How to hire a camp councilor

How to hire a camp councilor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step camp councilor hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a camp councilor job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new camp councilor
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a camp councilor, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a camp councilor to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a camp councilor that fits the bill.

   The following list breaks down different types of camp councilors and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Camp Councilor	Description	Hourly rate
   Camp Councilor	Recreation workers design and lead recreational and leisure activities for groups in volunteer agencies or recreation facilities, such as playgrounds, parks, camps, aquatic centers, and senior centers. They may lead activities such as arts and crafts, dance, sports, adventure programs, music, and camping.	$8-18
   Activities Leader	An activity leader's main duty is to offer sports programs and exercises that are riveting in a positive manner. The activities typically assigned to leaders are the ones they understand for the smooth promotion and planning of events... Show more	$9-21
   Site Leader	A site leader is responsible for managing the staff's performance, ensuring the smooth delivery of daily operations, and guiding the successful project completion by maximizing the staff's productivity within the specified timeframe and budget goals. Site leaders work closely with the clients, together with the site manager, to identify their specifications and requirements, as well as providing progress updates and suggesting design adjustments as needed... Show more	$14-64

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Kids
   • Safety Procedures
   • Child Care
   • CPR
   • Role Model
   • RAN
   • Leadership
   • Conflict Resolution
   • Incident Reports
   • Community Services
   • PowerPoint
   • Children AGE
   • Youth Ages

   Responsibilities:

   • Guide and nurture campers by accompanying them to and assisting with camp activities, and lead hiking and canoe trips
   • Cultivate knowledge of CPR and first-aid to execute safety for campers.
   • Set a good example for kids in all areas, including cleanliness, clean-up chores, rules, and sportsmanship.
   • Work with all ages and abilities in the fitness center and run a youth fitness program that meet twice weekly.
   • Interact with the kids and their parents, inform parents of their child's day (whether good or bad).
   • Coach children in football camp teach skills, supervise games, run activities, and generally teach them how to play football

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your camp councilor job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A camp councilor salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, camp councilors' average salary in louisiana is 52% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level camp councilors earn 54% less than senior-level camp councilors.
   • Certifications. A camp councilor with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a camp councilor's salary.

   Average camp councilor salary

   $12.91hourly

   $26,854 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level camp councilor salary

   $18,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

4. Writing a camp councilor job description

   A good camp councilor job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a camp councilor job description:

   Camp councilor job description example

   Mission Statement
   
   The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.
   
   Compensation
   
   $295/week
   
   Position Summary
   
   A Timothy 2 Member is part of a group of staff who works as a team and rotate responsibilities. They provide assistance in the dining hall, dish room, program, and maintenance on rotations that change throughout the summer. When not involved in work duties, a Timothy 2 member will be involved in Timothy 2 Program activities.
   
   Essential Functions
   
   + Set & clear tables for each meal, and serve the food.
   
   + Be responsible for the safety and upkeep of the dish room.
   
   + Maintain cleanliness of dish room & equipment. Stack, wash & store dishes and upkeep of dish room, prep room & kitchen floors.
   
   + Assist Program leaders in leading campfires, chapels, supervising campers (never alone), and other program related duties.
   
   + Assist in trash runs, set up and clean ups of programs, moving furniture / sound equipment, cleaning bathrooms, building campfires, and all other maintenance activities.
   
   + Attend & actively participate in Orientation
   
   + Maintain a standard of high integrity & morality that promotes Jesus Christ at all times, including break days and time off.
   
   + Maintain a high standard of personal living, cleanliness.
   
   + Assist with and be involved with the supervision of campers at chapels.
   
   + Assist with and be involved with the supervision of campers at during Sunday Services.
   
   + Assist cabin leaders in the supervision of campers and participate/lead nightly cabin devotions.
   
   + Assist with and be involved with the supervision of campers at during campfires.
   
   + When time permits, away from main responsibilities, be involved with cabin buddy assignment to assist with camper activities.
   
   + Responsible for any other duties assigned by the Camp Director or his designate.
   
   + Assist with emergencies as needed and with weekly emergency drills.
   
   + Work the occasional Monday-Saturday week to accommodate a longer work week.
   
   Working Conditions
   
   Ability to walk, stand, bend, squat, climb, kneel, and twist on an intermittent or sometimes continuous basis. Ability to grasp, push, pull objects such as chairs, tables, dish racks, and reach overhead. Ability to safely and properly use maintenance equipment. Ability to lift up to 50 lbs.
   
   Minimum Qualifications
   
   + Must be at least 16 years old of age.
   
   + Ability to follow through with assigned tasks.
   
   + Ability to work on a team player.
   
   + Ability to accept guidance, direction, and supervision.
   
   Skills, Knowledge & Abilities
   
   + Ability to understand and implement safety regulations and procedures
   
   + Ability, both visual and auditory, to identify safety hazards and monitor guest and staff behavior and enforce appropriate safety regulations and emergency procedures
   
   + Physical ability to respond appropriately to situations requiring first aid. Must be able to assist campers in an emergency (fire, evacuation, illness, or injury).
   
   + Willing to live in a camp setting and work irregular hours. Operate with daily exposure to the sun and heat and other environmental conditions.
   
   Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
   
   The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find camp councilors for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your camp councilor job on Zippia to find and recruit camp councilor candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting camp councilors requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new camp councilor

   Once you've selected the best camp councilor candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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