Summer Camp Jobs

From LoveToKnow Kids

As the school year winds to a close, many teenagers begin thinking about gainful employment, and summer camp jobs are a popular choice. Many teens are attracted to the idea of days spent in the sun, having fun, and working on a tan. Although a camp seems like a fun place to work, it is not the right choice for everyone. Careful thought should be given before an application is submitted.

Making the Choice

If your teen is considering employment at a campsite, both of you will need to carefully weigh all of the issues to determine whether or not it is a good fit. The following factors will help you decide if a camp job is right for your child.

The Money Factor

Most camp positions require hard work for little money. Camp counselors must commit to long days-- up to 8 hours for a day camp and around the clock for an overnight camp. Camp counselors must be available to the campers at all times. If your child is merely in it for the money, those will be very long hours.

Must Love Kids

Most camp jobs require constant contact with young campers, many of whom have never been away from home. A good counselor must be able to soothe fears and instill confidence in the youngsters. The ideal counselor must be able to step in and become fun big brother, trusted guide, best friend, and authority figure, all in one.

Personality Counts

Summer camp jobs require teens with the ability to interact with a variety of people, including other employees, campers, and superiors. A camp counselor must be able to take the lead and guide his young charges on their camping journey. This can be excruciating for an extremely introverted youth. Besides, camp directors typically look for outgoing employees, so a painfully shy teenager has little chance of being hired in the first place.

Team Players Needed

A position at a summer camp will require your teenager to act as a family member. Counselors, superiors, and campers must all work together to make the camp experience pleasant for everyone. If your teen is more of a loner, he might be happier in a different job.

Physically Demanding Work

Summer camp jobs can be quite demanding physically. Both campers and counselors typically spend large parts of every day outdoors doing rigorous activity. Camp employees must be able to hike, swim, climb, and more, often on little sleep.

Finding Summer Camp Jobs

If you and your teen have decided that a summer camp job is the right choice, the next step is finding the available jobs. The following sites can help in your search:

The American Camp Association maintains a list of summer camp jobs, job fairs, and year-round camp positions. The site also offers information about camp-related magazines, videos, and classes.
Camp Staff allows potential camp employees to submit their profiles to multiple camps. Although the site charges a fee to camps, it is free to applicants.
Camp Channel lets interested camp employees browse available jobs. The site also features a search function that allows users to narrow down jobs based on job type, location, camp type, and keyword.
Camp Jobs allows potential employees to search for positions by very specific criteria, such as religious preference, type of camp, minimum age, gender, and length of employment.

In Conclusion

For a teen who is well-suited for the job, summer camp employment can be a very positive experience. When the job is not a good match, on the other hand, summer can be a nightmare.