How working at summer camp can help your career

Hi! I’m Victoria, a 26-year-old from the UK who has just spent her fifth summer working at a sleepaway camp in Pennsylvania.

And I want to talk about the realities of coming home from camp – and how, if you can see past the post-camp blues (!) you can use the skills you learned at camp to benefit your next steps in life.

Returning home from camp

I remember coming home from camp after my first summer and I was DEVASTATED. I was just about to turn 20 and I’d spent the last few months having the best time at camp, surrounded by some incredible people. I won’t lie to you, coming home is tough, it puts a lot of things into perspective, and you find yourself asking… what do I want to do now? Or how do I wait ten whole months before going to camp again!

You get home and you’re back to reality with a bit of a bump. You might be going straight back into university, or going for the first time, or looking for a full-time job. Whichever route you’re going down, it’s really important to utilise all those camp skills and knowledge you’ve learned over the summer (and build on the ones you probably didn’t know you had).

Why camp is more than a summer job

In my opinion, camp isn’t just a summer job, it is a life experience, and the skills and qualities I have gained from working at summer camp are genuinely like no other. Camp is an intense environment, there’s no denying that, and no amount of training, planning or researching can ever truly prepare you for it. You’ll be pushed to your limits in certain situations, you’ll have to get out of your comfort zone, you’ll need to think on your feet. All of these scenarios and situations you encounter at camp are going to be so beneficial to future you.

Transferrable skills from working at camp

Now, how do those skills you’ve learnt at camp actually benefit you in the outside world? Well, think about some of the skills you might gain throughout the summer… communication, leadership, problem-solving, time management. All of which are going to be extremely valuable in any career you decide to go into and are things you can really sell yourself on when applying to jobs, doing your CV and just talking to people about your experience! Put it this way, whenever you get that standard interview question “Tell me about a time when you’ve had to…” you’ll have a ton of tangible examples to lean on.

Here are just some of the skills you’ll pick up at camp.

Leadership and teamwork skills The ultimate role model, your campers will look to you for leadership for the whole summer. You’ll create a fun environment – while also being responsible for your campers’ welfare and safety.

Building rapport Even if it feels like you’re out of your comfort zone at first, you’ll grow in confidence and social skills – skills that are invaluable in any work environment to help foster a great workplace culture.

Time management Tasked with getting your campers to the correct places and activities at the right time, you’ll learn to be super detail orientated, be able to motivate others, and develop great time management skills.

Working under pressure

As a Camp Counsellor, you’ll learn to adapt to stressful situations – often in an unusual environment. You’ll need to be reactive and think on your feet – all while remaining professional and approachable.

Cultural exposure

Summer camp is open to most nationalities, so you’ll be working alongside 18-30s from all over the world – exposing yourself to different ethnicities, cultures and faiths. Helping you to become more international in your thinking.

Confidence and motivation

Having international experience on your CV or resume is a big deal. It will show admissions tutors or future employers that you’re willing to get out of your comfort zone and are motivated to try new things.

How to utilise what you learned at camp the rest of the year

At my camp we have a saying that “we live 10 for 2” meaning we live the ten months of the year just to have those two special months at camp. I personally disagree with this saying, as we shouldn’t be letting those ten months of the year just pass us by as we sit around waiting for the next summer. Instead, think about ways in which you can create a year-round enjoyment and happiness for something, whether this is putting your all into your university course, or applying for your dream job, or pushing yourself to learn and grow in other aspects that are going to help you down the line.

How camp influenced my career

Speaking from my personal experience, camp has opened so many doors for me, I landed my dream job, I have lived and worked in Australia, I spent time travelling round Bali. It is proof that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. So, use your skills you gained from camp and put them to good use, know that not many people go and work at summer camps and have the same experiences that you will, so use this when applying for jobs, when interviewing and on your CV.

In the moment when you’re at camp, you don’t tend to see the growth and change you have in yourself throughout the summer. But reflecting on the incredible summer you have had and looking back at where you started and where you are now, you’ll be amazed at the things camp taught you, and the things you were able to teach yourself.

If you're officially a camp convert now, head over to our Summer Camp USA page for even more intel on how to apply - friendship bracelets and life long memories guaranteed.