So, you are in college and it has recently dawned on you that adulthood is absolutely unavoidable.  You will graduate in a period of 1-3 years (hopefully) and enter into the world of jobs, rent and car insurance, and there is a growing fear that maybe you won’t be ready. It seems like everybody is thinking ahead and getting ahead, and you don’t want to be left behind.

Summer is around the corner and the word “internship” is flying around campus faster than a water balloon in commando (we’ll get to that). What can you do this summer to not only put you in position to land that job in a few years, but also thrive once you get there?

The answer might surprise you: you need to become a summer camp counselor.

Why is this the perfect solution for me you might be asking?  I’m trying to be more responsible and become an adult.  How would spending the summer with a bunch of children help me in this?

Glad you asked!  Here are a few different reasons:

1.    The 2020 job market will look significantly different than it did ten years ago. Studies show that work will be increasingly market driven, user centered and grounded in relating. Higher compensated positions will increasingly shift to applicants who not only exhibit strong executive skills like decision making, communication, and adaptability, but to those who also demonstrate empathy, a high relational IQ and a strong sense of self. Here’s the good news: being a camp counselor develops all of these.

2.    Watching kids grow and learn is powerful and you will grow tremendously because of it.  You might think being a counselor is all fun and games, but it’s not.  It’s really hard.  And you will have to learn how to put yourself second (or last) a whole lot.  Kids make mistakes and helping them navigate that is not easy, but it is such great work.

3.    You will make the best friends ever.  Living and working together towards a common goal with a group of like minded guys builds a community unlike any other. Add in time teaching a skill you’re passionate about and shared experiences like a 6,000 balloon water war (we call it commando), and you’ve got the perfect mix. Relationships at camp are set up for success.

4.    Being a camp counselor does involve a significant amount of fun and games.  Do you like being goofy and playing hard?  Do you enjoy being outdoors and getting paid for it?  You need to be a counselor.

Ready to take the next step? Head on over to our website and apply to be a counselor at Camp Timberlake this summer.