Camp America application process - tips and tricks

As my first summer as a Camp Counsellor is fast approaching and I am less than 50 days away from the start of camp *squeals*, I figured this would be a great time to share my application experiences with you all, and offer my tips and advice to those of you thinking about applying to work at a summer camp in the future!

I decided back in September 2016 to apply to work at a summer camp during my gap year, as I wanted to explore and travel whilst I still had the opportunity; before the pressures of University, Jobs and general adulthood got on top of me *sigh*. Immediately as I began to search online I was overwhelmed with just how many companies there were that could offer me 'the summer of a lifetime', but after little deliberation I decided that I would place my bets with Camp America. Although they aren't the cheapest company to get placed through, I felt that especially as a first-timer, they offered the best well rounded package and provided all the guidance and help you could possibly need to plan your summer.

The Online Application Form

After registering online and filling in all the standard (boring) details, you will then have to answer a series of questions that describe yourself and why you want to work at camp. Beware, they can be time consuming so grab yourself a cup of tea and a slice (or two) of cake before you get going! Here are three of my top tips when answering these questions:

1. DETAIL ~ Answer these questions in as much detail as you possibly can, as this is what camp directors will focus on the most to gain a true reflection of who you are. Remember, the more information you can include about yourself, the more likely a camp director will be to consider your application!

2. KEEP YOUR OPTIONS OPEN ~ When asked if you are willing to accept a placement at the various different types of camp on offer (religious, special needs, underprivileged etc), don't limit your options by saying no to a particular type of camp. The more camps you are open to, the more there will be to consider your application, giving you a much higher chance of getting placed!

3. BE HONEST ~ Don't bend the truth to make yourself seem more appealing, if you've been horse riding for years and occasionally teach your little sister/cousin this doesn't count as formal coaching experience. Your role over the summer is to take care of the kids, it's not only potentially dangerous but pretty embarrassing too if you get caught out when you're at camp not having a clue what to do. Just be yourself!

Once you've completed all of that you will be given the option to upload a short video onto your application. This video will be yet another way that a camp director can really see who you are, and it can serve as another platform to show off your skills! Although it says that uploading a video is optional, I was more or less told by my interviewer (we'll get onto that in a bit) that some camps wouldn't even consider my application without one. Despite the strongest desires of not wanting to, I eventually sat down in front of my laptop one afternoon and 3 hours later (and several cups of tea) my video was born. Now i'm not saying that they expect you to be a young Steven Spielberg, my video was about as rough around the edges as it could possibly get, but at least it showed my enthusiasm. If you're struggling for ideas there are loads of applicant videos on Youtube to look through and hopefully gain some inspiration from!

The Interview

Before your application can be sent off to the camp directors you have to get yourself interviewed by one of the many Camp America interviewers. Scheduling the interview is a quick and easy process; my interviewer, James, got in touch with me right away to arrange a time and place, and a week later I was sat waiting for him in a cafe in Leicester. Nervous doesn't begin to come close to describe how I was feeling before my interview, as this man could come along and crush my dreams of working at a summer camp in an instant.

I soon discovered that I had no reason at all to worry, as in short, the interview was more or less a vetting process to ensure I was who I said I was, and that I was the right kind of candidate for Camp America. 45 short minutes later and I was all set with a verified application, now just waiting for Camp America to do their side of things before my application could go live! Here are a couple of tips to make sure your interview goes smoothly:

1. GET ORGANISED ~ Make sure you have all the necessary forms with you, check, double check and triple check you have everything that was on the list that was emailed to you prior to your interview. I put all of my forms in a small folder so that I wouldn't lose anything and so I wasn't fumbling through my bag during the interview!

2. SMILE ~ As patronising as it sounds, if you have a smile on your face (even as a distraction from trembling with fear or your desperate need for a nervous wee) then at least your interviewer will think that you are capable of looking after a group of small children all summer *repeats mantra over and over*. But seriously, if you look as though you want to be there then you're automatically off to a great start.

So that's it! I hope you find these tips somewhat helpful and they at least get you thinking about applying to work at a camp in America this summer, so what are you waiting for? Go ahead and register yourself for the summer of a lifetime! *cringe*

*All of the comments are my own and are based upon my own experiences*

#Travel #Summercamp #USA #CampAmerica