Skills Beyond Summer

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by Jordanna Flores, Long-Time Camp Director & Friend of Kalsman

When I’m driving or just brushing my teeth, I have imaginary conversations with people—people I know, people I have never met. Yes, I know this is a product of my anxiety. (See what I did there? I imagined what you would say, and I answered you!) 

When one of the most successful restaurant industry CEOs, Danny Meyer, published the list of skills he looks for in all his employees, I couldn’t help but imagine what I would ask him… 

Me: When I read this list, it was obvious to me that you must have gone to summer camp.  

Imaginary Danny (ID): Yes, I did! Camp Nebagamon in Wisconsin. (This part is not imaginary. I googled it!) How did you know I went to camp as a kid?  

Me: Because anyone who has spent time at an overnight summer camp can see how hard the college-age staff are working and how much they are learning from the experience. There are academics who say the entire endeavor of summer camp is for the development of the staff and that the campers are only present so the 20-somethings can cultivate the kind of skills you are looking to hire.

ID: Huh. I have never heard that, but it rings true for me. I know that if an applicant has summer camp on their resume, they are going to have the soft skills we need. 

Me: It’s too bad they are called “soft skills” because they are so HARD to learn and so crucial. Calling them soft makes them seem less important. 

ID: I agree. You are so smart (hey, this is in my head. I get to embellish!). These are the kinds of things that can’t be taught in theory. It’s not like history or philosophy—you can’t talk about it in order to learn it. It can only be cultivated through experience. 

Me: Can you give us an example of what these skills are and how you see this showing up in your hiring process? 

ID: The skills I look for are Integrity, Optimism, Intellectual curiosity, Work ethic, Empathy, and Self-Awareness.  In an interview, you can’t just ask “Are you empathic?” Of course, the person is going to say, “Oh yes! Sure, I am!” To really get a sense, you have to ask, “Tell me about a time you showed empathy.” If you’ve been a counselor at summer camp, you can tell a story about any one of these skills because you have lived them all. 
Me: Right, like anyone who has sat up at night with a homesick camper, knows a thing or two about empathy.  

ID: And if you’ve been a camp counselor, you must have a great work ethic because that is hard work! It’s hot, the days are long, and those kids need you. You can’t just throw up your hands and walk away when things get tough. You have developed the stick-to-it-ness that I need in my employees.  

Me: How about Self Awareness? 

ID: Living in a communal setting, living AND working with your co-workers is going put you face-to-face with real self, real fast. In any other work experience, when do you also live with your officemates? This job teaches you more about yourself in a short amount of time than anything else I can think of. 

Me: We hear from perspective staff that their parents are pressuring them to get a “real job” instead of working at camp.

ID: “Real?” Camp is not a figment of our imagination! Seriously, I’ve hired thousands of people. If I have two resumes and one kept kids from drowning at the pool, kept kids from lighting their own hair on fire making s’mores and couldn’t look away when someone was crying and the other sat in air conditioning and made coffee…you don’t need a Michelin star to know who is going to make a better employee.
Me: Can you tell all your CEO friends that? 

ID: Oh, they know! 

Note: Dear real Danny Meyer—if you’d like to have this conversation with me, I’d love to hear your thoughts! Call me! 

Feel the impact of working at camp, applications are open now!