When do camps start accepting staff applications? Or maybe a better question might be : when is the best time to start applying?
December is usually the earliest, in my opinion, but it can be until March or so.
From what I remembered, Janurary is the earilest, but it can even go until May or even a week or two before camp for some camps. Just remember some camps have people who decide not to go to camp for various reasons, like medical issues or they find a better job etc. The first camp I got hired at, I was hired about 2 weeks before I had to be there.
I've worked at three camps as the chef. The first camp was a one-week volunteer situation (they found me). For my 2009 summer job, I started looking in January and had a job offer (which I accepted) by mid-March. Ten applications netted three interviews, including my childhood camp.
In the meantime, I worked fulltime for three and one-half years at a non-camp facility. When I was laid off this year at the end of March, I began searching for camp work again. Eight applications netted two interviews and one potential interview. I accepted the chef job at a municipal family camp mid-April and started May 2. It looks like I'm returning for a second season next May.
In my limited experience, most camps begin looking around January. However, you can locate work as late as March and April. I have seen a few camp websites that are looking now. The best thing is to visit camp websites and see what the employment page says.
Good luck ...
Also for some camps, you can get hired as late as may or even June, but with that, you tend to have limited options and have to be very flexable in terms of everything.
For summer 2008, I started looking in late November (of 2007). I did a lot of research and even called a couple of camps. Then, I narrowed my list down to three camps and applied to those three in December. I had interviews lined up all before Christmas, and had three offers before Christmas as well.
I really wanted to have my summer plans figured out before second semester started at the end of January. I wanted to be able to ask my principal for time off if I needed to. Though, that was what I needed to do as I am a teacher. College students probably could wait until January or February to start appling for camp jobs.
- Teenster :cool:
I would start looking now and start applying sometimne with in the next month-- I went to a camp job fair but it was limited and there werent alot of camps I was intrested there.
I've just applied to 2 camps to be a counselor for summer 2014. Hoping to get a response from one of them soon!
Camps dont usually start until at least Janurary to start hiring new staff. They are proberly hiring returning staff that they want to return so they have an idea of how many new staff they will need next year.
Some as early as October. I would start applying now because it's January and most camps are hiring now. I just got hired today at a camp and they only put up the staff application on Monday. Spots go fast so don't wait too long to apply!
I am not sure what I am doing for camp this summer if anything-- I may be moving and I know I cant do a full summer of camp physically speaking and I had some issues at the camp I was at last summer. If I move soon, I will see if I could volunteer for a week or so at the local YMCA day camp or some residential camps nearby
That would be a good idea. I was about to suggest that. I had some counselors when I was a kid who were older adults and would come for a week with their children to camp. They would be counselors just for the week their kids were there. Not all camps would be willing to do that but some might.
Well the camp I usually volunteer for is a 1 week resident camp-- they only do 1 week of camp per summer-- they rent a site from a Easter Seals location