Summer Camp

Can't decide between being a counselor at summer camp and going abroad? You can do both by finding a job as a summer camp counselor overseas. Many programs offer opportunities for U.S. workers to go abroad and for international workers to work at American summer camps. The latter is especially popular as many camps in the U.S. cannot find enough American workers.

Why Work in a Summer Camp Abroad? Working in a summer camp abroad gives you a chance to meet people from all over the world, experience a new culture, and perhaps learn a new language. Programs often allow for a month of travel after the camp season ends.

Some programs partner with U.S. universities to offer college credit to counselors from the U.S.

What Countries Offer Summer Camps? While summer camps are not as popular in much of the world as they are in the U.S., they are becoming increasingly popular in Canada. Summer camps for children are also popular in Russia and Eastern Europe. Other countries also offer summer camp programs, although they are not as popular.

Wilderness trips are very popular in many countries, including Australia, Costa Rica, France, Spain, Brazil, Greece, and many others. These programs often hire trip leaders from the U.S., and may serve either traveling American children and teens or international participants.

What to Expect at Your Overseas Summer Camp Job - Many summer camps abroad, particularly in Russia and Eastern Europe, resemble traditional American summer camps. They are often in rural settings and emphasize activities like horseback riding, hiking, and canoeing. Some programs may also have a (usually American) cultural component or offer English classes. These programs often hire U.S. citizens as both counselors and English instructors.

Countries like Canada offer a similar range of summer camp programs to the U.S., including both traditional summer camps and more specialized camps for drama, sports, and other activities.

How to Find an Overseas Summer Camp Job - Overseas summer camp jobs can be tricky to find, especially since not all have their own websites like most U.S. summer camps. It is often easiest to go through an organization that helps U.S. citizens find summer camp jobs abroad. These programs help match you with a camp and facilitate your paperwork.

Overseas summer job sites offer some listings, or you can try an Internet search for "overseas camp counselor jobs." If you are in college, your study abroad office or career center may offer directories of overseas summer job programs that include camp jobs.

Landing Your Overseas Summer Camp Job - First Aid, CPR, Wilderness First Responder, and SCUBA certification are all useful credentials that can help your application be more competitive. Some camps look for sailing experience or language skills, and previous outdoor and teen leadership experience is always helpful.

A patient, outgoing personality is crucial. More than most jobs, landing a job as a camp counselor depends on your ability to be friendly and cheerful, even while working long hours and handling large groups of children.

If you can demonstrate previous experience working with children, particularly in an outdoor setting, it will help your application. Experience leading tours or otherwise working with the public is also helpful.

Interesting seasonal jobs are a speciality of Lisa Jenkins, who many consider to be the guru of adventurous summer jobs. Her material appears regularly on JobMonkey, a completely free website with a job board and thousands of pages of information about seasonal work opportunities, including: summer camp jobs, dude ranch jobs, Alaska fishing jobs, and many 'offbeat' careers worldwide.

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