So you want to go to camp? Awesome! Be prepared for the best but hardest summer job you’ll ever work! If you live in America and grew up going to summer camp I’m honestly so jealous! We don’t have anything like summer camp. So we live out our dream of going to camp by working at a camp in America when we are adults.
One thing I was surprised by once I started researching about working at an American camp, was that you actually get paid! Okay, I know it’s not much and us Aussies barely break even once you deduct flights and travel before or after, but I was still so surprised to find this out. I assumed because you get free accommodation and free food that was how you get paid!
For an Australian to go to camp you need a J-1 sponsor, you cant simply just apply to any camp in America. There are a few different companies you can go with, but they all do the same thing. They will help you get a job, help with applying for your working visa and help with travel plans. Selecting a company to go with is the first step. Check out my blog post about what company you should go with. Once you have chosen a company to go with, you will fill out an application. This process may take a while but the sponsor and camps want to know everything about you. The company might also want a face to face interview to talk about your experiences and qualifications. The interview I had with CCUSA was informal and laid back, nothing to stress over. Be your self.
The second big step is getting a job! This is the most exciting part, well I think so anyway. The company you apply with might set up job fairs for you. At the job fairs, you get to listen to some Q&A’s, meet some camp directors and potentially get a job. I was one of the hundreds of people to get a job at CCUSA’s job fairs last year. The companies will send out a list of camps that are coming to Australia and my advice is to do your research. This is where you get some choice in the camp that best fits you. To show off your skills, wear or bring something that makes you stand out. I was looking to be hired as gymnastics counselor so I wore some old gymnastics medals from when I competed. If you don’t get a job at a job fair don’t stress, camp directors log onto the companies websites and search for what they are looking for. They will contact you to set up a phone interview and then offer you a job.
After getting a job you will need to apply for a J-1 visa. Don’t panic! Okay, I was a little panicked when I had to go through this, but trust me it was so easy! CCUSA sent me instructions on how to apply for my visa and they were very easy to follow. After filling out the forms online, printing all my evidence and booking and paying for an interview, its time to go to the consulate. You wait in line until they either call your name or session number, then you enter the room and give them a form and your passport. You leave your keys, phone and anything else you brought with besides your passport and evidence. A security guard takes you through a scanner then upstairs where you go for your interviews. You meet with one interviewer to scan your fingerprints and go through your details, then you line up in another line. I was lucky to have a nice interviewer for my second interview, he barely even asked me any questions. After talking to him I had to go pay yet again. So expensive! But that meant I am headed to camp in June. They return your passport after a week and you let your sponsor know.
It’s nearly time to head off to camp. Start to plan your travel. Everyone recommends not booking anything after camp except travel out of the country. Whether you book a train to Canada then come back in on a new visa, a flight home or a flight to another country. You have 30days to travel before and after camp, ill be having 5 days in America before camp and ill book my flight home on my 29th day after camp. Let your company know about your travel details and they will show if anyone from your camp is on the same flight as you.
Your camp will send you emails throughout their winter so you can prepare for the best summer ever. If you have any questions email your camp and they will help you out. Camp will be the best thing in your life and I believe everyone should go, so what are you waiting for, start your application today!
If you have any questions about being a camp counselor or the process of applying for camp, leave a comment down below and ill be making a Q&A blog.
