How to find a job this summer in a day camp or summer camp.
“Loving children… Wanting to spend time with them. Then being creative, resourceful and the desire to make them experience something magical.”
This is the spontaneous response from Chloé Melançon-Beauséjour, communications coordinator with the Association des camps du Québec (ACQ), when asked about the type of personality sought to work in a summer camp.
Technically, the ACQ asks certified camps to hire monitors who are at least 17 years old and to give them 60 hours of training before they are on the job. “This training is usually given at the end of May or beginning of June, during weekends,” the coordinator says.
To have the best chances, the ACQ invites young people aged 15 to 17 to follow a DAFA course of about 30 hours or the Aspiring Monitor Program [Programme aspirant monnitor – PAM]. In this case, it must be taken the previous summer, since the course is given during the regular camp session, with 200 hours over a 4-wek period.
The benefits
“It’s not mandatory to have a lifeguard, DAFA or first aid course on your CV, but it sure looks good,” says Chloé Melançon-Beauséjour. The same applies if you have been a babysitter or scout. “The important thing is to mention everything that can contribute to camp experience. All your outdoor experience, for example.”
It is not necessary to be a joker all the time either. “A person who is more reserved can be very good at looking after groups of children. It’s also a good way of overcoming shyness!”
Monitors in demand!
Many camps have positions to fill at all levels, even when the season is underway. So it’s worthwhile trying your luck, as soon as you are interested in the experience.
The best way to get this type of job is to file your CV in the ACQ’s application bank, but you can also take a proactive approach by directly contacting the day or summer camps that interest you to offer your services.
“These are really great jobs,” concludes Chloé Melançon-Beauséjour. “They are great life experiences, which develop skills that are hyper sought after on the job market – good skills in communication, leadership, a sense for teamwork, resourcefulness and so on…”