Monday 9 January 2017

Top tips for getting hired at an Americamp Recruitment Fair!


It's that time of the year again! CAMP JOB FAIRS SEASON!

Every year, hundreds of people are hired at camp fairs across the country, and now it's your turn!

In January 2015 I was hired at a camp fair in Dublin; and these are my top tips to getting #plACed on the day.

1. Arrive early;

I cannot stress this enough, the importance of being early and being prepared. It's going to be a long day, but the earlier you arrive, the less you have to wait in line when you get in to the room.

2. Bring your application;

Personally, if I were you I'd bring at least 8-10 printed copies of your application. The jobs fairs tend to last for four of five hours, so make sure you have enough copies.

3. Do your research;

Before you arrive at the fair, make sure you have researched the camps - this is key. My top tip for this, is sitting down the night before the fair and drawing up a list of camps you are interested in interviewing with. Check what they are looking for, and highlight the areas of your application that relate. This makes it easier for the directors to pinpoint the relevant parts of your application. To see a list of the camps that will be at the Americamp fairs, just click here.

4. Don't give up;

Please don't get disheartened if you don't get placed straight away. Keep going. I nearly gave up after being rejected by 6 different directors, before being the last person in the room hired at AHRC Camp Anne. I'm so thankful I didn't leave the room after those six rejections, because I would never have been able to experience the two most inspiring summers had I given up. Check out my time at AHRC Camp Anne here!



5. Be YOU;

One of the amazing things about camp is the many personalities and characters that make up such a diverse and multi-cultural set of staff. Be yourself at the fair and be sure show the director your personality. I'd recommend bringing a tablet or an iPad with a photo portfolio showing your skills.

6. Be willing to try something new;

Most people who go to the fairs will have a preferred camp, but the harsh reality is that the majority of applicants will not get placed at their first choice. This is why you need to be willing to push yourself out of your comfort zone and take a risk. When I got my 6 rejections last year, I was interviewed by Camp Anne, a special needs camp, and it was the most worthwhile decision of my life to accept their offer of a placement.


Where are the Americamp fair locations this year?

Dublin;

Thursday 12th January 2017 3pm-7pm
The Spencer Hotel Excise Walk, IFSC, Dublin 1

Edinburgh;

Thursday 12th January 2017 3pm-7pm
The George 19-21 George St, Edinburgh, EH2 2PB

London;

Saturday 14th January 2017 12pm - 4pm
Kensington Town Hall Hornton Street, London, W8 7NX

Leeds;

Sunday 15th January 2017 12pm-4pm
The Queen’s Hotel City Square, Leeds, LS1 1PJ


Tuesday 20 December 2016

5 reasons why working at a special needs camp will change your life

What is the first thing you think of when you hear the words "summer camp"?

Probably a bunch of kids running around causing an absolute scene and driving the counselors insane. However, that's not necessarily completely accurate; and the purpose of this blog post is to dispel that belief and invite you to understand a little more about my camp, and how it has the potential to change your life.

You're probably reading this blog post because you've been a camp counselor, or because you're interested in being a camp counselor. If you're neither of those, then you're probably here because I've pestered you and bugged you to do so. Hopefully at the end though, you'll be happy you've read it, and will feel like you've learnt something in the last few minutes of reading.

Our camp is quite different to what you would expect when applying for a summer camp, in the sense that it is one that caters for individuals with special needs. Our jobs are quite intense and totally different to what I imagined summer camp would be like. We have 5 sessions every summer, 3 adult sessions and two sessions for kids. The people who attend our camp have a wide range of intellectual and physical disabilities. The amazing thing about this camp is that each camper is equally unique and delightful to work with. There are so many things you can learn from working at a camp that caters for those with special needs, and below I have listed five reasons as to why working at a special needs camp will change your life.

- You become tolerant;

This is the most important life lesson I've ever learnt. Have you ever been in a grocery store and seen a child throwing a tantrum, assuming they are a spoilt brat that didn't get what they want? I have - and many times I've made that uneducated assumption. From working at a special needs camp, I've became more tolerant to people and more understanding.

- You discover a home away from home;

228 Four Corners Road, Ancramdale. My home away from home. The place where I feel unconditional love and happiness. The place where you spend ten weeks of the year working 17 hour days, yet spend 42 weeks a year dreaming about.

- You learn to live without a phone;

Living without decent WiFi at camp was hard to get used to; but after a while it became normality. I promise you, if you go to camp, you will not need your phone or social media, because you will not find a better connection anywhere else on this earth.

- You have the power to make a difference;

You are a role model; your actions are what define you. You are in a position in which you can have such a massive impact on someone else's life. You have the power to make a positive difference. You create such a special bond with each of your campers that cannot be replicated anywhere else.

- You make friends for life;

Sounds cliché I know, but its true. You spend 10 weeks with the same people in such a confined environment, and you spend most of your time around the same bunch of people in your cabin. These people are so inspiring. My fellow counselors at camp continue to inspire me, not just when they are at camp, but in how they spread positivity and try to make a difference every day. There is a happiness in my heart knowing I've met some of the most incredible, selfless people ever, yet an overwhelming sadness that they are all so far away.

I've just written about the great things about camp; so I know you're wondering; what's the worst thing about working at a special needs summer camp?

The worst thing; camp is our home, our happy place. The problem is, that we can't do it forever. We have to move on sometime. The problem is, that we cling on to the precious memories to comfort us in the times when all we can think about is those 10 weeks of happiness and freedom. We search so hard for something else in our life that will fill the void of not having camp in our lives. But nothing else compares. The worst thing is that camp will always be there, but inevitably we will not. Things change as we grow older, but the memories that we have will never burn out.


Friday 18 September 2015

Working at a ‘Special Needs’ Camp

Hi everyone!

It's been a while since I last posted a blog; I wish I could come up with a legitimate excuse, but I've just not done anything interesting enough lately. However, this summer I spent ten weeks working at a summer camp in New York that caters for individuals with special needs, and I want to share my experience with you all.

In September, I applied through USA Summer Camp to work at camp in America, having heard many first-hand accounts from my friends who had done the same thing.

The process of interviews was very laid-back and comfortable, with an initial phone interview before meeting up with a representative in Belfast for a second interview. After this, I had officially been accepted on to the program! After being accepted on to the program, I signed up for a job fair that would take place in Dublin in January of this year where there was an opportunity to get hired on the spot by a camp on the day.

I travelled solo to Dublin the night before the job fair and prepared myself for what seemed like a daunting task; trying to convince a director in five short minutes that I was the perfect fit for their camp.

The day started off pretty badly, and only seemed to get worse. I stood in each line for a long time before inevitably being told that I wasn't the right fit for the camp’s needs. SIX interviews and four hours later, I stood in line for a camp that I wasn't entirely sure about. It was a camp that catered for individuals with special needs, and I had never worked on a one-to-one basis with these individuals before; but it was the only camp left in the room and I was desperate to be hired.

I sat down in front of a man named Michael Rose, director of AHRC Camp Anne in Ancramdale, New York, and something seemed to click instantly. We chatted for a few minutes before the obvious ‘I’ve hired too many people today’ line blurted out; but what followed afterwards was unexpected. ‘But I can’t let you leave this room without offering you a job’.

The initial feeling of being hired after being rejected by six other camps was amazing, but after signing the paperwork and leaving the job fair, the feelings of anxiousness and apprehension began to kick in. I wasn’t quite sure what I had got myself in to.

For the next few months, I concentrated on finishing my final year of university whilst trying not to focus too much on preparing for camp. I had plenty of time prepare myself, right?

Yet early 2015 passed so swiftly that I barely had time to comprehend how close camp was; and in mid-June I hopped on a plane to begin a 10-week adventure working in the USA.

When I arrived at Camp Anne, I was placed in my cabin almost instantaneously and was assigned to ELM; an all-girls cabin, which was conceivably my worst nightmare. Twenty girls and twenty campers in the cabin at any one time? Not my cup of tea, considering I grew up with four brothers at home. Yet this group of girls would turn out to be a massive part of my summer.

The first week of camp life was intense and tedious; with an overwhelming amount of presentations and information to take in. Its purpose; to best prepare us as counsellors for the most demanding and gruelling summer of our lives. However, nothing could possibly have prepared us for what we were about to experience at Camp Anne.

Camp Anne’s schedule consisted of five sleep-away sessions for adults and children with special needs. These sessions were broken down in to three adult sessions (12 days per session), followed by two children’s sessions (10 days per session). The campers that attended Camp Anne had a wide range of disabilities; some so severe that they needed complete assistance with all aspects of personal care, others being very high functioning and highly independent. However, they all had one thing in common; they were all human beings that deserved to be treated with respect and they were all delightfully unique.

Initially I was anxious about the thought of being solely responsible for a camper, particularly because I had never experienced anything like this before. My first session was made even more challenging when I found out that I actually had two campers to take care of. Second session took my patience levels to another level; and by the time third session arrived, I had a broken wrist and was ready to book a flight home and leave it all behind. But there was always something stopping me from doing so.

Being physically exhausted and mentally drained by the end of each session was tough, and seeing my campers leave on the bus back to New York City at the end of a session was heart wrenching. When waving goodbye to the campers, there was a feeling of despondency at seeing them leave. However, there was also a feeling of satisfaction in knowing that you made a positive difference to that person’s life. A feeling that cannot be described, only felt; which rejuvenated the staff at the end of a session and motivated us to kick off the next session with as much enthusiasm and eagerness as we had on our first day of work.

Each session passed, and instead of saying ‘we've been here for eight weeks already’, many were downhearted at how we only had two weeks left. The initial feelings of excitement and anticipation were overcast by reminiscence of the previous sessions; nobody wanted to leave.  

My experience during the second half of my time at Camp Anne was personally challenging in so many ways; and it made me think about life in a completely different way.

After five weeks of being at camp and half way through third session, I was playing football after work and broke my wrist. The pain was excruciating and not only this, it hindered me in more ways than I could ever possibly have thought.

For five weeks I was incapable of many of my daily tasks; such as putting my hair up in a ponytail or putting on a bra on in the morning. I had to get one of my fellow counsellors to put a hair tie around a blue trash-bag and put it on my arm before I took a shower so as not to get the cast wet. I had to sleep on a bottom bunk because I couldn't physically climb up to the higher bunk.

But there was one tremendously important lesson I learned from this experience that I will remember for the rest of my life; that there were hundreds of campers at my camp who were in much worse positions than me and had severe physical, intellectual and developmental disabilities that profoundly affected their daily lives. This taught me a very important lesson, and whilst having a broken arm was an inconvenience and an utter nuisance, I learned to be thankful for everything that I had.

It is difficult to try and explain to others the impact that someone with special needs can have on your life until you feel that influence yourself. It is tough to describe to others how much you can change as a person when working with individuals with special needs. I cannot possibly put in to words how much of an impression my campers have left on me. I cannot even begin to describe the feeling of seeing a smile from a person who has not been able to speak their whole life, or the heart-warming moment when a deaf person tells you that they love you in sign language. I am incredibly thankful to have been blessed with the opportunity to work with such inspiring people.

Despite the difficult times at camp, I feel as though I have had an experience that I cannot find in any other job. At the beginning of the process way back in January, I was apprehensive about working at a camp that catered for those with special needs. I never wanted to go to this type of camp; partly because I felt as though I was out of my depth, and partly because I didn't want to be taken out of my comfort zone.

I also never wanted to be in an all-girls cabin; because I thought as though I wouldn't fit in. And in reality, I have amassed a group of friends who helped me through the toughest time of my life and supported me when I struggled desperately to understand my purpose at Camp Anne. These girls have had such an impact on my life, and I cannot even begin to explain how their encouragement and constant support has benefited me. Saying goodbye to this group of friends was one of the toughest moments of my life. 

The strange thing about this whole experience is that everything that I thought would be my worst nightmare actually ended up being a key part of an unbelievable summer. My experience at Camp Anne is almost indescribable, but I hope that by sharing these few words with you that you will understand how wonderful it is to be involved in the lives of those with special needs. This place encourages everyone to embrace their differences and respect each other. No other job in my life will ever compare to this. I feel thankful and blessed to have been a part of a life-changing experience and I hope to inspire others to get involved. 

I'm already looking forward to going back to Camp Anne in 2016.