Back to Summer Camp

If you love working with kids, spending the summer as a camp counselor could be a great experience. If you think little kids are big pains in the ass, don't even think about it. You'll be with them all day, and maybe all night. "We look for a combination of qualities when we hire counselors," says Jeremy Sollinger, Associate Director of Camp Laurel in Readfield, ME. "The most important thing is that you love working with kids. We also look for counselors with great energy who are great listeners. You need to have finished at least your first year in college. You should enjoy being out doors. And you should really want to have a positive effect on children." You also need to be aware that being a camp counselor is no easy job. It's a summerlong commitment (Camp Laurel runs from midJune to mid August) and it's a commitment each and every day (no long lunches or crossword puzzles: you're constantly on the go.) Those who fit the camp counselor bill should start looking for a job as early as possible and be prepared to apply to multiple camps, especially if you aren't returning from a previous summer. Sollinger says Camp Laurel receives thousands of applications for 270 counselor positions, and about 35% of the spots are filled by counselors coming back for another summer of fun. Other camps are less competitive, but simply wanting a job doesn't guarantee you one. You have to be proactive. Once you land the camp job you want, you'll get plenty out of it. "It's hard work while you're doing it, but 99% of our counselors look back on their experience here as one of the most challenging and rewarding of their lives," Sollinger says. Plus, you get free room and board and a decent salary on top of that. Counselors at Camp Laurel make about $1,500 for the summer. If you have a special skill, you can increase your earning potential. "In addition to general counselors, we hire counselors who are able to teach activities like tennis, waterskiing, and rock climbing." Salaries for activity counselors at Camp Laurel can be higher than $1,500, depending on specific skills and experience. That's often the case if you have skills and experience; I spent a summer working as the tennis counselor at a summer camp and was paid $500 more for the summer than the general counselors. If an overnight camp isn't what you're looking for, consider being a counselor at a day camp. Drew Wilson, a junior at Roger Williams University in Bristol, RI, has worked at Soccer Scene, a soccer day camp in Northboro, MA, for the past six summers. When he was in high school, his title was 'counselor'. Now, as a college student returning to work there during the summer, he has been elevated to 'coach' status. Along with the title change, there was "a nice pay increase," Wilson says. He makes about $350 a week teaching kids to dribble, shoot—and not use their hands. Getting paid isn't the only thing Wilson likes about his camp job. "I just love it," he says. "Working with kids is great, soccer is something I love, so putting them together is the greatest. It's so much better than working at McDonald's." Another benefit, he adds, is "being outside all summer." Wilson cautions that working at a camp, especially a sports camp, might not be for everyone. "Make sure the camp does something you're interested in doing. And you have to like kids and be willing to communicate with parents." Especially the first day, he explains, overprotective parents can hover around asking seemingly obvious questions like, "will you have water for the kids?" But they're parents, after all, and Wilson says you should be able to "comfort them and make them feel ok about leaving their kids with you."