Camp Counselor Resume—Skills, Examples & Job Description

You can lead a group of dozens from one activity to another, keep everyone safe and accounted for, and have fun while doing it. You know you’d make the finest camp counselor this side of the Rio Grande.

But how’s the camp director supposed to know how awesome you’d be? You need a camp counselor resume that gets the director excited like adventure challenge activities.

In this guide:

• The best camp counselor resume examples to score those recreational jobs.
• How to tailor content to a camp counselor job description for resumes.
• How to write camp resumes that land camp administration interviews.
• Expert tips and examples to improve your chances of landing camp jobs.

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Want some instructional resume examples related to day camp supervision or summer camp counseling? Check these out:

• Education Resume
• School Counselor Resume
• Teacher Resume
• Elementary Teacher Resume
• Substitute Teacher Resume
• High School Teacher Resume
• School Counselor Resume
• Math Teacher Resume
• Teaching Assistant Resume
• Preschool Teacher Resume
• Supervisor Resume

Haven't found what you're looking for? Check all our Professional Resume Examples.

Also, are you instead looking for how to put summer camp counselor on resumes? If you had a camp counseling stint but are now entering another industry, check out this article: Career Change Resume Sample

Camp Counselor Resume Example You Can Copy and Use

A camp counselor handles working with children, planning and overseeing their daily activities during camping trips. They ensure the campers' safety while also helping them grow and develop. A camp counselor must be patient, energetic, an excellent communicator, and have high leadership abilities.

Here’s how to write the perfect resume for camp counseling jobs that shows you're the best fit:

1. Sort Out the Camp Counselor Resume Format First

Before you let loose and document all your camp skills and work experience, you must incorporate clean resume formatting.

Here’s how to format a camp counselor resume template:

• Lay out all obligatory resume sections on your camp counselor resume: header, resume profile, work history, education, skills.
• Use a reverse-chronological resume style.
• Leave one-inch margins on resume. Set them on all four sides of your resume for camp counselors.
• Choose a resume font that’s easy for even the poorest eyes to read.
• Only include relevant things on a resume—leave everything else off.

Expert Hint: Save resumes as PDFs. A day camp counselor resume PDF will appear fine on any device, while a Microsoft Word doc may look funny on certain phones and other devices.

2. Start with a Camp Counselor Resume Objective or Summary

A heading statement (resume profile) starts things off at the very top of any camp counseling resume, like the orientation presentation on the first day at camp.

There are two options: the resume summary and the resume objective. Which do you use? When you know camp leadership inside and out, choose the career summary. 

A resume summary statement offers the camp director a brief overview of your previous experience, knowledge of activities, and leadership skills. To make it more potent and impressive, it adds a measurable achievement.

Here’s how to write a camp counselor resume summary:

Camp Counselor Resume Example— Summary

Dynamic camp counselor with 3.5+ years of experience leading, educating, and encouraging groups of teenagers and young adults in year-round camps. CPR, AED, and BLS certified. Excellent collaborative, interpersonal, and leadership skills. Capable of supervising 50+ participants and planning activities for 4-week programs and longer.

I’ve been a camp counselor for almost 4 years, and I am skilled with all sorts of camp activities, including treasure hunting, surfing, paddleboarding, horseback riding, target practice, campfire singing, and more. I’m currently seeking a job where I can put one or two of those talents to use.

Here’s one important rule: always personalize the resume to the individual job offer. In the above examples, one is tailored to the camp counseling job ad, while the other could be a resume summary for any job on the planet.

But— How about when you’ve got little or no experience? When you’re a campground newbie, use the career objective. 

An objective statement on your boys camp, girls camp, or day camp counselor resume replaces career goals instead of camp experience. Along with listing relevant camp skills and leadership activities, add in a quantifiable achievement or two to prove you’re talented.

Here’s how to write a camp counselor resume objective statement:

Entry-Level Camp Counseling Resume Example—Objective

Friendly and outgoing high school graduate with 4 years of camp attendance. Knowledgeable on a variety of topics and skills, including whitewater rafting, horseback riding, campfire games, and event planning. 2018 OCHS Leadership Award recipient. Seeking to leverage leadership skills, extroversion, passion for outdoor activities to become a Junior Camp Counselor at Camp Adventure.

Having just recently graduated from high school, I’d like to spend the summer before college at camp, as I have for many years. This time, however, I’d like to be on the leadership side of things, and I have lots of experience with building fires, leading choirs, and swimming, making me an excellent camp supervisor candidate.

In the second example, our camp counselor candidate sounds like they could be qualified. However, they still didn’t personalize it or include numbers like the first one, two huge misses on any day camp or resume.

Expert Hint: Although it goes at the top, write your sports camp or summer camp counselor resume heading statement last. You’ll be better able to come up with the most effective items to highlight there once you complete the remainder of your resume for camp counselor jobs.

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3. Write a Camp Counselor Job Description and Skills Section

The main focus of any camp counselor resume is the job description resume section. Get it right, and you’ll move on to the interview. However— 

Get it wrong, and you’ll be sent home early like that camp bully.

Here’s how to describe your employment history on a resume for camp jobs:

• Start with your most recent job first, then the one before that, and so on, in reverse chronological order.
• Add your professional job title, the span of time you worked, the name of the company or camp, and its location. 
• Include a few bullet points outlining your previous job duties in a way that’s most relevant to a job for camp counselors.
• Throw in a numbered achievement or two to verify to the camp director how skilled you are.

Now let’s look at a few camp counselor duties resume section examples:

Camp Counselor Job Description for Resume Examples

Summer Camp Counselor 
June 2017–October 2019
Camp Whitaker, Minneapolis, MN

• Assisted in organizing all aspects of a year-round environmental camp, including planning activities, implementing lessons and outings, and promoting education.
• Supervised team-building events and recreational activities to orchestrate physical and educational development.
• Held concise seminars and lessons about nature, environmental preservation, and climate change.
• Administered basic medical care and one-on-one counseling to camp attendees, as needed.

• Maintained safe, educational environment for 55+ campers in 3-week cycles.

Summer Camp Counselor 

June 2017–October 2019
Pendlebook Estival Camp, Minneapolis, MN

Restaurant Job Responsibilities:

• Supervised children and teenagers.
• Organized summer camp activities.
• Taught sports and managed sporting events.
• Administered first aid when necessary.

Like a too-early lights-out time for teenagers, the camp manager will find that second one boring. The first one, however, offers a detailed explanation of your past camp duties and quantifiable achievements to lock in their vote.

Resumes need details about outcomes, not just activities. If a resume only has role activities with very few outcomes and achievements it gets overlooked for other candidates regardless of their experiences.

A resume is like a great campfire s’more—experience would be the fluffy marshmallows, and resume skills would be creamy melted chocolate. A work history section pairs perfectly with a list of skills to put on a resume.

According to the US Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections, recreation workers are set to increase by 16%—64,600 jobs each year—between 2020 and 2030.

That means, like a campground scavenger hunt, you’ve got to search for just the right skills to place on your resume to impress them.

Here is a list of sample camp counselor resume skills:

Top Skills & Proficiencies for a Camp Counselor Resume

• First Aid & Basic Medical Skills
• CPR & AED
• Verbal Communication Skills
• Verbal Counseling Skills
• Interpersonal Skills
• Patience & Understanding
• Empathy & Compassion
• Problem Solving Skills
• Creative Thinking Skills
• Physical Strength & Endurance
• Management & Leadership Skills
• Storytelling (for scary ghost stories around the campfire!)
• Organizational Skills
• Team Building Skills
• Activity & Event Planning
• Administrative Skills

Aside from the regular skills, add in a few camp activities you have experience with. Here are a few examples:

Camp Counselor Resume Activities

• Obstacle Courses
• Rock Climbing
• Outdoor Games (e.g., Horseshoe Throwing, Tug of War, Capture the Flag)
• Indoor Games (e.g., Ping Pong, Pool)
• Camping
• Canoeing, Kayaking, or Rafting
• Sports (e.g., Football, Soccer, Baseball, Kickball)
• Bird Watching & Identification
• Constellations & Star Gazing
• Scavenger Hunts
• Crossbows & Archery
• Swimming & Scuba Diving
• Geocaching & Orienteering
• Horseback Riding

As you can imagine, you can’t just take our list of camp counselor skills and activities and stick it right in yours. The more camp skills you add, the more you dilute how effective each one is.

Instead, look at the camp counselor employment ad.

In the job responsibilities section, the employer is telling you exactly which skills they’re looking for. Pay attention to these resume keywords, and include relevant ones in your camp supervisor resume.

Expert Hint: As the ACA mentions, “Think also of the responsibilities and rewards you have been given through the camp experience. Dedication, loyalty, compassion, and consistency comprise the actions of a camp counselor day after day in the camp setting. Any employer oblivious to such attributes would certainly be passing up a good thing.”

4. Turn Your Education Section Into a Reason to Hire You

More than its social or physical aspects, summer camps are educational in nature. Thus, stand out by documenting your academic history clearly and adequately to show you have formal background to shape young people’s minds.

Here’s how:

Camp Counselor Resume Example—Education Section

Bachelor of Science in Recreation and Sport Management

Florida International University, Miami, FL

Graduation: 2015

Relevant Coursework: Recreational Therapy Facilitation Techniques, Leisure and Recreation in America, Principles of Parks, Recreation and Sport Management, Liability and Law in Leisure, Recreation and Sports, Program Planning in Recreational Therapy, Event Management.

Here’s the gist of how to list your education on a camp counseling resume:

• Add your degree, diploma, or certificate name on the first line.
• Below that, write the name of the school and where it’s located.
• Then, give your graduation date or anticipated date of completion.
• Include anything impressive or relevant, such as Latin honors, extracurriculars, or relevant coursework on a resume.

If you have completed a university degree, omit high school from the education section.

Expert Hint: Are you a college graduate or college student without much professional expertise? On a resume with no experience, place this education section above the work history section so the camp director sees the most important and impressive things first.

5. Round Out a Resume for Camp Counselors Using a Few Extras

Show the camp director you’re more than the Average Joe by including some impressive additional sections. Such as:

• Resume Certifications
• Memberships
• Hobbies and Interests
• Professional Awards
• Languages

Here are a few ideas to consider on a summer or day camp counselor resume:

 Workshops & Resume Certificates 

• Crisis Management at Camp Workshop
• ACA Experienced Program Staff Certificate
• ACA Aquatics: Staff Skills Verification-Lifeguarding
• ACA First Aid and CPR Instructor Course
• American Red Cross CPR/AED Certification
• American Lifeguard Association Universal Lifeguard Certification
• LEAD Camp & Camp Director Certification
• Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS)

Camp Affiliations & Associations

• The American Camp Association (ACA)
• Religiously Affiliated Camps (RAC)
• Emerging Professionals in Camping (EPIC)
• Association of Camp Nursing (ACN)
• National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA)

Related Hobbies & Interests

• Tutoring & Mentorship
• Coaching High School Sports Team
• Experimental Cooking
• Canoeing & Kayaking
• Outdoor Activities

Proficiency of a Foreign Language 

• Malayalam: Native Proficiency
• Kinyarwanda: Bilingual Proficiency
• Spanish (Spain): Professional Working Proficiency
• Bahasa Malaysia: Intermediate Proficiency
• Afrikaans: Basic Conversational Proficiency

Expert Hint: One more great “extra section” for camp counseling resumes? The camp counselor cover letter. Including a cover letter is important for day camp, summer camp, and sports camp jobs, and most camp directors and supervisors expect one with your resume. 

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Key Points

Let’s sum it all up— 

Here’s how to write a camp counselor job resume:

• Format the day camp or summer counselor resume template using the right format.
• Create a compelling resume camp counselor objective or summary statement.
• Highlight your work history in the past employment section using bullet points and relevant, numbered achievements.
• Make a camp counselor skills resume list to showcase your abilities and talents.
• Build a summer or day camp counselor resume education section.
• Include one or two additional sections on your camp resume, such as favorite hobbies, second languages, or related certifications.
• Don’t forget to attach a cover letter for camp counselor jobs!

Have any questions on how to put camp counselor on resumes or how to make camp counselor resume descriptions? Need more camp counselor resume samples? Let’s chat below in the comments, and thanks for reading!

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