YMCA

Summer Camp Director

May 2018 • Everett, WA

What I liked

I loved being able to plan activities and then take children on field trips. I planned trips to the zoo, aquarium, parks, lakes/splash pads/aquatic centers, roller skating, rock climbing, and many more activities. The joy children display when they learn new skills and facts makes working with them that much better!

What I wish was different

I wish we had smaller group ratio's so the children had more one on one time with the children.

Advice

Remember that all children are learning and they learn at their own pace.

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Camp Counselor

May - August 2019 • Powell, OH

What I liked

I loved working with the different age groups.

What I wish was different

Advice

Patience is key.

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Pool Lifeguard

June 2017 • White Bear Lake, MN

What I liked

I liked the people that I worked with.

What I wish was different

I wish I didn't have go go through as many bosses as I did.

Advice

Its a pretty good job.

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Summer Program Leader

May - August 2019 • San Francisco, CA

What I liked

I enjoyed putting smiles on the young girls and boys faces when we went to the park or when we had to stay inside and come up with different activities for the kids to enjoy as well as myself.

What I wish was different

I wish I had the opportunity to stay longer than I did, I had to put in my 2 weeks notice because I had to go back to school.

Advice

Working at the YMCA helped me with having patients with not only kids but their parents as well. Enjoy the little things that you think don’t matter but really do.

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climbing instructor

May - August 2020 • Missoula, MT

What I liked

I liked doing what I loved, and that they worked around my school schedule.

What I wish was different

More communication from my employer on the job I was hired for, instead I was often placed in job spots that I was not interested in nor hired for.

Advice

It was fun for a summer job

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Camp Counselor

June - August 2019 • Richmond, VA

What I liked

I loved working with the kids! I also loved that the job encouraged me to be hands on and go outdoors more.

What I wish was different

I wish there were more breaks where employees would be able to go indoors more. It got incredibly hot most days and we worked all day outside.

Advice

I would say love the kids as if they were your own! All the kids come from different and sometimes challenging backgrounds which is important to keep in mind when the kids are testing your patience!

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Summer Program Staff

May 2019 • Lakeville, MN

What I liked

Alot of hours Friendly Staff Outside Alot Field Trips 3/5 days of the week Get to meet different kids

What I wish was different

Closer to college The inconsistency of hours per week

Advice

If you do not like kids, I would highly not recommend this job.

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Camp Counselor

June - August 2019 • Warwick, RI

What I liked

It was a fun experience

What I wish was different

Advice

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Seasonal Assistant Equestrian Directo

May 2020 • Antioch, TN

What I liked

The atmosphere and upbeat staff morale.

What I wish was different

The hours are long and the weather can be unpredictable.

Advice

If you enjoy working with horses this is a great position to look into. The camping industry is very dynamic and provides excellent references and experiences.

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Summer Camp Counselor

May 2017 • Lakewood Ranch, FL

What I liked

As this was my first job after high school, I really liked being able to lead others. This job really helped improve my organizational and communication skills.

What I wish was different

One thing that I wish had been different is the organization of leadership. There were times when nobody really knew what was going on and we had no direction. The space that we had was limited to hold a camp with a few hundred children, but there is not much that could be changed about that due to the small property size.

Advice

One piece of advice that I would share about this experience would be to always communicate with the other counselors and supervisors. Communication is important in any job, but that is one thing that I learned especially in this one.

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Childcare Worker

June 2018 - August 2019 • Meridian, ID

What I liked

I loved getting to meet kids from different backgrounds and helping them make friends and have a great summer.

What I wish was different

Advice

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Camp Counselor

May - August 2019 • Chesapeake, VA

What I liked

I loved working with the kids

What I wish was different

I wish I formed closer relationships with my coworkers

Advice

Patience is very important.

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Site Manager

June - August 2019 • Coatesville, PA

What I liked

The hours were great, close to home

What I wish was different

Better organization, more staff

Advice

Every experience is a good experience

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Swim Coach

May 2020 • Phoenix, AZ

What I liked

Working with kids!

What I wish was different

I wish we could've had more meets but couldn't because of COVID.

Advice

Have fun! Kids always feed off your energy.

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Camp Counselor

May - August 2019 • Fredericksburg, VA

What I liked

Working with a variety of children from the area.

What I wish was different

I wish we could have received the day’s schedule earlier.

Advice

I would encourage you to get to know each child as an individual.

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Y Camp Counselor

June - August 2019 • Cascade, ID

What I liked

Working as a summer camp counselor was an invaluable experience. I worked with teenagers (13-14 years old) to teach them the leadership and personal skills they will need in life. Y Camp has a four tier program of leadership and I was working with the first tier, Aspiring Leaders. Watching the teens grow throughout the week they were at camp was amazing to see. I definitely want to work at the summer camp again in the future.

What I wish was different

I left every Sunday to go up to camp and we were up there until Friday. I was the caretaker for my campers 24/7 and it gets tiring watching out for 10+ kids all the time. The only day I had off was Saturdays and sometimes I felt like I didn't have enough time to recuperate for the next week. It would have been nice to have a little more time off to do other things with my summer as well.

Advice

One piece of advice I would give, is that it is so fulling and worth giving up your time to help others. Even though this job was hard, watching these kids grow throughout each week was amazing to see and totally worth the lack of sleep and energy.

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Volunteer

July - August 2020 • San Antonio, TX

What I liked

Meeting new people and helping out.

What I wish was different

Nothing

Advice

Spending a part of you day outside in the heat may be uncomfortable, but it is worth it!

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Camp Counselor

May - August 2019 • Grand Prairie, TX

What I liked

It was very organized and fun.

What I wish was different

The administration could've been better.

Advice

You have to love working with kids and be very energetic!

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Camp Counselor

June - August 2020 • Edmond, OK

What I liked

It gave me an opportunity to work on my leadership skills and make sure I have communication, even under stressful or irritating situations.

What I wish was different

Wish I could have experience it without the complications of COVID!

Advice

Always show up with a smile, fake or not, and try to have a good day! The kids can tell if you’re upset even if you don’t think you are letting it show.

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