Over 100 Interview Questions for Summer Camp Hiring

Back in 2012, I posted 15 of my favorite interview questions. In this article I’m going to add to those and include questions other camp professionals suggested. 

If you have a favorite interview question, leave it in the comments.

TELL US ABOUT YOU

• What is your favorite and least favorite thing about yourself?
• Are you a morning person? (This can help me with counselor pairings, placing a morning person with a no-so morning person can help.)
• What is a misconception people often have about you? Why?
• What types of activities are you involved in (at or outside of school)? What other kinds of things do you do with your time?
• Not including stuff for school, what are you reading?
• What frustrates you? (people, tasks, inanimate objects)
• What is the most creative thing you have ever done?
• What makes you remarkable?
• What are you most proud of?
• What 5 words best describe you?
• Tell me about your best friend. (You want to know about how they describe someone who is very special to them. You want to see if their eyes light up when they talk about their best friend.)
• Tell me about your family. (You want to know how close they are to their family members. When you work at camp, basically you are living with a large family so you need to know what type of relationships they have with their parents and their siblings.)
• What would your friends say is the most important thing to you?
• If you were given the opportunity to learn anything you choose, what would it be?
• Looking back over this past year/semester, what would you have changed or done differently? Socially? Academically? Athletically?
• What is it that motivates you to do a good job?
• When are you not motivated?
• If you could improve one thing about yourself, what would it be?
• What do you procrastinate about?
• What kind of energy do you usually bring to a group?
• What is your “dealing with stress” mechanism and how do you knew when you need it?
• You just won Camp Counselor of the Year, why did you win it above all of the other staff? (what makes you stand out)
• What is your life dream? How are you going to get there? How will your experience at camp help towards that goal?
• What’s your “plan” for the next few years?
• Give us two examples of peer pressure…one when you caved in and one when you resisted.

TELL US ABOUT A TIME WHEN YOU…

• Tell us about a time when you put someone else’s needs before your own.
• Tell us about a time when you made a boring or unpleasant task into something fun.
• Tell us about a time in your life when you faced adversity and how you were able to rise above it.
• Tell us about a time when you were exhausted but had to maintain a high level of energy.
• Tell us about a time you were stressed or under pressure. How do you handle those situations? What outlets do you use when you need a break?
• Tell us about a time when you took a risk in a previous job, how it turned out, and/or anything you learned from taking that risk.
• Tell us about a time when you stood up for an unpopular position.
• Tell us about a time when you disagreed with a supervisor or teacher.
• Tell us about a time when you had a personality or lifestyle conflict with someone and how you went about resolving it.

CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES

• What did you struggle most with as a child and what did adults do that was helpful and not? What would YOU do if you were an adult to support your younger self?
• Have you had any experiences as a camper? What were the highlights? Were there any “lowlights”? If so, what would you do to ensure that would not happen to one of your campers?
• What was your childhood like? What do you best remember about it?
• Have you ever been given a nickname you were not fond of? How did you deal with getting rid of the nickname?
• Think back to when you were a child in camp or other organized activities. What did you like best? What makes a program memorable for a child?

WORK EXPERIENCE

• What constructive criticism have you received in past jobs? Did you agree or disagree with it? What did you do about it? (This question is great because you can compare it to what their employers tell you when you check references and assess their self-awareness)
• Tell me about other jobs you have had over the last few years. What would previous employers (friends) say about you?
• Who was your best boss and what was it like working for him or her? Likewise, who was your worst boss and what was that like?

EXPERIENCE WITH CHILDREN

• Tell me about a time you had to make a child do something they did not want to do.
• Tell me about a situation working with kids where you wish you could go back and do it over again to do it better.
• Tell about a time you had to discipline a child. Describe the situation, what did you do, and finally, what was the outcome. Would you do the same thing again?
• Describe a specific time when you lost your patience with a child or peer. Describe the situation, what did you do, and finally, what was the outcome.
• Tell about a specific time when you had to entertain a child or group of children to keep them occupied on the spot. Describe the situation, what did you do, and finally, what was the outcome.
• Tell me about a time working with a child/or children that you didn’t enjoy.
• Tell me about your experiences working with children. Describe your most rewarding experience.
• Tell me about a time when you worked with a child who you really liked.
• Tell me about a time when you worked with a child who pushed all of your buttons.
• Do you work better with children on an individual basis or in a group setting?
• How many children do you feel comfortable working with?
• Why do children like YOU? Why would YOU be the one they pick as their “favorite” this summer?

WORKING AT CAMP

• We strive to hire leaders and role models in our programs; Tell us about things you do that would be a positive influence on the children.
• Please name some safety precautions that you would implement during the program. Prompt – what about when you went outside?
• To have a positive summer camp experience, what qualities or characteristics do you need to have while working with children?
• What age would you like to work with?
• What would you need more from us to know how to do the job?
• What would you find most difficult about the job?
• What do you think might be your most important contribution to camp this summer?
• What does it mean to be a positive role model?
• What is the difference between yelling and raising your voice?
• What is the difference between childish and childlike?
• Describe what you think your job duties would be and what you imagine a typical day would be like.
• Imagine you are a camper. What three things would you consider important to making your week at camp a success?
• Please list five important things to keep in mind when you are explaining a game/activity to a group of children between 6 to 12 years old.
• Give me one talent you think you could share with our camp community.

SCENARIOS

• You see Jessica fall and hit her head. She stands up and has blood running down her face. Using your first aid knowledge what would you do?
• You had planned a soccer-baseball game outside. It is raining. No ball games are allowed in the community center. What do you do first?
• A child who uses a wheelchair is registered in your program. How do you make sure he is fully integrated into the fun activities? (Prompt: How would you change a dodgeball game into a wheelchair-friendly game?)
• Your co-counselor is on their day off, you are walking your cabin to the waterfront and one of your campers sprains their ankle, what do you do?
• Your campers are done with their art session, you have ten minutes until the next rotation, what do you do?
• Your campers are hot and tired. What ideas do you have to get them cooled and refreshed?
• If you were stuck inside on a rainy day with a group of children, please name 3 activities/games you would do/play with them.
• The bus breaks down. You have 30 mins to entertain 30 kids in their seats. What do you do?
• How would you handle two children fighting over a toy?
• What would you do to help a child suffering from separation anxiety?
• How would you respond to a parent who is complaining to you about some aspect of the program?
• When would you deny a child restroom privileges?
• What would you do if a child was made fun of because she/he was too fat, wet the bed, or something physical they couldn’t help?

FUN AND CREATIVE QUESTIONS

• What is your signature dance move, your go-to move when you are dancing?
• If you had an endless supply of Legos what would you build?
• If you could be a Disney character, who would you be and why?
• If you could be a superhero/have any superpower, who/what would you be/have?
• What are 10 uses for a #2 pencil besides writing? (This sort of shows if they are creative – i.e.: drumsticks, chopsticks, etc.)
• What is your favorite silly camp song?
• If you were a part of a bicycle, what part would you be and why?
• If you came with a warning label, what would it say?
• If you could bring anyone to camp with you (as a co-staff) dead or alive, real or fictitious, who would it be?
• You are sitting on a log with a camper and out pops a genie. POOF! He tells you that you can give any one of your own strengths and abilities to this camper, but only one. You will not lose it by giving it away. What “gift” would you give?

OTHER

• Why did you decide to pursue working at a camp this summer? What particularly interests you about Camp _________________?
• What does teamwork mean to you? How will you contribute to the team at camp?
• What does the phrase “customer service” mean to you?
• When you eventually become a parent, what positive characteristics do you want to instill in your children? How would you accomplish it?
• Tell me about someone you admire, who you would consider a role model, and tell me why you admire them.
• What 3 personal things will you bring to camp to make your cabin feel more like home/family?
• How and when do you think cell phones should be used at camp?
• Youth today are faced with many challenges as they grow up. What do you think are the greatest challenges facing young people in our community?
• Suppose three camps offer you a job for this summer. How would you choose?
• What’s important to you when choosing a camp?