Summer Camp Secrets

Most of the Summer Camp agencies now ask that you make a video about yourself and your skills to go along with your application – for the majority of them it isn’t compulsory, but it will definitely help your application to reach the right places faster if you do decide to add a video.

I know it can seem a little daunting, especially to those of you that don’t really have any experience with video making, but what you have to remember is that they’re not looking for a masterpiece, they just want to see you put a little bit of effort into showing off who you are and why camp’s should hire you. You could even film it with your phone if you don’t have access to a proper camera!

Along with the help of a Camp Director friend of mine, I’ve put together some top tips for making your application video awesome!

1. Don’t just rush into it and make something quick and shoddy. Plan it out. Storyboard your ideas. Decide what you want to say and how you want to say it. Think hard about how you want camp directors to see you and about what their perception of you will be from this video.
2. Don’t make it too long or too short. Somewhere between 90 seconds and 3 minutes should be plenty of time to demonstrate who you are and why a camp should hire you without it getting boring.
3. Make it interesting. Don’t just use photos with a voice-over, or just have you sitting in front of a camera droning on. Get out of your bedroom, go outside, show them who you really are.
4. Be happy and excited. Have lots of energy. Be engaging. There’s nothing worse for a camp director than to have to sit through endless videos of talking heads. Create something that will make them pay attention.
5. Use the time wisely. Talk about yourself for a bit – who you are, where you’re from and why you want to go to summer camp. Then show examples of you doing what you say you can do.
6. See if there are other people you can involve in your video. Can someone film you at work? Or doing some of your daily activities (especially with children)?
7. Perhaps you could interview friends, family and employers? Get them to talk about what you are really like as a person and an employee.

So that’s it. You don’t have to be Spielberg, but you should show that you have put a lot of effort into it – by showing that you have thought about the content of your video, you are demonstrating to camp directors (your prospective employers) that you really care and want to get hired.

Making a video for your application is a chance to stand out from everyone else and physically show camp directors what you will be like as an employee and why you are a great fit to work with kids at summer camp.

So get those thinking caps on, grab your camera and start filming!