Working as a camp counselor is a fun and rewarding way to explore the U.S. You get to meet people from all over and share unforgettable experiences while making friends, becoming a role model, and building a camp counselor resume that stands out.

But how do you get noticed when applying for camp counselor positions? A well-written resume is the first thing on your to-do list if you’re interested in becoming a camp counselor. 

At AmeriCamp, we know a lot about stand-out camp counselor resumes. Since 2010, we’ve been connecting camp counselors with camps across the United States. We love bringing enthusiastic travelers together with camps, where they can learn valuable skills and create life-long friendships. With camp counselor employment on the rise, we’ll help you land your dream job by building the best camp counselor resume! In this article, we’ll cover key topics, such as:

1. Why Become a Summer Camp Counselor
2. Key Skills for Camp Counselor Resumes
3. How to Write Your Summer Camp Counselor Resume
4. How To Put Your Camp Counselor Experience on a Resume

Whether you’re looking to learn about key skills for camp counselors or a camp counselor’s job description, we’ve got you covered! Read on to learn how to write a camp counselor resume that stands out!

Why Become a Summer Camp Counselor?

Working as a summer camp counselor is full of exciting opportunities. From exploring new places to meeting new people, summer camps provide chances to build new skills and have fun! As an American rite of passage, summer camps get you out of your comfort zone and encourage you to build strong bonds with your fellow counselors. It’s a great way to get to know a new place and learn more about yourself. Let’s look at some of the benefits of becoming a summer camp counselor, including:

• Meeting new people
• Developing new skills
• Exploring new places
• Earning a paycheck

Meet New People

Connect with fellow counselors from all over the world as you work together at summer camp. Take advantage of the beautiful locations AmeriCamp has to offer as you connect through day-to-day activities that engage kids and promote fun and adventure. With campers actively enjoying the outdoors across the United States, you’ll have no trouble finding your perfect camp!

You’ll quickly break the ice with your new coworkers as you participate in popular outdoor activities like hiking, biking, and camping! Share new and exciting experiences that create life-long memories, as well as build awesome interpersonal skills.

Develop New Skills

Becoming a camp counselor is also a great way to add hirable skills to your resume. Camp counselors need to be strong communicators, empathetic leaders, and supportive role models for the kids they work with. These skills are valuable in the workplace, and getting direct experience goes hand in hand with working as a camp counselor.  

You can also develop fun and exciting hobbies and life skills. From sports camps to theater camps, you’ll discover plenty of chances to expand your skill set. Let’s look at some of the skills you can learn while working at a summer camp:

• Team sports: Basketball, cricket, football, soccer, and ultimate frisbee
• Water sports: Fishing, kayaking, lifeguarding, swimming, and windsurfing
• Arts and crafts: Ceramics, drawing, jewelry making, murals, and sewing
• Theater and music: Acting, dancing, green screens, instruments, and performing
• Outdoors: Animal tracking, archery, fire building, hiking, and horseback riding
• Wellness and education: Computers, graphic design, martial arts, stargazing, and yoga

Explore a New Place

At AmeriCamp, our summer camp programs run from mid-June to mid-August, with flexibility for camp counselors to start early and spend up to 30 days traveling the U.S. Whether you’ve bonded with your fellow camp counselors and decide to take a trip at the end of the summer, or you just want to get to know parts of the U.S. as a solo traveler, there are plenty of opportunities to explore America during your time as a summer camp counselor. 

We take the complexity out of travel for our camp counselors, helping you access a J-1 visa by acting as your sponsor and providing expert guidance throughout your camp counselor experience. Visit any destination that’s on your U.S. bucket list after you’ve completed your unforgettable nine weeks at one of our exciting summer camps!

Earn Money While Traveling

One of the many benefits of becoming a camp counselor with AmeriCamp is knowing you’ll be earning money while traveling. We offer a minimum of $2,000 for first-time camp counselors, with negotiable salaries for returning counselors and staff. In addition to meals and accommodation, AmeriCamp also provides comprehensive medical insurance to all camp counselors and support staff. We make sure our camp counselors are safe and supported for the entire time you’re with us!

Earning a salary that truly allows you to take advantage of your travel options after camp is something we value at AmeriCamp; we want you to be able to get the most out of your time working and exploring the U.S.

Key Skills for Camp Counselor Resumes

Whether you have particular interests that are relevant to summer camp programs, like sports or creative pursuits, it’s important to make sure that you show your key skills on your camp counselor resume.

Summer camps provide great lessons in learning soft skills. These skills are especially important when writing your camp counselor resume, showcasing your abilities in leading groups, and working in teams. Let’s explore some of the key skills AmeriCamp looks for in camp counselor resumes:

• Communication
• Creativity
• Leadership
• Organization
• Time Management
• Teamwork

Your experience in leadership roles in your school or work are great ways to show soft skills. Read on to learn more about camp counselor resume skills and ways you may already be using them. 

Communication

When it comes to skills to put on a resume for camp counselors, you might already be a pro at this one. From keeping up with AmeriCamp representatives as you prepare for camp, to communicating with your family and friends regularly, you’re already using key communication skills. 

But being a skilled communicator takes more than being able to strike up a conversation. As a camp counselor, you’ll need to be able to communicate with your campers to encourage them to actively participate, engage with others, and have fun. Including communication as part of your summer camp counselor resume skills stands out because it shows you understand people and can connect with them.

Creativity

Creativity is an exciting skill to have on your camp counselor resume because it is entirely unique to you, allowing you to show off your diverse interests and fun-loving nature. Some creative skills are highly sought after; for example theater camps often favor camp counselors with sewing or performance experience. Some key creative skills AmeriCamp looks for include:

• Art: Drawing, painting, and sculpture
• Crafts: Sewing, costume design, and jewelry making
• Theater: Acting, dancing, and performing
• Music: Guitar, piano, drums, and vocals

Don’t be afraid to share your experience with creative outlets on your summer camp counselor resume. Showing your extracurriculars and interests can be a great way to highlight your creative skills. Showing active participation in school productions, producing artwork, or learning an instrument are all great ways to show your creative skills and personality.

Leadership

As a camp counselor, you need strong leadership skills. Over the course of the camp, you’ll find your leadership skills deepen as you adjust to day-to-day operations and work with kids. When it comes to sharing your leadership skills on your camp counselor resume, pull from real-life experiences you’ve had so far.

Some of the ways our camp counselors exhibit leadership skills on their camp counselor resumes include:

• Being the captain of an athletic team
• Training employees at their job
• Leading academic clubs or performance groups
• Volunteering in local programs

Showing leadership experience is really helpful on your camp counselor resume. It doesn’t matter if you’re writing a day camp counselor resume or a head camp counselor resume, being able to provide real-life skills in leadership makes you a stand-out candidate.

Organization

Organization skills are important in any job, but when it comes to working as a camp counselor it’s especially important. You’ve got to be able to stay on top of your AmeriCamp paperwork and travel documents before traveling. When you’re working at the camp, you also have to be able to stay on top of sporting equipment you’ll use with the kids for activities, as well as your own personal items while you’re lodging. 

Adding organizational skills to your resume proves to future employers that you are reliable and capable of handling responsibility. For camp counselors, great ways to show your existing organizational skills include listing duties in your job that rely on being organized or the way you’ve used organization skills to help with your studies, such as creating a study schedule. 

Time Management

The best summer camps run on good time management, so it's important that our camp counselors are exceptional at managing their own time. Putting time management skills on your camp counselor resume is a surefire way to get noticed, but it’s all about being able to show this skill in practice! Here are some examples of what to include on your resume:

• Working a job
• Participating in extracurricular activities
• Managing study groups
• Contributing to volunteer programs

Teamwork

Being able to work as part of a team is an essential skill for a camp counselor. You can expect teamwork to be the focus of your summer camp experience from the first day of training. Day in and day out, you’ll be working beside fellow camp counselors and assisting kids, so it’s important that you’re skilled in working together. 

From planning activities to solving problems, teamwork is an essential part of working at camp. You must be able to solve problems and communicate with your fellow camp counselors while bringing positive energy and fun to every activity. 

How To Write Your Summer Camp Counselor Resume

Writing your camp counselor resume doesn’t have to be challenging. Providing key skills and letting your interests and personality shine are sure to make your summer camp counselor resume stand out. Take a look at your relevant experiences and skills as a way to start your camp counselor resume. Let’s go over the resume objectives for camp counselors:

• Present clear information about yourself
• Show relevant skills that apply to a camp counselor’s job description
• Express your enthusiasm for summer camp work
• Highlight any additional skills or experiences that make you an ideal candidate, e.g., working with children or first aid experience

We have plenty of tips for getting a head start on your camp counselor experience, but first, let’s look into how you can make your camp counselor resume stand out.

Choose a Clear and Readable Resume Format

The objective of a camp counselor resume is to make learning about you easy and engaging. Aside from your name and contact information, the details you put on your summer camp counselor resume descriptions should reflect your previous experiences that relate to a camp counselor job. We recommend using our resume checklist for camp counselors as a guide:

1. Put your name and contact information at the top
2. Write a brief summary about yourself
3. List your relevant skills
4. Provide any relevant experience in chronological order if possible
5. List your educational history
6. List your interests and involvement in any other groups or activities

Your camp counselor resume only needs to be one page long, especially a resume for camp counselors with limited or no experience. There are plenty of resume templates to help write the perfect resume for summer camp counselors. Soon you’ll be able to add  “Camp Counselor”—along with new and exciting skills—to your resume!

List Skills Relevant to Camp Counselor Responsibilities and Duties

Reading a camp counselor job description, you'll quickly realize a variety of skills can come in handy. Depending on the type of camp you’re interested in working at, you’ll find that some skills can be more valuable than others. Some additional skills AmeriCamp actively looks for on camp counselor resumes include:

• Working with children
• First aid/CPR certification
• Leadership experience
• Responsibility
• Outdoor skills
• Teamwork

Other skills that are more personal to your interests matter, too. Have a passion for waterskiing or snowboarding? Bring your unique skills to our sports camps! At AmeriCamp, we encourage applicants to let their unique skill sets shine; it helps us match you with a camp that fits you best!

Show Your Personality and Interests

Don’t be afraid to show your personality on your camp counselor resume. We love seeing applicants who are confident in who they are and give us a full picture of their interests! Share your experiences in teams, clubs, or activities – the more we know about you the better. 

Your hobbies also help us find the right camp for you. If you enjoy the outdoors, extreme sports, or arts and crafts, your hobbies and interests help us pair you with summer camps that suit you. 

Use Keywords

Job descriptions for camp counselors use keywords to describe what they’re looking for in a candidate. If a job description is seeking “individuals who love the outdoors,” focus on sharing your experience with the outdoors. Another example is if a job description is looking for “caring individuals,” focus on your volunteer experience.

Make sure you use positive and proactive language that shows your excitement to work as a camp counselor. Find words within the job description that accurately describe yourself, and include them in your camp counselor resume. This way the team at AmeriCamp can see your enthusiasm and your communication skills! Learn more about what to expect during your camp counselor interview.

How To Add Your Camp Counselor Experience to Your Resume

Once you’ve completed your AmeriCamp experience, it’s time to put your new skills into action! Adding  “Camp counselor” to your resume is a way to show future employers your unique skills and proactive nature. Camp counselor skills for resumes show a diverse range of interests and abilities; you’ll have real-life skills that set you apart from other applicants. 

From junior counselor returning camp counselor, the list of your duties can be hard to summarize in a short resume. Don't forget to mention your daily responsibilities in a concise way; this keeps your resume from sounding long-winded while including all of your unique skills. 

Create a small list of your camp counselor duties and you’ll find describing your camp counselor experience easy! Here are some responsibilities often found on camp counselor resume samples and skills lists:

1. Led groups of 10 on hiking excursions
2. Helped develop and plan engaging activities
3. Provided emotional support to campers when needed

How to Make Camp Counselor Experience Sound Good on a Resume

When it comes to writing your summer camp counselor description on your resume, focus on the new skills you’ve grown and the duties you performed. A great way to see the progress you’ve made over summer camp is to look back at the resume you used for your application and see where your skills have developed. 

Reassessing your skill set by looking at your old resume is a great way to make your camp counselor experience sound good on your new resume. Take the skills you’ve developed and show how your new experiences have strengthened them. For instance, if you put “leadership” as a skill on your resume, use examples of how you gained more experience by leading groups on camping trips or creating a production. Once camp is over, many of our counselors find themselves more confident in their skills and more outgoing, ready for the next challenge!

Build a Top-notch Camp Counselor Resume With AmeriCamp This Summer

At AmeriCamp, we provide the best camp counselor jobs in the U.S. so that you get the best experience of being a camp counselor. Gaining unique and useful skills for your camp counselor resume is easy with us! Apply today to start your first camp counselor application, or work with us again. We love seeing old and new faces! 

Got questions? We’d love to answer! Contact us to find out more about becoming a camp counselor, or visit our FAQ for more information.