Update

Well! I fell a little behind, didn't I?  Where did I get up to?  Ah yes, I'd just caused all kinds of trouble, and been sort of told off by CCUSA.  Following their email, I got quite annoyed and emailed their USA head office.  This got forwarded to their UK office, and I got a phone-call from the man I'd been emailing in the UK.  He rang to, very nicely, explain that I wasn't in trouble, I'd just caused a bit of an issue.  See, only one camp at a time can review my application, and I was currently under review with some unknown camp.  This could, apparently, cause camps to "fight over me".  In the end though, the camp who was reviewing me decided they weren't interested, and my application got forwarded to the camp I wanted.  I then got an interview, and was offered the job over the phone.  Overall, a good result!

But, if you want to find your own camp, do it BEFORE you get your application sent to the USA office.  It's ok to find a camp of your own, but once it's sent to their office, it's meant to be down to them to find you a camp.  Make sense?  I think it does, now I've stopped fuming!

After I got accepted onto the camp it all got a little hectic!  I had a lot to do, and very little time to do it in.  From the sounds of it, I'm one of the people who's started the earliest - I'm actually typing this from my cabin at camp right now!

Visa Interview


I had to head down to London on a specified date to get my J-1 Summer Work Visa, after filling out the online visa application from home.  This day was set aside solely for J-1 applicants, and I was met by CCUSA outside.  They handed me the last bits of paperwork I needed.  I was in and out of the embassy in about half an hour!  Would have been quicker, but my face on my photo was "too pale" and I would have "bled into the white background", so I had to pay £5 to get one from the photo-booth in the embassy.  I was "10-printed" (had all 10 fingerprints scanned) and then had a quick interview.  I was asked what I did at home, I explained that I worked full-time investigating complaints.  They asked what my employers thought of me leaving for so long, and I said I was leaving my job to go to camp, but would be coming back to work with my Dad as part of his photography business.  This was deemed acceptable and my visa was approved. Yay!

CCUSA Pre-Departure Orientation


Ok, I'm not going to lie, this was BORING.  I could see it would have been useful if I didn't have my visa yet and if I was having CCUSA make my travel arrangements.  Unfortunately I had my visa and went for the "non-flight" option.  Never mind, it was compulsory so I put up with it.  I did learn a couple of important things, like photocopy EVERYTHING three times - one for me, one for my parents, one for my camp director.  We also got a presentation by some travel company offering us 10% off their tours of America.  Sounded cool but I'm leaving my 30 day travel period pretty open.

Paperwork


Police check!  I sort of forgot about this, so had to pay to have it done with their premium service, which was twice as much.  Not happy about that, but it was my own fault.  Luckily got it back the day before I flew (!) so all was well.  I had a lot of paperwork from camp too that I was meant to send back, but I missed the post to get it back in time, so I just brought it with me.

Travel


As I previously said - I'M HERE!  I arrived last night, after a long day travelling.  I'm still not sure what day it is, or what time it is, but I'm not too badly jet-lagged.  I arrived in the evening so went to bed at a normal, local time, and got up at a normal, local time.  Jet lag?  What jet lag?!  So far the weather looks loooovely, but I've not ventured outside of my cabin!  I've only met one other counsellor, since I'm here quite early.  I have archery training on Friday (tomorrow), but main training for all staff doesn't start til Monday.

The camp is really nice, quite small and not as rustic as other camps.  I think it'll suit me just fine!  The other counsellor has already told me camp is MUCH more fun when you're over 21 (I'm 23).  I guess they like to celebrate their day's off...!

I'm very excited, and will post more when I know more!

Taking the Initiative : Problem #1

So a few days ago I contacted a few camps directly, as advised to do by a Camp Director. He said he has people do that every year, and it's not an issue. I took this as gospel truth and started hunting out camps. I'm now in discussion with a camp who are very interested in my application. I contacted CCUSA to express my interest in the camp and requested they forward my details to the camp. Today I received this reply -

I am afraid that we will not be able to send your application to [CAMP] as we advise against contact camps. This is mentioned in the Interview Checklist which you signed:

Please note that CCUSA is now responsible for finding you a camp. Do not contact camps directly.

Our US Office are fantastic at finding great camps for all of our counselors, and once you are accepted onto the program, we are not able to send your application to camps that you have been in contact with. I am extremely confident that our US Office will find an amazing camp for you!

Honestly I'm quite frustrated by this reply. How was this any different to going to a Camp Fair and talking to a director there? How is this different to the FAQ question on the CCUSA website which says -

A camp in the USA has agreed to hire me - do I still have to go through the application process?

Yes, please follow the normal application procedure and include a letter of invitation or an email from the camp that is offering you a position. You must make sure your camp is currently an active camp with CCUSA. If not, please have your Camp Director call our head office in the U.S. at 1-800-999-2267. If or when your camp becomes active, we'll make sure the camp receives your completed application form so they can hire you. As your visa sponsor, CCUSA is required to thoroughly screen all applicants, even if they have a job already arranged.

I've now emailed what I hope is the USA Office for some clarification. Are they now refusing to allow me to work with this camp? Am I being punished? I'm very frustrated and quite disappointed.

I'll keep you all posted *sighs*

Application : Pre-existing Medical Condition

There is a question on the exhaustive, initial application which asks "Do you have any pre-existing medical conditions?". I was aware at this point that I would have to complete a Medical Form.

Now I had recently been told I had some "potential kidney scarring". This doesn't cause me any trouble at all, other than the confusion of not knowing why I have said scarring. I had an appointment with the Urologist coming up, but that wouldn't be for a few weeks after I was filling out the application.

I originally said "No", I did not have any pre-existing medical conditions. Then I found out about this Medical Form. Would this scarring be mentioned on the form? If I said "No" originally, and then my doctor answered "Yes", would I look like I had lied? Would that then be detrimental to my application?

I eventually decided to be better safe than sorry, and be honest. So I said "Yes" but explained that I had no trouble, no medication, and it was almost unremarkable.

Turned out to be more trouble than it was worth!

CCUSA still accepted my application, but now require that I complete a "pre-existing medical condition" form, to be signed off by my doctor. I explained that my referral appointment wasn't for a few weeks, and I wasn't even sure what would happen at that point. But they insisted.

So I went to my appointment, knowing that camps might not want me, or I might be put on hold, until I can prove that I'm not on dialysis, and won't to die on them.

And my doctor wouldn't sign the form.

He's sending me for some more tests (but admits they probably won't show anything, and will confirm that really...it's nothing!) and won't complete it until then. Argh! Mostly I think it's just because the department was running over an hour behind on their appointments and he was in a rush...

So, much to my irritation, I'm still perfectly fit and healthy, but still don't have one daft piece of paper confirming that.

The most frustrating thing?

It didn't even get mentioned on my Medical Form.

Application : Police Check

I've been putting off completing this form for weeks. I've filled out a lot of CRB forms in my life and I just couldn't bear the thought of trawling through the long, tedious from.

But today I finally sat down and went at it. And it wasn't that bad! It's not the usual CRB form, it's some other police check form. It literally took me about 5 minutes to do.

Now all I need to do is add my passport number to the form, take a copy of my passport photo page, make copies of 2 recent official letters with my name and address on, and take a passport sized photo. All this then gets sent off, with a cheque for £35, wait a while, then I'll get a certificate confirming that my record is clean enough to eat off!

This certificate will need uploading onto my CCUSA account, and I'll also need to take it with me to camp.

I'll come back and update this post once I get my certificate...

Application : Taking the Initiative Replies #1 & #2

My first two replies to my email, which was me contacting camps directly, both came through the same night I sent it.

The first one was within 45 minutes. Sadly it was just to say that they were fully staffed for the summer, but thanked me for my interest. That's why I combined the two replies into one blog post - not worth an individual one for such a short reply!

The second reply came through 3 hours after I sent it. It was from one the program director of the camps for "at-risk" children.

He was really positive, was delighted I was so passionate about what they do and was very pleased I'd come to them directly. Score 1 for being cheeky and impatient!

He directed me to their "job-listings" page, so I could familiarise myself with what my options would be (not fencing unfortunately, but this woman has many hats!). He asked if I had any restrictions on dates (I don't) and invited me to contact my CCUSA rep and express an interest in their camp. He has contacted his CCUSA rep to see if it "makes sense to put me on review with the camp", and sounds very keen to get the ball rolling. He's actually out of state on a Spring Break "service trip" with some of the teens for the next couple of weeks, but is still keen to get things moving with CCUSA and see what we can get done next week. This is even though he'll apparently have limited internet/email access!

Positive sounding indeed!

I think the work they do sounds really wonderful, and I would love to be a part of that.

Fingers crossed :)

Application : Taking the Initiative

So I'd been turned down by a camp - the only camp to have shown an interest in me. What now?

Well, I picked myself up, dusted myself off...and got on with my life.

I'd learned something very interesting...that it was OK for me to contact camps and do the "leg-work" rather than wait for them to come to me.

I got my rejection email that morning, and that night I sat down, and started searching the American Camp Association website.

Obviously there are a lot of camps out there, and I couldn't apply to them all! Rather than search by state (which is an option), I decided my search criteria would be -

- Co-ed Camp (I think it's important for boys and girls to learn to work together, respect each other, and that girls are just as good as boys)

- Overnighter Camp (I know it'd be half as much work to be a counsellor at a Day Camp, but it also seems like it'd be half as much fun!)

- Fencing and Archery Programmes (I do both sports, and it'd give me a variety of activities I could take part in)

This brought up quite a few camps, though insisting on a fencing programme seriously reduced my list! It's not a very common sport, I've found. I was still faced with pages and pages of camps, so I added to my criteria, to get a short-list. I decided not to go for states that I knew would be almost unbearably hot. California and Florida were immediately struck from the list!

I also decided that to begin with, I wouldn't apply for camps that were hugely focussed on religion. I have been raised to respect all religions and views. If they're not causing any harm...what does it matter that they're different to me? So I chose to exclude religion-specific camps to begin with.

Eventually, after some more whittling, I ended up with a short-list of about 6 camps.

Then I reviewed my search criteria. These were all Traditional camps. I was quite disappointed that none of the camps offering Fencing were "Inner-City/Underprivileged Camps". I'd felt really drawn to this type of camp.

So I started a new list. My initial criteria was the same - Co-Ed, Overnighter. But I searched for camps that catered to "at risk" and "inner city" children. This brought up a much shorter list to choose from. In the end, I had 4 camps on that short-list.

I applied for all 10 camps that night. I wasn't sure what I needed to say in my email, since I didn't know if all they needed was my name and they could search an online database or something. I think it took about an hour to construct my basic application email!

In the end I -

- Attached my CV (resume)

- Explained I was using CCUSA and had taken the initiative to apply direct to them

- Enthused about their camp

- Briefly explained who I was (name, age, location, bit about me, etc)

- Gave a brief summary of my most relevant work with children

- Explained why I want to work at camp/with children

- Summarised my university study, my full-time work and my future career aims

- Detailed my interests/hobbies

It was quite a short email, four paragraphs long, each paragraph about 5 or 6 lines. But it had all the important details - the "highlights" of my indepth CCUSA application. It was to the point, bubbly, perky and enthusiastic! I channeled my inner-American and bounced away from the typical British reservedness!

Then it was time to once again sit...and wait...

***Warning*** Please see this post which involves my reply from CCUSA following my emails to these camps. I'll keep updating when I hear more from CCUSA.

Application : Interview #1

Once my application was sent over to America, I thought I had to just sit and wait.

So I did.

Seventeen long days went by without a word, then suddenly...

An email arrived! A camp got in touch and invited me to have a Skype interview with them. I emailed back within 2 hours (it went to my junk mail so I didn't see it right away - watch out for that!), and by the time I went to bed, we'd arranged a time...

...For the very next day!

Wow, they were keen! This was great! 8pm the next day I dressed up into a nice top (bright, fun, but smart-ish), put in some pretty earrings, did my hair etc, and sat down for my interview.

The camp director was a lovely man, very nice and cheerful. It felt like an overall positive interview. He praised my application, said it was very enthusiastic, I had a lot of experience working with kids, and it was great that I was a fencer. He said any camp would snap my hand off, since that's quite a difficult skill to find.

Part way through the interview though, he told me that I was able to apply to camps directly, and encouraged me to do so. He said I could search for camps on the American Camp Association website and contact them myself. I could send an email over, explain I was with CCUSA and ask if they would be interested.

This confused me a lot...was he politely trying to let me know I should be looking elsewhere? He said he and the other directors would be discussing the latest batch of applicants the next day, and I'd hear by the end of the week. He did warn me that they were almost full, as they'd had a lot of early applicants that year. Again...letting me down gently...?

A couple of days later he got back in touch, to let me know I was unsuccessful. I'll admit, I was pretty gutted. I had picked up signs in the interview, so it wasn't a huge surprise, but still...no-one likes being rejected! I did ask for feedback though, and got this reply, which others might find useful too -

Hi,

I thought your interview was fine and I don't have any specific feedback. Because we interview so many people, often it is a mixture of many different factors that go into our final decisions. Something to keep in mind when interviewing is that camps want counselors who have both a big, enthusiastic personality and good judgment and decision making. Other traits to play up include a positive attitude, the ability to adapt to changing situations, and a focus on kids, kids, kids!

Good luck, I'm sure you will find a great camp for the summer.

So, rejection does happen, and it can hurt! But it was a useful experience.

It was my first ever Skype interview, so now I know what that's like.

I got feedback which I can bear in mind (when asked "Why do you want to work at camp?" should I have focussed more on my love of working with kids, than my enthusiasm for learning new thing?).

Most importantly - I learned that I can apply to camps myself. I didn't know that before! I thought I had to sit and wait for camps to contact me.

Also, remember that no matter how positive and keen a camp seems, until you have that offer...don't take anything for granted.

I know it's hard to think it might fall through, God knows I'm a very optimistic person! But if we weren't optimistic, if we were pessimistic and all "Oh this will never happen for me...", then we probably shouldn't be applying for Summer Camp :)

So it's ok to be researching costs and be looking at the local area, it's good to be excited about the idea and to know what you'd be getting yourself in for if you DID get accepted...just don't start booking flights just yet :)

Application : Medical Form

As part of the application, I was required to complete a Medical Form. This had to be signed by a medical practitioner and basically had to show that I wasn't going to keel over and die on them at camp!

Rather than explain this to the receptionist at the doctor's surgery, and risk having them try and make me pay for a medical, I simply made an appointment to see the doctor.

I went to see my GP, who's known me since I was 10 (and was very shocked to realise that I'm nearly 23!), and is a very nice doctor. I explained what I was applying for, and that I needed this form filling out. I'd completed most of it, it was just the end section I needed doing.

He gave me a very quick medical exam - checked my height, weight, bone structure, teeth (we're not sure why my teeth) etc, then signed it all off. Done and dusted in less than 10 minutes I think!

It was all very quick and simple, and most importantly - free! Don't let them try and make you pay for your medical, it's really not necessary.

Application : Step Three

After my interview I had to get my skates on and get some paperwork together. I needed three references, from people who were not "friends, family or relatives" (I'm still puzzling over the difference between "family" and "relatives"!). For people in education this would be quite simple, get a reference from teachers, or from your part-time job etc. I was stuck with a big problem though. I work full-time, haven't been in education for a few years, and didn't think my team leaders could do my reference! Luckily three of my team leaders agreed to fill out the questionnaire :)

There was a moment of panic though, as my interviewer told me I needed the references in within 7 days of being accepted onto CCUSA. This was incorrect. It was 7 days from my interview.

My interview was on the Sunday, and I found this out on the Wednesday night! Cue major panic! I hassled my team leaders on the Thursday and got it all sorted out in time though. I scanned them onto my online profile and sent them in the post on Friday. Then emailed to make sure they arrived!

Approximately a week and a half after my interview, I was accepted onto CCUSA. Yay!

I now had to pay some more money (I chose the "non-flight" option, which I may live to regret, but based on me being utterly broke at the time, it seemed to make sense). This was my acceptance fee.

After that, my application winged it's way over to America...

Application : Step Two

...I didn't have to wait long!

A couple of days after submitting my application, I was invited to meet a fellow CCUSA-er who would be my interviewer. She was a returning applicant, and last year was her first year. I hopped on a train to the nearby city where she attends university.

It was a very informal interview. She had a declaration that we had to read through together and both sign, then she had some forms with standardised questions. She wrote down my answers to all the questions, then asked me hobby-specific ones. It was quite funny being asked about fencing and archery by someone who knows nothing about either of them! She carefully read out each question, word for word, then wrote down my answers, word for word, and clearly had no idea what was being said! Her specialism was horse-riding though, and I'd be just as clueless if I was having to ask the questions related to that!

I also had to answer a lot of "Give me an example of..." questions. Things like "Give me an example of a time you taught a child something...How did that go?". I don't remember how many of them there were - it felt like hundreds! If I was stuck on a question, we moved onto the next one and went back once I'd had time to think.

Once we'd finished all of that, we chatted about camp. She encouraged me to add "Religious Camp" to my list of camp types I was interested in. My list at that point was Traditional ; Girl Scout ; Inner-City ; Campers with Specific Requirements. She told me that the camp she went to was a YMCA camp, and she had really enjoyed it. She said it wasn't too heavily religious (she's non-religious like me) and she highly recommended considering it.

Then that was that! I headed back home, and she typed up my information and sent it off to CCUSA for consideration.

One more hoop down, no idea how many more to jump through...

Application : Step One

You'll have to forgive me if my memory is a little shaky on this, it's been a while since I began my CCUSA application! Plus I'm getting a little senile in my "old age" :)

I looked into all the relevant UK options for working in America on a Summer Camp (I had my heart set on the USA). I eventually chose CCUSA as I felt it was the best value for money, though I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who disagree!

I signed myself up with CCUSA and began my application. It was a rather long and in depth application form - it took me quite a while! I had to write about myself, my education, my work experience, what camps I wanted to work at and why...and all within a 3 line character limit! It was surprisingly difficult to say everything I wanted to say in such a small space. Then, as if to make it for it all, I had to write a 3,000 character "About Me" essay!

I put that essay off for days! But after a little pep talk from my team leader at work I finally sat down and started writing in Word. I wrote about what my interests were, what experience I had of working with children, why I wanted to work at camp...I just let the words flow in one big burbling mess. Before I knew it, I had about 5,000 characters and something that roughly resembled an essay! I spent the next couple of evenings shaping it, editing it, cutting it back, and making it a coherent work of art.

Finally my application was done and I hit the "Submit" button. I also paid my £45 application fee.

I then sat back...

And I waited....