Working at Summer Camp or Taking an Internship: Our Summer Staff Shouldn’t Have to Choose
Working at Summer Camp or Taking an Internship: Our Summer Staff Shouldn’t Have to Choose
For generations, working at summer camp has been a transformative experience for young people, helping them develop leadership, communication, and resilience. Herzl Camp has been no exception, fostering these skills in our staff each season. However, as professional demands rise, summer staff often face a difficult choice: Do they dedicate another summer to camp, or do they take on a career-boosting internship? At Herzl Camp, we believe they shouldn’t have to choose between the two.
Enter Herzl’s Career Caravan: our private, professional network, specifically designed to bridge the gap between camp and career, accessible online and via an app for Apple and Google users. This initiative connects Herzl Camp alumni, friends, and professionals who are eager to help current and former staff build their professional paths. Created in response to a series of interviews and focus groups with our staff, the Career Caravan was built with a clear mission: support our summer staff in navigating their career ambitions without sacrificing the invaluable experience of working at camp.
In today’s competitive job market, internships are increasingly seen as a necessary step for entry into many industries. According to a recent survey from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), 56% of students believe their internship experience was critical to securing a full-time role after graduation. In certain fields, internships are more than just a boost—they’re practically a requirement. But while internships can help open doors, so can the skills that camp teaches. Many Herzl alumni agree: the time management, teamwork, and problem-solving skills honed at camp have been invaluable in their professional journeys. And the strong relationships formed at Herzl have often carried forward, helping shape careers for years.
The Career Caravan ensures that our staff doesn’t have to give up one experience to gain the other. With a network of over 300 Herzl alumni and friends, young staff can find internship opportunities, set up informational interviews, or meet with alumni for coffee to discuss career advice—all while working at camp and beyond. Whether it’s a summer spent as a counselor or a program director, staff leave Herzl with more than memories—they gain a community that’s committed to their future success.
Through the Career Caravan, we’re creating a space where Herzl’s alumni and professionals give back to the next generation by sharing their experiences and opening doors. Our alumni know that there’s no better preparation for any career than the challenges and rewards that come with a summer at camp. The Career Caravan means that our young staff can take full advantage of both worlds, paving the way for their professional success while embracing the unique journey that only a summer at Herzl Camp can provide.
Are you thinking about setting up a network of your own? Here are some tips to help get you started:
Tip 1: Does your organization have a dedicated community network manager or specific board member support? My original goal was to have 500 “professionals” into the network before opening the network up to our summer staff, a number we all felt was reasonable based on our directory of alumni. The setup is extensive, and to build the network requires A LOT of outreach to everyone in the community via several modes of communication and follow up. Now we are at our 1 year anniversary, with 315 members. It’s important to think about the stamina of the organization as well. To get a brand new professional network up and running could (and will!) take several years.
Tip 2: Do you have a budget for this? There are many different platforms out there to use at varying price points – do your research! It’s also important to think about how you want your community to be able to access this network. The Career Caravan was made to help our young summer staff, so we felt having an app was necessary, which significantly increased our pricing.
Tip 3: Plan out your content. So you’ve set up your network, you’ve invited members in, now what? What kind of content do you want to present to your community? The Career Caravan had a summer filled with Member Spotlights and Member Blogs as a way to start introducing and highlighting certain professionals in varying industries.
Tip 4: Keep at it! As I mentioned earlier, building an active community network takes time and it’s important not to get frustrated with the lack of use in the beginning – something I need to keep reminding myself as we enter our second year of the Caravan. Keep talking to your community about it, keep inviting people into it and look for opportunities to educate your summer staff on the professional tools at their disposal.
This blog was written on behalf of ACA’s Project Real Job, whose goal is to support camps in their efforts to recruit, hire, and retain staff.
Katie Rosenberg keeps the Herzl Camp Family connected! She helps Herzl thrive today, tomorrow and forever by planning and managing community events and the Herzl Career Caravan, a private networking site for camp people. Katie can be reached at katie@herzlcamp.org