Qualified For Anything

Tapping into the multi-faceted talents of a camp counselor

By Chris Clyde
Photos:  Josh Vanderzyden - Camp Nuhop

The longer I work in the camp and recreation industry, the more I find myself dealing with situations I never expected. I can now say that my background legitimately encompasses marketing, sales, and budget management, while also plunging toilets, mopping the dining hall, having professional conversations with parents about their child’s safety and well-being while at camp, and of course—managing and recruiting staff members. When I began compiling these experiences, I realized how few industries there are that provide such an array of skills. I realize that, if I move out of this industry, I will still search for camp counselors to work for me, based on the following tools.  

Flexibility

I had a mentor who used to tell me that flexibility is the name of the game when it comes to working at a camp. The easiest way to show a camp counselor’s flexibility is by looking at the weather. At the beginning of the week a schedule may include a bunch of great outdoor activities, but if a thunderstorm rolls through, what are you going to do? Successful camp counselors will carry around their metaphorical “bag of tricks.” This involves all sorts of games and/or activities that can fill time in constructive ways. This type of critical thinking also shows that, typically, successful camp counselors are solution-oriented thinkers. Instead of deciding that something will not work, they will figure out how to make it work, using the tools at their disposal.  

Face-To-Face Communication Skills 

The majority of summer camps do not allow cell phones, iPods, or other devices used to connect outside of camp. The reasons for this are to give kids a chance to disconnect from their social-media lives and potentially find more meaningful connections through face-to-face interactions. The upcoming generations will certainly be experts with technology, but they will also need skills in both realms. They will understand text and social media as well as have the critical-thinking skills to facilitate face-to-face interactions with adults, kids, clients, colleagues, supervisors, and staff members.  

Critical Thinking 

I hear from teachers all the time that they do not have the time to foster critical thinking in their students. Grade levels and tests are set standards, and do not challenge students to think critically. Coupled with exponential growth in the amount of “screen time,” we are potentially left with a growing number of young professionals who Google answers, rather than take the time to come up with solutions by thinking creatively and critically. I would argue that a successful camp counselors are put in numerous situations where they have to rely on their own skills and knowledge to figure out positive, proactive solutions.    

Playful Attitude 

I believe we raise children to play and learn—play a team sport and learn about leadership and teamwork; play a musical instrument and learn about theory and musical history. Play to learn. Then we become “educated” adults and all of a sudden playtime is reserved for after the work is done. I cannot begin to count how many times I have heard a counselor say something like, “I can’t believe I get paid for this!” While I understand that not all jobs have set times laid out for swimming, a successful counselor will be able to bring a fun and playful attitude to monotonous tasks, making them more enjoyable and raising the spirits of campers around them.

Ultimately, this is only one person’s opinion, and for the record I do help run a summer camp—so I am a little biased! That said, these are the qualities we—as leaders of an organization—look for when we bring in new, full-time staff members. So here’s to you and your employment search. Good luck!

Chris Clyde is the Associate Director for Camp Nuhop, a residential summer camp in Perrysville, Ohio, for children with learning disabilities, attention-deficit disorders, Asperger's Syndrome, and behavioral nuances. Reach him at Chris@nuhop.org.