Raymond (not his real name) is an experienced camp director on the East Coast. Raymond is especially sure of his ability to “sniff out the good ones” when it comes to hiring staff. Raymond says this about how he interviews people: “I like to start a conversation on the spot and see how I feel.” I watch for good eye contact, spontaneity, give-and-take, and other nonverbal signs of communication. With the guys I like to schmooze about baseball. It gets their guard down and shows me how they really relate to people. When Im talking with them I ask myself, how would this guy be with kids?”.
When it comes to interviewing staff, Raymond is like a lot of camp directors. His ideas about what makes a good interview, his trust in his gut and “the feel” he gets for a candidate, and his favorite interview questions are all in his pocket.
Raymond’s flaw is that he holds on to the same false beliefs that many interviewers hold, and not just in camp. When we interview someone, we trust our gut, ask what we think are the best questions, and “get a feel” for them. None of this is very scientific, mind you. For example, almost no camp professionals rate their staff based on an interview before the summer and then compare that rating with a different rating of the same staff member’s performance at the end of the summer. As someone who has done this many times over the years, I have some thoughts on how camp professionals can make their interviews more useful.
A friend of mine who runs a camp once said that judging someone by their thirty to sixty-minute interview is like judging a movie by just a few frames. We’re trying to figure out from an interview what a person will look like while working with other kids at camp during the summer. No matter how you “feel” about a candidate, the question still stands: How good is any answer to any question at predicting the future?
A fall conference put on by the Association for Independent Camps in Wellesley, Massachusetts, in the late 1990s was the first time I heard of the idea of predictive value. The human resources department of The Walt Disney Company told the group of private, independent camp directors that they do about 35,000 interviews a year at Disney World to hire everyone from hotel maids to bus boys to people who run amusement rides and caretakers for their huge park in Orlando, Florida. They worked with a “selection” company from outside the park to come up with a set of “behaviorally based” interview questions based on the skills needed for each job or role in the park. These questions were based on the simple fact that past performance is still the best way to tell what will happen in the future. So, Disney’s questions were based on what kind of past work experience candidates might have that would show they had the specific skills needed to do well at the job they were applying for.
Many of the interview questions I’ve heard camp staff use over the years have been smart, interesting, and even sound like they could help find counselors who might be good. Some of them are as follows:
The problem with all of these questions is that they can’t tell you much about how the candidate will do on a hot summer day in July when they are with other people’s kids, no matter what answer they give.
First, you need to figure out what makes a great camp counselor. This will help you make questions that are more accurate. You can’t really come up with questions to find something if you don’t know what you’re looking for! To find out what the best counselors were good at, we asked campers, parents, and camp staff from all over the country who their favorite counselors were and what it was about those counselors that made them great. After getting responses from more than 2,000 people, we came up with the following skills that every general camp counselor should have:
After years of testing the system, we found that the five competencies listed here are the most important. The original study found ten competencies. Without some competency in most or all of these areas, one cant perform well as a camp counselor.
The questions developed to test for these abilities or competencies are called competency- based or behaviorally-based questions. They look at the candidate’s real-life experience, not just as a camp counselor, but in any situation where one of these skills could have been shown. It turns out that a skill shown in one area or situation can usually be used in other parts of life. Someone who is nurturing often demonstrates that tendency no matter what situation he finds himself in.
Landing a camp director role takes more than just a love for the outdoors and working with kids. You need to demonstrate strategic thinking, leadership abilities, and organizational expertise to manage the many complex operations of a camp. This means you need to thoroughly prepare for the interview by anticipating the types of questions you’ll face.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore some of the most common camp director interview questions provide tips on how to best respond, and share sample answers to help you craft your own winning responses.
Why Do You Want To Be A Camp Director?
This question aims to understand your motivations and passion for the role. Camp directors need genuine enthusiasm for their work to be successful. Focus your answer on how you want to help kids, how you want to make fun things happen, and how you’re motivated by the chance to make a difference in kids’ lives. Share any anecdotes about prior rewarding camp experiences.
Respondent Sample: I really want to help kids learn and grow in a safe, caring place to live. When I worked as a camp counselor, I loved getting to know the campers and seeing them feel more comfortable trying new things. As a director, I’m excited about the chance to make the experience even better by being in charge of the whole program. This job lets me combine my love of being outside, working with kids, and making the community a better place.
How Would You Handle A Disagreement Between Staff Members?
Camp directors need conflict resolution skills to maintain a cohesive team. In your response, highlight steps you would take to mediate issues, such as having open discussions to understand both perspectives, reminding staff to be professional, and finding compromise Emphasize that, ultimately, you’ll prioritize the campers’ experience above interpersonal disputes.
Sample Answer: First, I would talk to both staff members alone to find out why they disagree and what they think. Then I would help them have a conversation to find a middle ground and an agreement. As director, I would remind them that our main goal is to make sure campers have a good time, so any disagreements shouldn’t get in the way of their work. If the problem doesn’t go away, I would do team-building activities that focus on how to communicate and work together better. As the director, it’s my job to keep the staff focused on our common goal of making camp fun.
How Would You Handle A Camper Showing Homesickness?
You need empathy and problem-solving skills to help homesick campers. In your response, highlight emotional intelligence strategies for reassuring campers like: validating their feelings, gently encouraging participation, praising accomplishments, involving parents if needed, and monitoring their progress. Convey understanding but emphasize boosting their independence.
Sample Response: First, I would reassure the camper that homesickness is normal. I would try engaging them in their favorite activities to take their mind off missing home. During meals or free time, I would consider pairing them with other campers so they can make friends. If the issue persists, I would contact their parents to discuss strategies, while encouraging the child’s independence. My priority is ensuring the camper feels comfortable enough to enjoy camp and build lifelong skills like adaptability.
How Do You Plan To Make The Camp Inclusive To Diverse Groups?
Inclusivity is vital for any camp director. Discuss strategies for accommodating campers with disabilities, incorporating diverse cultural traditions, having activities with broad appeal, actively condemning discrimination, and soliciting feedback. Convey your commitment to ensuring every child feels welcomed and respected.
Sample Response: Inclusion would be a cornerstone of my camp. From staff training on recognizing biases to prohibiting any discrimination, we would actively cultivate a welcoming environment. Our activities would be designed to be accessible, even for campers with disabilities. Meal menus would provide options accommodating various cultural or religious backgrounds. We would celebrate different heritage months with educational activities. Regular feedback from parents and campers would help us improve. My goal is that every child feels proud of their identity and gains memorable experiences.
How Do You Plan Activities And Menus On A Limited Budget?
Budgeting is key for camp directors. Discuss strategies like: creating surveys to identify popular low-cost activities like scavenger hunts, prioritizing supplies carefully, negotiating discounts from vendors, getting activity sponsorships from community partners, and incorporating affordable ingredients into tasty, nutritious camp menus. Emphasize providing quality experiences regardless of budget constraints.
Sample Response: Even with a limited budget, I’m confident I can develop engaging activities and meals by focusing on creativity and resourcefulness. For programming, we can leverage our beautiful natural setting through low-cost nature hikes, scout for sponsorship opportunities to fund costly activities like rock climbing, and incorporate campers’ suggestions. For food, focusing on simple, kid-friendly dishes made with bulk ingredients helps maximize nutrition within budget. Experience has taught me how thoughtful planning allows creating enriching experiences children will treasure, regardless of monetary constraints.
How Would You Handle A Parent Complaint Regarding A Camp Policy?
Camp directors must diplomatically handle parent grievances regarding policies. Emphasize listening to the parent’s perspective, explaining rationale behind policies, maintaining composure, and working towards a compromise if possible. Convey empathy while still upholding camp rules that ensure safety and positive experiences.
Sample Response: First, I would thank the parent for sharing their concern and ask clarifying questions to fully understand their viewpoint. I would then calmly explain the reasoning behind the policy, ensuring the parent knows it was devised to benefit all campers. If a mutually agreeable solution is possible, I would work with the parent on it. However, camp policies exist for good reason so I would stand firm if no compromise could be reached. Throughout the discussion, I would maintain a respectful tone and emphasize our shared priority – the child’s positive camp experience.
How Do You Evaluate Counselors’ Job Performance?
This question gauges your staff oversight abilities. Discuss performance review strategies like: directly observing counselors leading activities, getting camper/parent feedback on counselors, reviewing any incidents counselors respond to, and having regular one-on-one meetings to provide feedback. Emphasize a collaborative process focused on improvement.
Sample Response: I would use a combination of direct observation and feedback tools to evaluate counselors. This includes assessing how they facilitate activities and interact with campers. I would have an open-door policy, so counselors feel comfortable sharing concerns or asking questions. One-on-one meetings would provide a chance for me to highlight their strengths while constructively addressing areas needing improvement. I would also have parents/campers evaluate counselors. My priority is coaching counselors so they gain leadership skills that benefit the campers’ experience.
How Would You Handle A Camp Emergency Like A Severe Storm?
This reveals your crisis management skills. Discuss steps like initiating emergency plans, moving everyone to safe locations, having counselors conduct headcounts of their groups, communicating with authorities and parents, and allowing activities to resume only after thorough safety inspections. Emphasize keeping campers calm and informed throughout emergencies.
Sample Response: My top priority in an emergency is ensuring everyone’s safety. I would immediately activate our emergency plan by gathering all campers and staff at our designated safe zones, where counselors would perform headcounts of their groups. I would contact authorities to appraise the situation and parents to inform them we are handling it. Once the emergency has passed and thorough safety inspections are complete, we would resume camp activities. Throughout the process, I would provide campers with age-appropriate information to keep them aware of the situation and ease any anxieties.
How Would You Motivate Counselors To Maintain Energy And Enthusiasm?
This tests your leadership and team motivation skills. Discuss strategies like: scheduling fun staff activities for bonding, publicly recognizing their hard work and achievements, soliciting suggestions so they have input in activities, allowing occasional breaks from camper supervision, and leading by example through your own energetic engagement.
Sample Response: Keeping staff morale high is vital, as their energy directly impacts the campers’ experience. I would promote team building through activities exclusively for staff, like cookouts, game nights, or nature hikes. Recognizing their great work through announcements at meals or prizes helps motivate. I would also collect their feedback on activities to foster creative investment in the program. Allowing time off for counselors to relax and recharge is important. Ultimately, my enthusiastic involvement in camp life helps set an energizing tone that spreads across the entire staff.
What Experience Do You Have Managing A Large Budget?
Hiring managers want to verify you have the financial acumen required for overseeing the camp’s budget. Detail any experience managing budgets in past roles, highlighting transferable skills like tracking spending, maximizing limited resources, partnering with other organizations for discounts or sponsorships, and adapting as needed per changing financial circumstances. Quantify past budget amounts managed if possible.
Sample Response: In my previous role as a program director for a children’s charity, I managed an annual budget of approximately $500,000. Key responsibilities included tracking and allocating funds across different programs, negotiating vendor contracts to control costs, and securing sponsorships for costly field trips. Despite budget fluctuations depending on fundraising success each year, I always maximized resources so that our program quality never suffered. I gained valuable experience stretching limited funds through careful prioritization and creativity, which prepared me well for overseeing camp finances.
Other Pointers for More Effective Interviews
- Slow down, read over the questions, and think about how you will answer them before you go into an interview. This will help you get in the right frame of mind. Too many camp workers do this important job without mentally getting ready for it. Interviews need focus and energy, so getting ready for them will pay off.
- When you want to get better at something, you have to practice it. The more you practice, the better you will become.
- One skill we’ve learned in interviews is knowing when to press for more information, when to move on to the next question, and when to end the interview. For example, if a candidate has never put the needs of others ahead of their own, like family, friends, or children, it’s probably not worth going any further with the interview. Being caring is important for everyone, whether they work for a company or are a volunteer. You won’t be able to be a good camp counselor without it.
- Competency-based questions are hard because they make candidates think deeply about the work they’ve already done. The more used you are to silences and giving them time to think, the less you will be able to change their answer and the more accurate it will be.
- This protocol is easy to change so that it can be used on Skype or the phone. There shouldn’t be a separate process for interviews over the phone or on Skype. The only difference is that candidates who aren’t in front of you as an interviewer tend to tire out faster than candidates who are. So, phone interviews should last no more than thirty-five to forty minutes, and Skype interviews should last a little longer. Getting everything down to that time frame takes practice.
- There is a “job competency model” for the general counselor that these interview questions are based on. They weren’t made to test the skills of people who are group leaders, division leaders, unit directors, and so on.
- Give yourself a range of times when you set up the Skype or phone interview. The candidate needs to be able to plan ahead, but you also need to be able to quit quickly if the candidate isn’t worth your time. When meeting someone in person, it seems to work best to say, “We will need between fifteen and forty-five minutes.” Say that you will need “between fifteen and thirty-five minutes” for phone interviews. “.
Like any endeavor that requires skill, a good interview follows a progression — almost like a road map. I have created a four-part process that has been successful with many camp professionals around the country.
The goal of the first part of an interview is to get to know the candidate and make them feel welcome. Explain first who you are and what your role is at camp. After that, ask them if they’ve been to camp before, how they heard about your program, what they know about your camp, and what they think life will be like at camp if they sign up.
After you’ve thought about these questions for a while, give them some specifics about your camp program, like dates, important duties, and so on. This way, you can quickly see if there is a “fit.” It will save you time and trouble to skip the whole protocol if the dates don’t work or the program you describe doesn’t work for them.
It’s important to give a brief outline of the kids you work with, their daily schedule, and the job itself when you give this information. For example, is your program open to both boys and girls? Do you have a religious affiliation and do you follow any specific religious rituals? What is the rest of the staff (including volunteers) like? What are their hours of duty, their time off, and so on? What does a typical day at camp look like?
Talk a little about the main jobs and duties of staff and volunteers. For example, you could say that they are expected to wake up kids, get them to meals and activities on time, help them clean up, make them feel like they are part of the group, settle arguments, help them make friends, be on their feet all day, see problems coming before they happen, recognize a sick, sad, or self-conscious child, and so on.
This short but somewhat detailed description lets you know right away if people are available for the camp dates, if they really want to make the commitment, if what you’re describing sounds like what they had in mind, and so on. It is wise to have a uniform camp description given out by each interviewer. Get this short outline of your camp, its people, and their main responsibilities written down ahead of time, and then practice it!
In this first part of the interview, another goal is to find out if the candidate has any thoughts, feelings, or expectations about camp that could affect how well they do. Keep in mind that a candidate could have both unrealistically high hopes for camp and a bad taste in their mouth from a previous experience. Should someone tell you a bad story about camp in the past, you should learn how to ask good follow-up questions, like the ones below:
- What are your feelings about that now?
- In what ways do you think this will change your time at camp this summer?
- What have you done to get over how you felt about that event?
At this point in the process, it’s best to take a break. While the candidate isn’t looking, you should quietly decide if they are worth your time to move forward. There are ways for you to leave the interview right now if you don’t want to go further. To be honest, say something like, “You know, after listening to you for a while, I’m not sure that our camp would be a good fit for you.” There are many camps in the US, so it makes sense to go to one where you’ll probably be happy and where you’ll feel like you’ll fit in well. I just dont think we have what you need or are looking for. If the candidate is new to camp and you mean what you say, this method will work.
You could also thank the candidate for her time (this is about fifteen to twenty minutes into the process) and let her know that you need to talk to a lot of other people and will get back to them in seven to ten days. This method only works if you send them a letter saying you’re sorry, but all the jobs they were qualified for are already taken.
If you decide to go ahead with the interview, you need to get them ready for the competency-based questions that will come next. Announce that you have a series of questions that are about the candidates experience. Yes, there are no right or wrong answers. It’s normal for people to need some time to think about their answer before giving it. Also, let them know that you will be taking notes to help you remember what they say. Tell the candidate that they will have time to ask any questions they have about camp and the job they are applying for at the end of the process. Then you are ready to move ahead!.
This is the most important and longest part of the interview. This is where you get a sense of the skills or competencies needed for the job. Again, probing and follow up questions are key to getting better information. You need at least three solid, positive responses in each competency to hire with any degree of reliability.
If you really like the candidate, offer them a conditional contract. The conditions might be as follows:
- Finish the application process (complete forms, get references, etc.).
- Agree on a salary, if any.
- Again, make sure you know when camp and any training days are.
- Make note of any certifications (life saving, drivers license, etc.).
- Make sure the candidate knows when and how you will get back to them. Also, this is a good time for your candidate to ask you anything they want to know about camp, the campers, the program, etc. Dont hire someone you dont feel good about. From my own experience, you’ll wish you hadn’t done it later in the season.
Bob Ditter is a licensed clinical social worker specializing in child, adolescent, and family therapy.
Originally published in the 2011 September/October Camping Magazine.
The Camp Director interview! (Tips and advice)
FAQ
What is asked in director interview?
What makes you standout as a candidate to work at camp?
What do Interviewers look for in a summer camp director?
Learn what skills and qualities interviewers are looking for from a summer camp director, what questions you can expect, and how you should go about answering them. Summer camp directors are responsible for the overall operation of a summer camp. They plan and organize activities, hire and train staff, and ensure the safety of campers.
What questions should a summer camp director ask a hiring manager?
20. Describe your experience with budgeting and managing finances for a summer camp program. Summer camps are costly to run and a potential camp director needs to know how to budget and manage funds effectively. This question helps the hiring manager understand if you have the necessary experience to manage the financial aspects of the camp.
How do camp directors prepare for a job interview?
Camp directors need to wear many hats, from program director to nurse to bus driver. Before you can start your new job, you’ll likely need to attend a job interview. One of the best ways to prepare for a job interview is to anticipate the questions that will be asked.
What questions do camp directors ask?
Camp directors need to ensure safety and fairness for all. By asking this question, interviewers are looking to assess your ability to maintain discipline and manage conflict in a respectful and effective way.
