking your position. This concept holds true through life and the more unique you are the better chance you have of gaining the position. Traditional summer camps offer special areas such as sports, arts and crafts, swimming and boating, nature, hiking, and many now offer technology as well. Find your niche in one of these areas and really put the time in to gain knowledge of how things work and how to make things work. Remember that the best camp counselors are those who can teach others how to do things so you must really think about the reasons why things work. If you have a lot of experience in creating projects or you have been involved with sports' programs you will be able to use these experiences to help you earn a position.
The knowledge of basic nature and camping skills is also absolutely necessary. Being able to proficiently monitor the progress of many children at once and keeping children safe when hiking, swimming, climbing, and playing is the most important concept of all. Get out into nature and work with as many people as you can so that you can learn what you need to learn to keep everyone safe. You should work hard to focus your new found knowledge on the areas that the camp specializes in.
Becoming a counselor is a very serious job. It is often portrayed as not being that important of a job but it is a job that may require you to be in some precarious situations. In order to act effectively as a counselor, one must demonstrate the proper attitudes at all times. Any employee that has a negative attitude and a poor work ethic will not keep his or her job for long. With that being said, the job of the counselor is to employ a positive attitude, a willingness to work hard and learn, and to be respectful to everyone at the camp. There will be times when children, camp directors, and co-counselors upset you and do things that you do not agree with, but you must respect their decisions or at least respect enough for them to make the decisions that they make without showing dislike towards them.
My favorite job of all time was as a camp counselor. I loved having campfires, going on camping trips, playing games, singing songs, and spending time making new friends and connections. The best summers of my life were as a counselor and director and although I had a lot of fun, the work was challenging and the experiences were unforgettable. I could go on forever telling you how great the job is but you can find out for yourself if you follow the guideline that I have given you. Work hard to gain the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that camp counselors are required to have and you can find out how great the job is for yourself.
