So you’re looking for a summer job? You’re probably looking for something fun, something that feels worthwhile, and something that will look good on your resume. When you’re in school, there’s a lot of pressure to get a “real” job. You want to make your parents and professors proud. You want to impress future employers, and you need to set yourself apart from all the other candidates out there. You want to set yourself up for the future, even if you’re not totally sure what you want that future to look like. We get it! Spending your summer working at Amnicon could be a way to have it all….Adventure….Experience… and get paid for it!

Here are 10 buzzwords you can put on your resume after working at Amnicon.

1. Leadership Skills

All roles at Amnicon are leadership roles. We entrust all of our staff with the responsibility to work independently. We will train and equip you to know how to make the best decisions. And we often have certain expectations about what needs to happen. But ultimately it’s up to you to figure out how to do it. Whether you’re motivating your campers to gather enough firewood to cook dinner, teaching one of your co-workers how to do a new skill you’ve just mastered, or what have you….you will be a leader at Amnicon.

2. Resourcefulness & Creative Problem-Solving

It probably goes without saying that when you venture into the wilderness you don’t have all the comforts of civilization along with you. But in spite of having to work with less, you will learn how to still create amazing experiences for your campers and yourself. We’ll teach you how to recognize what all of your resources are… Did you know you can use a PFD to help keep you warm on a cold rainy day if you layer it correctly? Did you know you can use a tarp to splint a sprained ankle? When you leave Amnicon at the end of the summer you’ll feel equipped to handle any situation that comes your way because you’ll know how to recognize and use your resources effectively.

3. Self-Motivated, Team-Oriented

All employers want to hire people who are self-motivated and team-oriented. It means that your boss will have to spend less time and energy telling you what to do and making sure you’re doing it well. It means you’re focused on adding value to the projects you’re working on, and that sounds appealing to any employer in every field. At Amnicon you have to be self-motivated and team-oriented because we’re such a de-centralized program. We send you out into the woods with your camper group, and the Directors aren’t there to look over your shoulder all the time. If you don’t motivate yourself and focus on benefiting your team, then your group just won’t get going, and you’ll be the one that has to deal with the consequences of pulling into your campsite late and cooking dinner in the dark. Nothing like natural consequences to give you motivation!

4. Perseverance

Working at Amnicon is hard, we’re not trying to hide that. We ask our staff to work long days, and to give so much of themselves physically, emotionally, and spiritually. But it’s so worth it! Because at the end of the week, and at the end of the summer you can look back at what you did and know that you brought a little more peace into the world. You helped your campers grow, and showed them that they are capable of so much more than they gave themselves credit for. After working at Amnicon you’ll feel like you can tackle anything! Every job is easier after learning the kind of perseverance you find at Amnicon.

5. Safety Minded

Safety is one of our primary concerns. We have a motto, “If we can’t keep you safe in the wilderness, then we shouldn’t keep you in the wilderness.” As part of your training you’ll receive certifications in Wilderness Water Safety, Wilderness First Aid, CPR, & Mental Health First Aid, along with all kinds of practical wilderness skills. You’ll learn how to assess which risks are worth taking, and how to prevent accidents and injuries to your group members.

6. Perpetual Positivity

The power of a positive attitude cannot be understated. You’ll learn to maintain a positive attitude even during stressful circumstances because it’s honestly the easiest way to get through it. And you’ll have an easier time handling the struggles if your campers are also staying positive, so you’ll learn tricks to help spread positivity and enthusiasm. It’s raining and we need to get a fire started to cook dinner? We can do it! You swamped in the middle of a set of rapids and now all our stuff is wet? Let’s laugh about it together. Employers always prefer to hire positive people because they’re just more pleasant to work with.

7. Teaching Skills

You’ll learn a lot of cool skills and tidbits of knowledge working here, and as soon as you learn them you turn around and teach them to your campers. You’ll learn how to build a wet-wood fire, how to navigate a set of rapids, how to tie knots, how to identify a variety of plants & wildlife, and so much more. You’ll teach all these things to your campers because everyone on the trip has a better experience if they know these things. You’ll learn to teach clearly and patiently, understanding that everyone learns at different speeds and in different ways. 

8. Adaptability & Flexibility

There’s just no way to predict everything that can happen in the wilderness, including the number of things that can go “not according to plan”. We train our staff, not in what to do in each and every circumstance, but in how to think through and handle whatever might arise.  You’ll be able to “go with the flow” in a whole new way. Adaptability is important in any work force because things can always go “not according to plan”, and employers are benefited by employees who won’t get bent out of shape by that. 

9. Able to connect with people of all backgrounds

You’ll meet all kinds of people working at Amnicon. Every year about a third of our campers are coming to us from under-privileged backgrounds, and our staff regularly engage in spiritual conversations with people who might not totally agree with everything they believe. And that’s ok! In fact, it’s incredibly valuable to connect in meaningful ways with people that are different than us. We spend several hours in staff training focused on understanding what life is like for our campers coming from under-privileged backgrounds. Then each week we spend many hours engaging in deep, meaningful conversations where we want EVERYONE to feel welcome, heard, and included in the discussion. In today’s polarized world, being able to connect is incredibly valuable.

9. Hard working & productivity

Camping & canoeing are hard work. Leading groups of campers through the wilderness is hard work. Someone once said, “Going camping puts the rest of your life on Easy Mode.” Employers want to hire people that they know will work hard and get the job done. After working at Amnicon, every other job is easier by comparison.

Ready to Apply?

Working at Amnicon sets you up for success, and will make your parents proud. Apply today, and earn your chance to add these buzzwords to your resume!