Why Work at Camp?

Written with permission from the Ontario Camping Association publication "How to be a Camp Counsellor...the best job in the world!

If making money is a top priority, you would be better planting trees, working in a factory, labouring on a construction site or serving in a restaurant with a reputation for big tippers. You may not make great money at camp, but a counsellor's job has many non-monetary benefits: enjoying the outdoors, working with old and new friends, access to camp activities, the satisfaction of teaching and learning from the campers and knowing that you made a difference in the lives of children in your care.
When the day comes that you need to commit to a job that requires your presence 50 weeks a year, you will discover that the characteristics and skills honed at camp are very marketable: your patience, perseverance, flexibility and creativity and your ability to lead, to communicate, to be a team member and to relate to all kinds of people.
Camp directors write many reference letters for former staff aspiring to be teachers, doctors, lawyers or leaders in business. The skills learned at camp will positively influence your success at school, at work and in personal relationships for the rest of your life. What better preparation for parenthood is there than being a camp counsellor?