When you have “camp counselor” listed on your résumé, it says a lot about you. It’s no ordinary job. It puts you in a position to watch over the well-being of impressionable youngsters who look up to you as a role model.
And while the safety of your campers is always a primary concern, the fact that they are able to learn so much from you means that your role in their lives is no small matter.
You make a difference as a camp counselor. You shape the lives of people who are the future of our society.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that being a camp counselor doesn’t just help you to impact the lives of youngsters. It impacts your life as well.
Your experience working at a summer camp will be like no other job you’ve ever had. Its long-term benefits for you are many. Here are five:
1. It teaches you how to be leader.
It’s pretty important to list your leadership skills on your résumé. Demonstrating leadership experience is vital to most organizations that are in hiring mode.
By showcasing your work as a camp counselor during your future job searches, you will impress upon your potential employers that you have the capacity to organize a group of young people, keeping them focused on important tasks at hand. This is a quality that is highly sought-after in the business world.
Not to mention, your work as a camp counselor demonstrates your ability to work on a team. Teamwork skills are essential to most career opportunities.
Keep in mind that being a leader isn’t just a good trait for a job seeker. Everyday life skills that include an ability to make quick decisions are assets.
The leadership skills you gain as a camp counselor will pay dividends in both your personal and professional life.
2. It positions you as a role model.
Never underestimate the positive influence you can have on a younger generation.
Chances are that you’re able to recall a number of instances during your childhood that helped to shape you into the young adult you’ve become. Perhaps, you’ve gained valuable insight from both good and bad experiences.
Needless to say, the good experiences are the ones you likely cherish the most. However, when you receive support from people who are trying to help you through bad times, they can become some of the most influential individuals in your life.
At a summer camp, you’ll have opportunities to show young kids the ropes of life. It can be argued that when you are there for kids during particularly bad experiences – consoling a child who has been teased, for example – you stand to really make a positive change in that young person’s life.
As a camp counselor, you will be looked up to, no question about it. It’s a role not unlike a teacher or a coach – the type of individual that most American children list as their role models.
3. It gives you an appreciation for life offline.
Millennials are quite used to lives that heavily involve smartphones, tablets, laptops, apps and the need for Wi-Fi to connect to the internet.
In fact, research suggests that technology and social media have become “drugs” that young people are addicted to. It seems too many young people actually believe that they can’t live without today’s popular gadgets.
However, when they take advantage of opportunities to unplug from the world of technology, they often surprise themselves with how much they enjoy life in new ways.
At summer camp, there is plenty of nature to enjoy. When surrounded by the beauty of the great outdoors, a young person can truly begin to see his or her life with a new perspective.
Turning off the technology for a good chunk of the summertime will help you to reconnect with real people, nature and believe it or not, yourself!
4. It helps you to develop new friendships.
Summer camp doesn’t just help bring kids together so that they can make new friends. Your role as a camp counselor will undoubtedly provide you with opportunities to make a bunch of new friends yourself.
Naturally, you’ll be working with other young adults who are like-minded in their wishes to work with youth and better themselves in the process.
Many former camp counselors joyfully remark about how they met some of their best friends while working at summer camps.
In some cases, the job is what led them to meet their spouses! Who knew that becoming a camp counselor would help you find “the one”?
5. It provides you with ample exercise.
You’re never going to receive health advice that excludes the need for exercise. Even at your young age, it definitely pays to keep active.
At summer camp, you’ll not only teach kids how to play certain sports but also participate in them yourself. Not to mention, you’ll have lots of opportunities to go swimming, hiking and running. Your role as camp counselor is bound to keep you fit.
The job has all the makings of the perfect workout regimen! Let’s not forget that the ample time you’ll receive to enjoy the great outdoors will provide you with plenty of fresh air and sunshine as well.
A true enjoyment of the summer comes when you enjoy the health benefits of keeping active, being outside and being in a joy-filled environment.
Don’t think that the healthful implications of working as a camp counselor won’t pay off years down the road!
We’re only scratching the surface here. As you may have guessed, the list of long-term benefits of having camp counselor experience is truly never ending. Why don’t you take the opportunity to experience them for yourself?
The USA Camp Association is hiring staff for summer camps right now. Submit your application today!