If you are a college student, your school year is chock full of requirements. Everyday you are implored to think about how you are differentiating yourself with the focus of reaching your future goals. Your summer is (or should be)…YOUR summer.
You’ve identified the gaps in your resume, right? But have you asked yourself, where are the gaps you have as an individual? When you think about what your summer experience is going to look like I would argue that focusing on the latter is the right approach to take, and with that in mind, working at Elmwood Day Camp may be the best way for you to build needed life skills. Resumes are extremely important, but being well rounded is equally vital and the two should not be mutually exclusive! “This article”:https://www.acacamps.org/resource-library/camping-magazine/camp-belongs-your-resume-highlighting-professional-development-value-working-camp by the ACA highlights ways that working at a summer camp can enhance your resume
The Partnership for 21st Century Learning (P21) sought out to define and illustrate the “skills and knowledge students need to succeed in work, life and citizenship”. They emphasized the following essential life and career skills: flexibility and adaptability; initiative and self-direction; social and cross-cultural skills; productivity and accountability; and leadership and responsibility.
This summer, your job at Elmwood Day Camp will help you develop these skills and more:
- Manage group projects and adapt to changing schedules
- Expand your understanding of child development and motivate individuals
- Learn to navigate the co-worker relationship
- Build interpersonal communication skills
- Be mentored by professional staff and in turn mentor your campers
- Participate in both familiar activities and step out of your comfort zone, all while modeling this for your campers
The President of the American Camp Association identified “3 Reasons to Choose a Job at Camp Instead of a Summer Internship”:
- At camp, you are responsible for more than just yourself
- You get to work in an inspirational environment
- You can develop professional skills to take with you throughout your career
We live in an increasingly insular world. Let the summer be a time to get outside, breathe fresh air and connect with multiple people of different age groups and backgrounds. Resumes are intended to summarize your experiences. This summer, use your experiences to make a difference at Elmwood!