From Campfire to Career: The Transferable Skills You Gain as a Camp Counselor

5 Skills You Didn't Know You'd Gain Working at Summer Camp

While counseling at camp is an incredibly rewarding and fun experience (who doesn't like sports, bonfires, and swimming?!), many camp counselors don't realize that there are even more benefits to spending the summers at camp.

Of course, you get to experience the incredible reward of investing in youth and seeing lives changed during their time at camp. And that makes it all worth it!

But have you considered the additional benefit of gaining life skills that will help you in your future career?

From campfire to career, here are 5 skills you gain as a camp counselor that you may have never expected!

1.) Leadership

Regardless of your precise role at camp, leading a group of youth is not for the faint of heart. And for many high school graduates, it's the first time you may ever be in the position of being responsible for a group of young people!

From coordinating activities, to getting your group where they need to go, to making sure everyone is safe, fed, and in the right place - your leadership skills will grow in leaps and bounds.

Camp counselors also have the unique challenge of building relationships with youth, encouraging them to step outside their comfort zone, and making sure everyone is included.

2.) Problem Solving

Some weeks, the only thing you can expect at summer camp is the unexpected! A change in weather, a sick camper, emotional meltdowns, or lost luggage can all throw a wrench in your plans for the day (or night).

As a camp counselor, you often have to think quickly and deal with issues as they come. At camp, you'll learn to be adaptable and make the best of whatever unpredicted situation comes your way.

No matter what career you choose, the skill of problem solving will always come in handy!

3.) Planning and Organization

Whether you're volunteering at day camp or overnight, there are a lot of hours to fill in the camping schedule! Camp counselors take on the important role of guiding campers throughout the daily schedule, coordinating activities, and making sure everyone is in the right place at the right time.

4.) Resiliency

Camp counseling is one of the most rewarding jobs you'll ever have. But no one said that it's easy! At camp, you'll learn to be resilient in the face of little sleep, wet firewood, scheduling hiccups, and sometimes, challenging campers.

These challenges build a resilience that makes camp counselors an extraordinary asset in the workplace.

5.) Confidence

Lastly, camp counselors gain confidence - an irreplaceable strong point in any interview you'll have!

Camp has its own way of pushing people outside of their comfort zone. Whether you have public speaking to do, silly songs to lead, emergencies to manage, physical challenges to participate in, or tough conversations to have, camp counselors have opportunities to gain confidence that many people never get to experience.

Moving from Campfire to Career - Resume Tips

When you fill out a resume, don't forget to add your camp experience! You can list your "Camp Counselor" title, the name of the camp, and years you volunteered under "Related Experience", "Leadership Experience", or "Volunteer Experience".

Be sure to include a bullet point list or a few short sentences describing your job title as well as the specific tasks and achievements you accomplished at camp. It could look something like this:

Camp Counselor, Somerset Beach Campground and Retreat Center, Summer 2024

• Facilitated weekly camp schedule for 20 middle school girls
• Ensured safety for campers and that camp policies were followed
• Collaborated with 8 fellow counselors to coordinate major activities
• Led daily worship times from the guitar

Work at SBC!

Want to join our summer staff? Check out what previous staff members have to say about their experience at camp, or apply today!