Finding summer work is a struggle most college students understand. Not many people want to hire for just three months out of the year, and not many people enjoy working retail and fast food. What if I told you it was possible to make a little bit of cash, make a difference in the lives of kids, and have a great summer? While it may seem too good to be true; this reality is absolutely possible all by working at a summer at a camp near you!

I’ve worked summer camps each year since I was 15 and every summer gets better than the last. There’s plenty of reasons to work at summer camp, the first one being: you will have no problems finding a job. This is because most summer camps hire young adults between the ages of 15-22, they are not necessarily looking at how long your resume is. In addition to this, it’s seasonal work, meaning you do not have to worry about committing to any hours during the school year. Most camps are willing to hire as long as you are willing to work the majority of the summer. 

Another great reason to work summer camp is it gives a great boost to your resume. Working at a camp with young children shows so much more than that you can work with kids. It shows that you can work well with others, follow rules that keep you and others safe, and that you can add spirit and harmony to any place you work. My experiences at camp and how they changed me is one of my favorite things to talk about in any interview because it shows that you can learn valuable life lessons and experiences from working with children. 

As college students; we get so used to living away from home with our own lives that sometimes moving back home can be a struggle. Working at a summer camp is a great way to get away from home. I work at a day camp and I’m only gone from the hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. which is convenient for me because it means I get to see friends and family after work. However, there are also overnight camps where you can be gone for weeks at a time, living and working at camp. Overnight camps also tend to pay counselors more than day camps do. Imagine getting paid to live away from home! 

The most valuable gift you can get from working at a summer camp is the ability to make a difference in the lives of the children you work with. My favorite part of being a counselor every year is watching the kids have fun, make friends, and learn to be their truest selves. As a camp counselor it is your job to really just have fun and teach kids what it means to live life to the fullest. I have had kids come up to me and tell me I made their day, week, and even whole summer. It is the best feeling in the world knowing I made a difference in the life of a child.