Your first placement will be on a summer camp or resort, where you’ll be working in a Support Position The positions you’ll be working in are plentiful and varied –and could involve administration positions in the main office, working the switchboard or putting your retail experience to the test in the camp/resort store. Alternatively you could find yourself cooking or serving in the kitchen & dining hall – the real hub of any camp or resort! There are plenty of opportunities for outdoor work too – helping landscape and maintain the grounds or taking on the challenge of driving the campers or customers.
Here are just a sample…
At resorts, the front desk staff and office employees are the "first string" on the resort's team of hospitality. So having proper phone etiquette, attention to detail and always presenting oneself in a professional manner is key to ensuring that resort guests have a wonderful stay. Summer camps are businesses and like any business will have a busy office that needs to be manned - phones need to be answered and paperwork needs to be taken care of.
With all the wear and tear that comes with having hundreds of children rampaging around the grounds, the general camp areas need to be maintained - the baseball pitch needs cutting, the cabins need painting and inevitably something always needs fixing! This goes for resorts, too, as it's all about presenting a picture-perfect holiday image to its guests. So the gardens need watering, the lawn needs mowing and the bushes need pruning, among other handy tasks that might need to be performed.
At resorts, the chef is one of the key positions! Having a great kitchen support staff truly helps the kitchen run smoothly and the chef prepare wonderful meals for their guests. Experienced wait staff help get these meals to their guests in a timely fashion.
Life in the camp kitchen can be fast-paced and hectic, but never a dull moment! Positions include food preparation, dishwashing, cooking and cleaning. In the dining hall, staff serves meals to the camp and ensures that things are tidied up and ship shape at the end of each noisy meal!
At resorts, room attendants have the most important job on property - ensuring that the guests’ rooms are spotless. Resorts say that good housekeeping is their No.1 priority that helps keep their rooms booked for the season!
Most staff and campers live in bunks on camp, and every day these and other communal areas of the camp (including the toilets) need to be cleaned. You should also believe us when we tell you that these kids come to camp with a lot of clothes which means only one thing - lots of laundry.
The security guard helps keep the campers and staff safe during the nighttime and early morning hours. They also meet and greet anyone who visits camp. If you are a night owl, this job is for you because your job would be to patrol the campgrounds through the night, making sure everyone remains in their cabins and that they are no intruders on property. Security guards have a calm, cool attitude with the ability to handle conflict and think on one’s feet. If you can work independently with little supervision, working all night means having the rest of the day to sleep and play!
Once you’ve completed your first placement it’s up to you where you go next! The real benefit of the programme is the huge variety of choices available to you! Jobs can be anything from bartending in the Florida Keys, to running the front desk of a Colorado mountain resort, working among the thrill-seekers of America’s many Theme Parks, or working in some of the many offices, restaurants or shops in some of the US’s famous cities such as Chicago, New York, Denver or San Francisco.*
There are also a limited number of placements that will allow you to extend your summer camp or Resort placement for up to 1 year. This is a great option for those wanting to settle in to one region and experience the US. Naturally your 30-day travel period at the end of your 12 months is always there for you to check out the rest of the country at the end of your placement.
Whatever type of employment you find, you’ll meet diverse people, see the ‘real’ America first hand, enhance your long-term career prospects and enjoy the experience of a lifetime!
*due to visa regulations there are some jobs you can’t do. These include: medical intern, domestic help, nanny/au pair, camp counsellor, football or soccer coach.