Counselors Benefit From Camp Too!

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Campers aren’t the only ones benefitting from summer camp. The American Camp Association reports that 1,200,000 adults are employed by camps. Consequently,

 “What have you learned at summer camp?”

 is a common question among camp directors assessing the productivity of their counselors, college admission officers selecting new students and hiring managers determining the value of a potential candidate.

So whether you are 16 or 24, finishing your first year as a counselor or are a seasoned veteran, it can be helpful to take a few minutes to consider what new insights you developed over the summer. Personally, two of my most memorable insights this summer may have little relevance in the workplace unless I change my career focus to outdoor culinary arts.

While frogging I received numerous suggestions for the easiest way to remove a leech and now carry a piece of gauze when I head into bogs known for these (sometimes not so small) blood-sucking creatures. And one of my youngest campers introduced me to the culinary delight of bananas roasted plain over a campfire. Wrapping a banana in aluminum foil with marshmallows and chocolate creates a tasty, sugar-filled dessert, however, roasting a banana in 3” sections on a stick is a healthful delight that has the added benefit of creating no trash! Spinning either of these into compelling reasons to hire me might be a bit of a stretch, but either could certainly provide a few minutes of engaging introduction.

However, summer camp counselors do gain a plethora of valuable lessons each year that will be beneficial in classrooms, dorm rooms, and workplaces and yes, even in that far, distant future of parenting. When my camp director asked her counselors to mull over what skills were gained over the summer, common answers were patience, flexibility, organization, staying present—all of which are key for students, employees, roommates, and yes, parents. Although frequently a counselor adds, “and I don’t intend on being a parent any time soon!”

As you consider your college or job application, take the time to explain how you gained these skills and how you will be a better student, member of the college community or employee because you have benefitted from spending your summer as a camp counselor. Create a short story that encapsulates your learning and summarizes the benefits to your potential employer.

One afternoon I was gathering armloads of brush and tossing them into a truck. It was hot and sweaty and time-consuming work. The maintenance man came up to me and handed me a barn fork. A man of few words, he succinctly summed up his methodology, “save your arms for your boyfriend, use this barn fork.” From studying engineering to writing software code to designing business strategies to planning a family weekend, efficiency has been invaluable in both freeing up my time and making tasks more enjoyable in the process. As an employee I can get more done than my less efficient co-workers, and can also create processes to streamline the business overall.

Coupled with efficiency summer camp has taught me the value of assessing a situation before reacting. Hearing the high-pitched screams of campers racing toward me, I briefly wonder whether the Loch Ness monster has been sighted. However, before grabbing my camera and heading for the lake, I calmly request that the least flustered camper slow down and explain the cause of the agitation. Turned out, the camp goat had taken the liberty of investigating an inviting-looking cabin. A short pause for assessment can make the follow-up reaction far more successful. Livestock management to boating, classroom to business—life rarely rolls out as anticipated. Assessing the unexpected before reacting, has been a lesson I have learned and re-learned at summer camp where loose goats, capsized sailboats, and homesick campers are all in a morning’s work.