Lonely Planet: USA
gapyearbooks - £11.05
USA ADVENTURE TOUR
After camp finishes, why not join this six-week tour of the USA?
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I WORKED IN AMERICA
"I immediately felt welcomed and accepted at camp: everyone's in the same boat"
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<< Back to Work on summer and adventure camps Your CCUSA questions answered Your PGL questions answered |
Your CCUSA questions answered Duncan Jane of CCUSA answers questions from gapyear.com members...Lisa: Do you get to pick which camp you go to? Duncan: Yes and no. If you do have an interest in going to a particular camp, we will be able to tag your application so it goes straight to that camp before any other camp gets to see it. I would recommend that you get in contact with this camp first, via e-mail to say you are applying through CCUSA, but would love to go to their camp. At the end of the day, it is the camp that decides if they want you to work at their camp. Should you be unsuccessful when applying to this camp. we would then send your application to other camp types that require counselors with your skills. We pride ourselves on placing people at camps that the applicant has chosen, doing the type of role they want to do.  Philippa: I know this may be a silly question, but do you get much time away from the children?Duncan: Yes you do get plenty of time away from the children, but to be honest you won’t want to because you may miss out on something great. Usually a typical day is broken down into six activities, three before lunch and three after and then you get between one and two activities off (to relax, ring home, join in another activity) so there is plenty of time off. You will also have rest hour off and then you will have probably four evenings out of five off. Depending on the camps rules, you can go into the local town etc. You do get one day off a week (24 hour period), so you can go to the nearest big city, to the beach, shopping etc... Lee: Aren't most camp counselors girls? If I went on a placement with CCUSA, would there be many other lads there? Duncan: It is about 50% guys and 50% girls, so it definitely isn’t a girl-related programme. There are some single sexed camps, thus the majority of counselors at an all-girls camp would be girls, but the mixed and all-boys camps would require many guys also. Olivia: I’m quite creative and like the sound of being an arts and crafts instructor - do you get to interview specifically for a role or do you go for a general interview and get assigned later on? Duncan: The interview is general, we have to ask some questions by law (these are set by the American Embassy for the visa) but the majority of questions we ask are child related or skill related. We ask you to put down your top three skills in order you would like to do them. Naturally you would put down arts and crafts if that is what you want to do first. Then the selection process is based on your skills, so we would look for arts and crafts positions for you. Wole: Do you only accept applicants from the UK? Duncan: We accept pretty much every nationality, as long as you have a valid visa to be in the UK at time of applying. At the end of the day, as long as you have a good level of English and are going to America for the right reasons, then it is fine. Tilly: Which positions fill up quickest? Duncan: General Counselors positions go like hot cakes, but we still have plenty of positions for Speciality Counsellors. You don’t have to have amazing experience or qualifications for this position, just the confidence and ability to pass on the knowledge you already have.  Bella: I’ve done a fair amount of babysitting before, but don’t have any childcare qualifications - is it still worth me applying?Duncan: Definitely, you don’t have to have teaching or childcare qualifications to be a camp counselor, but the fact that you have done babysitting is great - even if you have brothers and sisters and looked after them, that is child related experience in itself. Marie: Is there a maximum age for your counselors? Duncan: No there isn’t a maximum age, although the American Embassy like us to advertise the age group of 18 to 29 as they think most people taking a gap year or at university fall into this category. Every applicant that is over the age of 30 is treated just the same - as long as you have a good skill to offer, and are going for the right reasons, then that is what we are looking for! Jessica: What skills will a placement with CCUSA give me that will look good on my CV? Duncan: I can honestly say that future employers will look favourably at your application if you have worked abroad. The fact that you have done a cultural programme, thousands of miles away shows that you have independence, are culturally diverse, and responsible. Plus you learn so many new things too - you will gain confidence, become more mature and be able to deal tricky situations. The fact that you are like a surrogate parent for up to nine weeks does great things for your confidence - the fact that you will be speaking if front of crowds, sometimes performing in front of 400 people does wonders for you! Jenny: What’s the accommodation like at camp? Duncan: The majority of counselors sleep in the same accommodation as the kids. The bunks itself are usually wooden log cabins and they have all the amenities you would expect like beds, cupboards and a bathroom. However, don’t expect the amenities you would find in a hotel as it is slightly more rustic than that! Support staff will have their own staff accommodation though, as their working hours are different. Kelly: Can friends and family from home come to visit you at camp? Duncan: Yes, actually quite a lot of parents take a vacation in the States and then come and visit you at camp to see where you are. Camps allow this, although it may have to be on one of your days off. Terry: What is the average age of counselors? Duncan: The average age is about 22, but age doesn’t matter at camp as you have 18 year olds and 28 year olds! Everyone is equal and you certainly aren't left out of anything because of age - except possibly drinking! Swimmerdave: How long do the jobs run for and what responsibilities do you have? Duncan: The placements are a minimum of nine weeks - some camps can be 10 or 11 but you have the choice of the length after nine weeks. You then have up to nine weeks travelling afterwards. There are different responsibilities for different roles. Specialist counselors teach anything from sports to arts to drama while general counselors take on a leadership role working with kids.  Swimmerdave: What are the typical hours of work?Duncan: The typical hours are from 8am to 12pm then two hours off. Then 2pm to 6pm, then an hour off and then two more hours and then the evening off - you do get activities off too if you want! People generally don’t take too much time off as they are afraid they may miss something! Terry: Can you choose what area of USA you want to do a summer camp in? Duncan: If you have a preference we will take that into consideration, but we pride ourselves on placing you at a camp that matches your skills, and wants, so if there isn’t a suitable camp in that area we won’t place you there. We would rather you go to a place that we think you would be suited to. Swimmerdave: How much do you get paid? Duncan: Pay is based on your age and what you do at camp - 18 year olds get $675, 19/20 year olds get $775, 21+ get $835 and lifeguards get $975, but remember all your food and accommodation is free. This is for your nine weeks I must add. Support staff get $1225, but these jobs are slightly more mundane and you don’t have as much interaction with the kids. Terry: With sports, do you have to cover all sports, or do you focus on one sport, like tennis? Duncan: It is usually concentrating on one sport like tennis or football but there are opportunities to do various sports if you want. Swimmerdave: Generally how many counsellors/staff are there to one camp? Duncan: There is usually between 60 and 160 staff depending on the camp. Mr mole: Do you help out with the visa stuff? Duncan: Yes we do everything with the visa - we send you the correct forms, book your embassy appointment and even greet on the day of your appointment! Fran: Are American camps similar to the ones you see on TV - all singing around the fire and toasting marshmallows? Duncan: This is one of the socials that happens at night time - it is the time the boys and girls love the most. They dress to impress and work their magic over the fire! There are plenty of marshmallows - they are famous at camps for making smores - cooked marshmallows with a layer of chocolate over them between two digestive biscuits - heaven... Swimmerdave: So are you allowed to leave the camp in your free time and what are the rules about drinking? Duncan: Yes you get plenty of time off - you are only on duty once every five nights, you get an hour or two off at lunch and can take one activity off out of six during the day. You can only leave camp with permission, but pretty much every night (four out of five) on the majority of camps. Every camp has it's own rules but definitely no drinking on camp - out of, maybe! Terry: What goes on with flights? Sort it out ourselves or do you help? Duncan: We do everything with flights, it is all included in the programme fee, You fly Virgin Atlantic too, so Playstations and great film choices are standard!  Cuthbert: Any top tips for the interview process? Duncan: The interview is not hard to be honest, it isn’t supposed to be tricky. Come dressed in jeans and we just ask questions about your skills and personality. Heatherd: When you go to camp, would you recommend buying a backpack or would a normal suitcase be ok to take? Duncan: Backpack without a doubt, as some camps have a long path to the actual camp from the road, and you don’t want to be wheeling your suitcase over the stones! If you travel afterwards, a backpack is better too. happy_camper: I was just wondering about stuff I'd need to take... do you get a uniform and stuff? I would like to travel afterwards, so would like to keep stuff that I need to take to a minimum! Duncan: You will be provided with a camp t-shirt that the camp gives you, but you just need to take loads of other t.shirts and shorts, and some warm clothes for the nights. Heatherd: Do you recommend planning travel after camp before I go or will it be ok to wait until I get there and see what everyone else is doing? Duncan: Definitely wait until you get there for travel plans, as you will most definitely get a better offer, and you can arrange everything out there - it is cheaper with the dollar too! happy_camper: Did you go to camp? Duncan: Yes, I did I go to camp... for seven years even though I planned for just one year! I did a four year degree and loved it so much; I went travelling around the world for three years going back every summer! Treacle: Will guys from the UK need to open a US bank account to put wages in? Duncan: No, they don't need to open a bank account, we sort out their social security so they don’t get taxed... they get paid cash in hand, or a cheque. Heatherd: Is there anything you recommend taking to camp that I might not necessary think of? Duncan: Definitely take a rain jacket, and also some nice clothes as they have a banquet at camp like an awards night, plus you go out at night a lot. Don’t overdo it on toiletries as you can buy whatever you want out there much cheaper.... Heatherd: What do people say are the hardest things about working at camp? Duncan: Probably and honestly leaving camp - you work and live with these people for nine weeks and they become your new best friends, it is hard to leave, you may even cry - I am guilty of that one! happy_camper: Are the different camps really that different? Do you mean that some are sporty, and others more artsy? Duncan: You can choose from eight different styles of camps - private, special needs, day, agency, girl scouts, family and underprivileged. Pretty much every camp will do sports, arts etc - a whole array of things, but there are speciality sports camps.  Heatherd: What happens at the orientation meetings, both in the UK and US?Duncan: "In the US, the orientation meetings we sort out your social security forms and also inform you about getting to camp and preparing you about camp. In the UK, you get to listen to me go on about visa's, what to take, how to prepare, what is allowed and what is not allowed, what to expect etc... It is basically to prepare you for the culture difference, but the US embassy makes every attend these as part of the visa regulations. Nik: Right guys, last questions to me then... if you don't like marshmallows are you likely to be accepted? Duncan: Yes, you still stand a chance even if you don’t like marshmallows, but you will be forced to at least try a smore because it is guaranteed will like them after!  Click here >> to read a CCUSA camp counselor's summer camp diary Click here >> for summer camp postcards Click here >> for an interview with a camp director in the USA Click here >> for more experiences on working for CCUSA Click here >> for all jobs on summer camps with CCUSA |
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