So you need to find a summer job? You’re looking for a way to spend your summer that propels you into the next step of your career—and it’d be great if it wasn’t boring.

Photo courtesy of Word of Life Camps

What if the best career move you could make this summer led you to work at camp?
Investing your summer in serving at camp will offer ample opportunities to practice the soft skills your future employer is looking for. And it could be the most epic summer of your life.

What are soft skills and how can you improve yours?
Forbes contributor Caroline Beaton says top employers want to hire job seekers who have traditional soft skills including “leadership, communication and collaboration.” Through Beaton’s interviews with more than 100 top HR managers, recruiters and CEOs, she found four key soft skills employers say are essential in the modern workforce. Emőke Starr, head of Prezi’s PR department, says they look for employees “with a solid foundation of soft skills and trust so that the rest can be built upon it.”

You want to be competitive in the job market, and honing your soft skills can set you apart from other applicants. Serving at summer camp paves the way for developing the following soft skills.

Attention in a distracted culture is rare, yet necessary for an organization’s next hire. Camp is an ideal setting for young leaders to learn to pay attention to detail. Counting campers, managing time by staying on the camp schedule or preparing meals for hundreds of hungry guests all require attention and initiative. Balancing these responsibilities proves you can follow through with a variety of tasks.

Beyond a degree
While college brings its own benefits, employers desire outside experiences to contribute to a candidate’s resume. Working at a camp allows students to gain leadership skills, practice customer service and exhibit critical thinking—daily. After spending your summer learning from trusted leaders and growing in your gifts, you will have real-world examples of how you exhibited sought-after skills.

Agility might often be overlooked, but leaders say it’s one of the most beneficial soft skills to have. Learning to overcome challenges and adapting to new situations becomes a huge asset to a team. At camp, you’ll learn to be flexible as schedules change or a camper gets homesick.

Humility goes a long way. As with any job, there’s a learning curve. Having a humble attitude and a willing spirit to learn benefits both you and your employer. During a summer at camp, there will be times you’ll need to ask for help and rely on your leaders and coworkers. Learning to collaborate with those who can share knowledge becomes a practice you can implement in any career.

Of all the ways you could spend your summer, working at a summer camp provides the soft skill training your next employer will value and you’ll have unique, real-world experiences to help further your career. Apply at FindACampJob.com.