The lifelong skills of a camp counselor

Every summer, camps welcome hundreds of young campers eager for adventure, friendship and new experiences. Behind the scenes of this transformative experience are camp counselors — the unsung heroes who make it all happen. Finding this staff team each summer isn’t easy. It takes months to recruit, interview and hire this special group from all over the
world.

As the person responsible for hiring at a summer camp, I face the challenge of convincing these prospective applicants (as well as their future employers) of the authentic, lifelong value of this experience. Why should a college or prospective employer take another look at an applicant who has camp counselor experience on their resume? I believe there are many reasons.

Here are just a few:

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Face-to-face communication skills
As our society moves further and further into digital communication, employers note many Gen Z applicants struggle with effective face-to-face conversations. Resident summer camps offer the unique employment opportunity of living where you work. Face-to-face communication is not optional but essential. Camp counselors have no choice but to communicate in this style based on the camp environment. In order for our staff to live and work as an effective team, they must learn how to communicate directly. This includes sharing ideas, planning programs and discussing positive and constructive feedback respectfully without damaging the working relationship between fellow staff members.

The “soft skills”
The Oxford dictionary defines “soft skills” as personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively and harmoniously with other people. These skills often include but are not limited to adaptability, problem solving, empathy, resilience and compassion. The Harvard Business Review states soft skills are foundational to great leadership and set high performers apart from their peers. They’re also increasingly sought by employers. They are also part of daily camp life.

Here’s a simple example: Camps are at the constant mercy of Mother Nature. Even with the most detailed organization and planning, her ever changing weather patterns teach staff members how to always think on their feet and adapt to the new circumstances. More importantly, these reactions are always done in front of an audience. Camp counselors react to every situation knowing the campers will follow their lead. Counselors quickly learn to assess situations, create alternatives and then implement these creative solutions with enthusiasm.

This type of experience forces counselors to practice all five soft skills named above, and is a great answer to many of those “Tell me about a time when…” questions you might get in an interview.

Putting others’ needs before your own
At my camp, counselors live in a cabin with eight to 10 campers. With this living arrangement, counselors are on the front lines keeping their campers safe physically and emotionally. From helping a shy camper make their first friend to cheering someone on as they conquer a challenge, they create moments that matter. These small but significant acts can transform a camper’s summer and, in some cases, their outlook on life. But the bigger discovery is finding fulfillment and happiness by helping others.

Project Real Job
The American Camping Association has also taken up the cause of advertising the lifelong career benefits of a camp counselor experience with Project Real Job. This resource not only helps advertise these valuable skills to employers, it also helps counselors communicate these career enhancing skills on resumes and applications. PJC

Nici Mahen is the assistant director at Falcon Camp. nici@falconcamp.com