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Life is more than a summer job at camp

For those of us lucky enough to have (or have had) a full time job in summer camp there are a few things that are consistent about our journey from camp counsellor to camp director. We had a great discussion on this show about our own stories of making the leap.

Some of the things that we recommend if you are looking for a full-time, year-round camp job:

start attending camp conferences. If you camp can’t afford to send you then try to attend on your own dime. This is particularly inexpensive if you are a college or university student
when you are at conferences, don’t be afraid to pipe up. I know that I first started to get mentors in the camp industry when I started asking smart questions in sessions
lead sessions. Almost all of the conferences offer the opportunity to submit session proposals. This can be a great way (something that all 5 of us on this discussion have done) to start to get your name out
work at camps in the shoulder seasons. Camp people can have a great opportunity to stand out as leaders and initiative takers when they work at camps in the off-season
participate in camp forums such as our own Summer Camp Professionals group on Facebook. Every camp person I know loves to help young adult become better leaders. You will find lots of encouragement in these forums.

One thing that I wish I thought of after the discussion: start giving back now. There is a LOT of room for more blogs, YouTube shows and podcasts for the summer camp industry. Check out what Lanet Hane is doing on The Camp Whisperer. She is doing a brilliant job of creating an online resume of her summer camp passion.

I’ve offered this before and I'm happy to do it again… if you want to become a podcaster on the CampHacker network please email me with your idea [travis (at) socialcatalyst.ca]. We are always looking to expand.