What if there was a job where you could make a positive impact while essentially spending the whole summer enjoying creation and playing outside? Before you submit your twentieth restaurant or coffee shop application, consider why summer camp might be the perfect job for every college student.
Why Working at a Summer Camp Is a Great Job
1) Summer Camps Usually Offer Competitive Compensation
Summer camps have a reputation for not paying well, but this is a misconception. Although the hours you work during the week can be lengthy, most camps have made strides in improving their wages in order to recruit the best personnel who will serve their campers more effectively.
Long gone are the days of the meager summer camp pay. You can actually make good money and put most of it away in savings.
Don't dismiss the thought of working at a summer camp because you think it won't pay well. As you investigate camps, you will likely find that these positions are very competitive.
2) You Will Acquire Marketable and Valuable Skills
Working at a sleepaway camp isn't all fun and games. It might seem like it's mostly fun and games at times; camp staff members also gain a number of useful skills that are valuable on resumes. Some of the skills you can expect to gain while working at summer camp include:
- Communication is key to having a great summer. College students learn how to communicate well in a variety of situations.
- From leading a cabin to potentially leading staff, college students gain leadership experience at camp.
- Summer camp staff often learn and can become certified in first aid, lifeguarding, and other skills.
- From running ropes courses and zip lines to teaching camping and watersports, college students will develop a wide range of outdoor skills that could be useful in securing future employment.
- Potential future employers know that working at camp requires strong commitment, dedication, and sacrifice.
3) Your Supervisors Will Be Resources for Your Future
Your managers will serve as resources in your life not only during the summers you work at camp but also as options for letters of recommendation and job prospects later in your career. They will be the type of people you can count on for advice about potential job choices and will likely be there to help recommend employment opportunities.
4) You Will Be Able to Save Money
In addition to competitive pay rates, summer camps typically provide staff with room and board. That means that you can put most of the income you get from your summer job into savings.
Whether you need to put away enough money to offset your tuition in the fall or to start preparing for the future, camp can help you meet your financial goals more than many other types of jobs.
5) You Will Get to Work Outside
After sitting in a classroom or in front of a computer throughout the school year, who wants to spend the summer cooped up working indoors? Summer camp takes place outdoors. For college students who need a break from a life confined within the four walls, camp provides the chance to spend the summer in nature.
Camp Tekoa is located in the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains. In addition to the many amenities at camp itself, the staff here enjoy being near all the outdoor activities Hendersonville has to offer, including:
- Hundreds of miles of hiking trails
- The highest concentration of waterfalls on the East Coast
- Kanuga, Dupont State Forest, Bent Creek, and Pisgah mountain biking areas
- Some of the best fly fishing in the country
- Restaurants, coffee shops, art galleries, and outdoor concerts
6) You Will Make Friends for Life
Summer camp friends will become, without a doubt, some of the best friends you will ever have. Family is a better way to describe the friendships you will develop with other staff.
7) You Will Have Fun
The only potential concern you should have about working at a summer camp is the potential that you will have too much fun! You may never want to work anywhere else. Many campers are future counselors in the making, and many counselors return to work multiple summers.
Come Work at Camp Tekoa
Before you finalize your summer plans, take a minute to explore the option of working at a camp like Camp Tekoa. In short, here are the personality and character traits we’re looking for in staff members:
- A Christian, high school, or college-age student excited about Tekoa's mission of "Touching hearts, changing lives, sharing the light of Christ."
- Show evidence that they enjoy interacting with children
- Show excitement for working in the outdoors
- Show signs of being a good listener
- Able to think quickly and react positively to pressure situations
- Show evidence of working well with others
- Ready to laugh, cry and smile alongside their campers
If that’s you, you can find available positions here. If you would like to know more about our camp or have a potential camper interested in spending their summer at beautiful Camp Tekoa, please reach out to our team.