Would You Make a Great Camp Counselor?

1
Camp is an immersive experience - more of a lifestyle than a job! You'll be working with campers from 7:30 AM until 10:00 PM every day, with one day off per week. After 10:00 PM, you'll have overnight supervision responsibilities. While we're with campers during the day we don't use our phones, so we stay in the moment. What are your thoughts?* This field is required.
A. I'll need to negotiate more time off than that, and I need to check my phone throughout the day.
B. I have some concerns about getting enough "me" time and being able to call my family and friends when I need to. I'll do my best to make it work but I may be pretty tired and need some breaks.
C. I love the things I'm doing at camp, so I'll just need to be strategic about how I use my off time so I can re-charge. I'll give my friends and family some scheduled times when I'll call them so they're not worried.
D. I live in the moment, so this sounds great! I'm happy to be engaged in what I'm doing and having fun outdoors all the time, and I'll get energy from being with the campers. I'll be glad of an excuse to be on my phone less.
2
You're going to get a lot of exercise at camp - most counselors walk 7-9 miles per day, up and down hills and on uneven ground. Will you:* This field is required.
A. See if I can do a job that requires less walking. I have physical limitations that won't allow me to walk that much.
B. Ask to get assigned to activities I can do sitting down so I don't get too tired.
C. Be glad to get more exercise than usual, but want to do a mix of active and chill activities.
D. Volunteer to go on all the morning runs, morning swims, and lead all the running field games and maybe also mountain biking... I'm stoked to get lots of exercise.
3
During Staff Training Week, you'll receive training on managing camper behavior, how to handle medical and mental health emergencies and sexual harassment or child abuse situations, and your role in managing crises like fires or active shooters. Do you think:* This field is required.
A. Some of those topics are triggering, and I don't want to be the one responsible in all of those situations. Can I skip some of the training if needed?
B. That sounds difficult - a lot of scary topics to think about! It's important to have the proper training though so I'll get through it.
C. I like to have a plan, so getting more information on these topics will help me feel prepared, now and for future jobs. I know people will rely on me in an emergency, and I'll be happy to have practiced what to do.
D. Actually, I kind of weirdly enjoy handling an emergency. These kind of trainings can be a good opportunity to learn more skills and build my resume.
4
Every two week camp session, you'll be paired with a different co-counselor to manage a cabin of 10 campers. You'll share a small room with a bunk bed as well as responsibility for your camper's daily needs. You learn that for next session you'll be paired with your least favorite co-worker. You:* This field is required.
A. Ask to get switched to a different cabin. It's just not going to work, and it's not fair to the campers.
B. Plan on being miserable for the next two weeks and spending as much time out of the cabin as possible.
C. Ask a Director to help mediate a conversation with your future co-counselor in advance so you can work out your differences and make a written plan for how you're going to manage the cabin and divide the work.
D. Figure you can probably get along with anyone if you need to. You spend more time hanging out with the person and try to build up your relationship.
5
With 180 singing and shouting people packed inside, the dining hall can be loud, chaotic, and full of energy. Do you:* This field is required.
A. Eat your meals outdoors. It's really overstimulating and the other counselors can handle it.
B. Get out the earplugs and keep eating - gotta be there for the kids!
C. Singing is fun! And I'll get a quiet dinner at a restaurant on my day off.
D. Get pumped from all the energy and lead a flash mob.
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A camper is crying because they miss their parents. Do you:* This field is required.
A. Go get someone else to help them. Crying makes you uncomfortable so other people will be better at handling this situation.
B. Sit down with the camper and stay with them until they stop crying. You're not sure what will make them feel better, but you're not going to leave them alone when they feel bad.
C. Talk to the camper about their family and pets so you make a connection. After a while they start to feel better so you invite them to come to your next activity with you and make a plan to check in later if they are still sad.
D. Start a game and get the sad camper to join in by telling jokes until they stop crying.
7
It's your turn to organize and lead the evening activity (a game or performance) for everyone at camp. Do you:* This field is required.
A. Get someone else to take your turn. You hate being in front of a crowd so someone else will do a better job.
B. Feel super nervous and then ask others for help. Luckily, others know what to do!
C. Spend a lot of time planning. You delegate all the roles and get all the supplies out in advance so things will run smoothly without you having to shout directions.
D. Get super pumped to be out in front, leading everyone in your favorite game. You're confident you can get everyone excited to participate and have a great time!
8
It's thundering and you have to cancel your activity and go indoors. You suddenly have 12 kids to entertain for an hour. What do you do?* This field is required.
A. Radio for back-up. Experienced counselors will have a plan for this.
B. Time to embrace the chaos for an hour.
C. You love telling stories, and you've got a deck of cards in your backpack. Thunderstorms are actually a great way to make connections with campers if you plan ahead!
D. Que the karaoke dance party! This is going to be epic!
9
You find out you're supposed to lead an activity called "Tea Party" tomorrow. You have no idea what that means. You:* This field is required.
A. Ask to get moved to a different activity. You shouldn't have been signed up for something you didn't know how to do.
B. Assume that someone else assigned to the activity will know what to do. You'll figure it out when you get there.
C. You can make a plan for this! You have a great idea for an activity and you use some of your free time to organize the supplies. It will be worth it because the campers will love it.
D. You love tea and you love parties! Enthusiasm and your super-silly Queen of England impersonation are all you need to make this a success.
10
You overhear a camper repeatedly insulting another camper in your cabin. You:* This field is required.
A. Don't do anything, but bring it up at morning staff meeting the next day. A Director will be able to handle it better than you.
B. Yell at the camper to stop, then go back to your room.
C. Take the camper making the insults aside and talk to them about why their behavior is harmful. Talk to the other camper and see if they're OK. Find a Camp Director and let them know what happened.
D. Tell the camper making the insults that they need to stop, then start a game that includes everyone in the cabin. Keep an eye on future interactions between these campers.
11
Hosmer Point is in a beautiful, natural area on the shores of a lake. There's lots of boating and hiking, and no near-by town. You:* This field is required.
A. Will need transportation so I can get to civilization for my day off. Also bug spray. And I might freak out if there are spiders.
B. I'll definitely miss being able to walk to a restaurant or going shopping, but it will be good for me to try "roughing it" for a bit.
C. I love the quiet of being in nature. This sounds like my happy place!
D. I can't wait to organize some group hikes and paddles. We can have some great outdoor adventures!
12
Results: If you scored 12-16 (mostly As): Sounds like you want to opt-out of many parts of this job. While we support self-care, that may be a sign that being a camp counselor is not a great fit for you. With support from Camp Directors and experienced counselors, all counselors are expected to be able to work through the challenges of camp life. If you scored 17-26 (mostly Bs): When problems arise, you often wait for someone else to show you what to do, or hope the issue will resolve on its own. You're not exactly looking forward to many aspects of camp life, but you're committed to sticking it out even if it's not always fun. As you gain more experience, you're likely to get more comfortable in a camp counselor role; but it might be a difficult start. Let's talk before you apply so you can get more questions answered. Remember, this job should be fun! If you scored 27-38 (mostly Cs): You love problem solving, making connections with children, and putting your organizational skills to good use. Although you're not always excited about being loud and silly, and you value alone time, you can manage your day so that you get jobs done and are able to recharge when you need to. You appreciate how much you learn from working at camp, and the ability it gives you to make a difference in the lives of young people. Apply to be a counselor, and let's talk about how we can use your skills at camp! If you scored 39-48 (mostly Ds): Your extroverted personality, flexibility, and energy make you a natural fit for camp life. While you might struggle to make connections with quieter campers, you make up for it with your ability to make ordinary moments fun and exciting. You feel energized and happy because you're working outdoors, staying active, and having fun with others. Apply to be a counselor, and we'll talk about how this may be a job that doesn't even feel like work! Apply to be a counselor: https://forms.gle/4cr3r2PH9kjSBgnu8
Your Camp Counselor Score
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