Summer camp jobs are invaluable in their ability to cram skill building, leadership development, and a whole lot of fun into one short season. If you enjoy being outside, don’t mind being a little crazy, and appreciate the impact a week at camp can have on a person’s faith journey, then a summer camp job might just be for you. Want more information about working at Camp Wyoming this summer? Visit our Summer Staff page! Here are the top 10 reasons to work at summer camp this summer:
- Pretty much every day is casual Friday.
Camp isn’t about expensive clothes or things. Camp is about getting active, having fun, and building a community of faith in a place that is sometimes messy, sometimes crazy, and always rewarding. - Making dinner is not your responsibility.
It can take a lot of energy to think up something to cook for dinner each night…and actually take the time to make it, much less plan and prepare a balanced meal. However, at camp, regular, balanced meals are part of the perks of the job. - Rarely is a job more rewarding.
One of the best things about working in the camp environment is seeing the transformation in the kids who come after just one week. When they show up on day one, they might be shy, scared, and homesick, but by the time they leave to go home, they’re talking, laughing, and making plans to come back the next year. Plus, the worship experiences, Bible studies, and small group conversations are ones that will probably positively impact their faith journey for years to come. - Your “office” is pretty amazing.
How many other jobs will you have where you’re surrounded by nature and all the wonders of creation all the time? Whether you’re hanging out under the stars, cooling off in the pool, or canoeing down a river, you will never feel trapped or confined by cubicle and office walls. - Faith is a real part of every day.
Sometimes, the pressures of life can cause us to push God to the peripherals. However, at camp, surrounded by God’s creation, you are immersed in a faith-environment where the person and work of Christ are obvious and essential. - Being weird or crazy is essentially your job.
Whether you are performing in a goofy skit, sliding down the Slip & Slide, or rolling through the grass for some bizarre game, your job description is to be fun and help those around you have fun, too. - This job looks good on a resume.
Many employers know that at camp, you have to lead, problem solve, and take responsibility on higher levels than many other jobs. You have to work intimately with other people, be willing to adjust schedules on a minute’s notice, and possess the leadership skills necessary to ensure the safety and well-being of all the children in your care. - Time off will never feel more amazing.
When you are working around the clock, running, playing, and comforting and disciplining kids—all in an environment usually free from contact with technology and the “real world”—that night off trip to a fast food restaurant and Wal-Mart will feel like the best vacation you ever had. - Camp friendships last a lifetime.
Everyone talks about the community at camp, and that is because it is unlike anything you will experience at any other place. When you work, play, eat, and sleep with the same group of people for ten weeks of the summer—seeing them when they haven’t showered, or slept, or brushed their teeth—you develop friendships that will last long after the summer ends. - You will never be the same.
Of course, you’ll be able to look at the campers who come to camp each week and note the way they changed because of camp, but you’ll probably be able to do the same for yourself. From the friendships created, memories made, skills developed, and faith explored, you’ll walk away from your camp job feeling strengthened, enlivened, and closer to God.
