Camp counselors serve as amazing leaders, great friends, and hard workers at summer camp. Working as a camp counselor means you have the experience of a lifetime, all while earning valuable camp counselor resume skills!
When you become a camp counselor, you gain skills that will help you in the future, whether you head off to college or get a job. You also get to travel abroad, get paid, and do fun activities!
At AmeriCamp, we’ve helped people develop skills at summer camp by connecting them with the best summer camps in the USA for over 10 years. We love the places we visit, and we’re dedicated to sustainability and culture. We know how hard it can be to navigate travel processes and learn about camps—that’s why we’re here!
Whether you’re interested in becoming a camp counselor or you want to add experience to your resume, we’ll go over the top 9 skills you’ll earn for your resume when you work as a camp counselor. Keep reading to find out what they are and how to use them!
Why Work As A Camp Counselor In America?
Summer camps in America have been around for a long time. In fact, the first one was founded in the 1800s! Many people think of summer camps as essential to growing up American, thanks to the many movies about the experience. If what you see in the movies looks like a good time, the reality is so much more fun!
If you’re looking for how to get a job in America, becoming a camp counselor may not be the first thing you think of. If you want to travel abroad, make lifelong friends, experience new cultures, and earn valuable skills, it should be at the top of your list!
Camp Counselor Job Description
Working as a camp counselor means every day is a new adventure. Your responsibilities and activities will vary depending on the type of camp you work at. The typical camp counselor job description includes:
- Getting your campers ready for the day
- Eating meals with your campers
- Planning and doing activities (morning, afternoon, and evening)
- Helping solve any problems and answering questions
- Getting your campers ready for bed
- Checking in with fellow counselors
The main responsibility of a camp counselor: make sure your campers are having a great time!
Benefits of Being A Summer Camp Counselor
There are endless benefits and possibilities when it comes to being a camp counselor. When you become a camp counsellor in America, you’ll gain benefits like:
- Lifelong friends
- Cultural awareness
- Improved English skills (if you’re not a native speaker)
- A salary of at least $2,000
- Fun activities
- Personal growth
- Professional skills
- Up to 30 days of travel in the USA after camp
The skills you gain from working as a counselor will stay with you for your entire life—we’ll show you how!
Get Soft Skills For Your Resume
Soft skills are skills that involve interacting with other people. They’re different from technical job-specific skills, and they typically focus on personality traits and qualities.
Harvard University found that 85% of job success comes from well-developed soft skills, so the skills you gain as a camp counselor will give you success in the future! We guarantee that you’ll improve your soft skills with AmeriCamp and can’t wait to help along the way.
Camp Counselor Resume Skills
With AmeriCamp, you’ll improve your soft skills from working as a camp counselor in the USA. These camp counselor resume skills will help you with your education, your professional career, and your personal life.
You’ll earn these skills for your resume when you work as a camp counselor:
- Time Management
- Leadership
- Teamwork
- Decision Making
- Problem Solving
- Organization
- Communication
- Creativity
- Work Ethic
Check out our breakdown below!
Time Management
Every day at summer camp is jam packed with new activities and responsibilities! The typical day at summer camp for a camp counselor starts at 6:30 am and ends at 10:45 pm. Each activity and meal has a certain amount of time dedicated, so you’ll need to manage your time and help your campers manage theirs! The camp schedule is sure to improve your time management, a skill that you will value throughout your entire life.
At the end of the day, you’ll have free time to talk to fellow counselors or spend time with yourself—make sure to use it wisely!
Leadership
Leadership is one of the top skills you’ll need as you grow your education and career. At summer camp, you’ll lead your group of campers and have the opportunity to be a leader for your fellow counselors.
Past counselor Laura progressed her leadership skills so quickly that she actually came back to camp in a management position! With AmeriCamp, there are endless possibilities when it comes to your path. Join us to see where your leadership will take you!
Teamwork
Being a camp counselor in America means that you’ll gain one of the most important resume skills: teamwork. The USA is known as a melting pot of cultures, so you’ll meet people who come from different backgrounds and have different beliefs. You’ll work with others to plan activities, solve problems, and be the best counselor you can be!
In college and in the workplace, working with others will be one of the most useful camp counselor resume skills. Get a head start on it today!
Adaptability & Decision Making
Nearly half of employers look for adaptability in a candidate. Because every day at camp is unpredictable, you’ll need to make quick decisions and adapt to whatever’s in front of you! Working with kids means that you’ll often be in situations where you need to make decisions for others. At AmeriCamp, you’ll have the support of your fellow counselors and managers, so it’s the perfect time to practice your decision making!
Organization
Being organized isn’t just a valuable skill for camp, your career, and your education—it’s helpful in all aspects of your life! At camp, you’ll need to stay organized to stay on schedule and keep your campers ready for the next activity. You’ll also have your own personal items to keep track of during the trip.
The process of applying to be a counselor, traveling, and planning your trip after camp all require organization. You’ll be well-prepared before you even get there!
Problem Solving
As a camp counselor, you’ll help campers, counselors, and camp leaders with solving unexpected problems—whether it’s something small like a camper losing their toothbrush or something big like running behind schedule! 62% of recruiters value problem-solving the most, which means the skill will help you in your future workplace along with your own personal life.
Communication
While preparing for camp, you’ll communicate with AmeriCamp representatives, travel professionals, family members, and fellow counselors. At camp, you’ll enhance your communication skills by speaking to your group of campers and by communicating information or news to your camp leaders.
Aside from work-related communication, you’ll also have plenty of time to tell stories and chill with your new counselor friends. Soon, you’ll be relaying information like a pro!
Work Ethic
When you go to college or get a full-time job, your days will be long and filled with responsibilities. You’ll need to have the strength to motivate yourself to get stuff done.
Working as a camp counselor means that you put in the extra effort to make each day the best it can be. You make the conscious choice to get up and do the work that needs to be done, all while having fun!
Creativity
Along with the professional skills, you’ll have plenty of time for fun! Along with activities like sports, outdoor activities, and wellness, there will also be creative activities like:
- Art: Drawing, cabin flags, ceramics, sculptures, totem poles, paint wars, and murals.
- Crafts: Tie-dye, jewelry making, costume design, and sewing!
- Theatre: Green screens, acting, film, performing, improv, choreography, and dancing!
- Music: Drums, piano, guitar, vocals, and music.
Camp is the perfect way to express and explore your creative side!
How To List Camp Counselor Resume Skills On Your Resume/CV
So, you’ve been to camp and earned amazing skills. Your time at camp was exciting, memorable, and life changing! How do you word this on a resume?
We know how hard it can be to put your experience into words that help someone see you as valuable in the working world. We’re here to help you make the best camp counselor resume by telling you how to put ‘camp counselor’ on a resume and use your skills to your advantage!
Our top tips are:
- Use action verbs: Action verbs show the recruiter what you did, not just tell!
- Tell your story: Make sure you tell the story of who you are.
- Format based on your industry: Resumes/CVs look different for every purpose, so make sure you format it based on what you want to use it for!
Check out our tips and examples below!
Use Action Verbs On Your Camp Counselor Resume
Potential employers want to see action verbs on a resume/CV. You want to show what you did at camp, not just tell it. To use action verbs, you want to write dynamically while using as few words as possible, since you’re limited by page space. Here are some examples on how to use action verbs on your resume:
- Instead of “Made a difference by helping campers” say “Managed a group of 10+ campers daily”
- Instead of “Employed at a summer camp for four months” say “Collaborated with fellow counselors to coordinate camp events”
- Instead of “Taught kids by coaching sports” say “Coached soccer to 9-12 year olds”
The way you word your skills makes a big difference in how people see them—make sure you use your experience to your advantage!
Use Your Camp Counselor Resume To Tell Your Story
It can be easy to make a resume/CV based on what you think employers want to hear. The most important thing is showing them that you are human! Your resume/CV is a timeline of your experience. Most importantly, it tells potential employers, grad schools, travel programs, and more who you are. If a fellow counselor said that they can always depend on you, make sure to add “reliable” to your resume! The personal skills you have translate to important traits in the workplace.
Format Your Camp Counselor Resume Uniquely To You
The format of your resume/CV can vary depending on where you’re headed. No matter how you format your resume, it’s important to include these topics on a camp counselor resume:
- Your role at camp
- Daily responsibilities
- Accomplishments
- Relevant camp skills for your industry
For example, if you’re applying to be a graphic designer, your resume is going to look much more colorful than a resume for an engineering position. Organization might be valued more in a remote position than an office one. Take the skills you earned and apply them to the direction you’re heading to personalize your resume!
How To Become A Camp Counselor
Ready to learn how to become a camp counselor and gain valuable experience for your resume/CV? We’re here to help! We’ll explain how to qualify, go over the costs, and help you get started!
If you’re still unsure, check out our camp counselor tips to learn more about what it’s like to be a counselor or keep reading to find out how to apply!
Qualifications
To travel to America to be a camp counselor, you’ll need a J-1 visa (also known as the Visitor Exchange Program). This visa allows international visitors to participate in educational and cultural experiences in the USA!
To qualify to be a J-1 visa camp counselor, you need to be:
- 18 before June 1st of your intended program year
- Proficient in spoken English
- Able to pass a local background check
- Free of criminal history
- Available from early June to mid August
The visa process can take up to four weeks, so make sure you plan enough time before your trip! As a U.S. Department of State designated J-1 visa sponsor, our team will support you through the process of getting your visa, which includes:
- Filling out a DS-2019 form
- Submitting required documents
- Paying fees
- Attending an interview at the US Embassy or Consulate
- Getting your visa!
Aside from the technical requirements, it’s important to have qualities to be the best camp counsellor ever! Once you meet the qualifications and get your visa, you can get started on becoming a camp counselor.
Costs & Benefits
When you become a camp counselor with AmeriCamp, you’ll get paid a salary of at least $2,000! If you return for a second year, you’ll even have the opportunity to negotiate your salary. You’ll also have medical insurance included during your time in the USA, 24-hour assistance, accommodations, and meals.
There are some fees and costs involved with becoming a summer camp counselor in America. First time applicants pay £379 in full or £396 over three payments and a deposit, while returning applicant costs vary. This includes our program costs like:
- Application
- DS-2019 Form
- Interview fee
- Health insurance
There are also these 3rd party fees:
- Flights
- J-1 visa appointment Embassy fee [$160]
- Medical check
- Criminal background check [£65]
We’re here to help you understand the costs and benefits and guide you along the entire process of becoming a camp counselor. If you have questions, read our FAQ or contact us.
Application Process
Ready to apply to have the summer of a lifetime? To apply to be a summer camp counselor in America, you’ll need to:
- Submit an initial application
- Submit a local background check
- Provide medical history
- Share references
- Share any qualifications you have (like CPR certification)
- Complete your camp counselor interview
Your camp counsellor interview is used to get to know you and what skills you bring to camp. One of our AmeriCamp ambassadors uses this info to make it easier to place you in the perfect camp! The earlier you apply, the earlier you’ll be #plACed at a camp you’ll love! We have a 99% placement rate at AmeriCamp and over 900 summer camps!
We can’t wait to see you at camp!
Get Camp Counselor Resume Skills With AmeriCamp This Summer
Become a camp counselor to have the experience of a lifetime, make new friends, learn about new perspectives, and gain valuable skills for your future! Working as a camp counselor earns you skills that you’ll take with you throughout your whole life—from school, to the workplace, to your personal life!
Ready to become a camp counselor with AmeriCamp and gain camp counselor resume skills? Learn more, contact us or check out our FAQ. If you want to learn more about what it’s like to be a counselor, read some first-hand testimonials from past counselors.
Apply here to join us for the summer of 2023 and make it the best summer ever!
