Camps hire across more than 70 activities, but demand is not evenly spread. Some roles get hundreds of applicants; others leave directors searching until May. Knowing where your skill sits — and how to frame it — changes both your chances and your salary.
The golden rule
Camps do not hire “participants” — they hire people who can teach an activity to children. The question is never “how good are you?” but “can you take a nine-year-old from zero to loving this?”
Consistently hardest to fill
Waterfront: swimming, lifeguarding, sailing, kayaking, water-skiing
Almost every residential camp has a lake or pool, safety ratios are strict, and qualified waterfront staff are perennially scarce. If you are a strong swimmer, this is the highest-leverage skill set at camp. Lifeguard certification is required for guard roles — camps and sponsors can often help arrange or verify it — and instructors in sailing, canoeing, kayaking and windsurfing are prized.
Horse riding
Equestrian programmes are common and instructors are rare. If you ride and can teach, you will interview extremely well.
Tennis
A staple at hundreds of camps, and the activity our founder directed for 14 years. Club players who can coach juniors are in steady demand, and certified coaches (PTR or equivalent) command specialist roles — many of our tennis placements have grown into multi-season careers.
Ropes course, climbing and adventure
High-ropes, zip lines and climbing walls need trained, safety-conscious staff. Experience here, even informal, is worth stating loudly.
Gymnastics, martial arts and skating
Specialist movement disciplines with real demand and few applicants.
Steady demand: the big categories
Team sports
Football, basketball, cricket-adjacent skills (many camps love novelty sports), athletics, archery. Football coaches from India do well here — the game is growing at US camps and enthusiasm plus coaching ability carries you.
Arts and crafts
Painting, drawing, ceramics and pottery, jewellery, woodwork, batik and dye, paper mâché, stained glass. Camps run large arts programmes and hire multiple instructors. A portfolio — even phone photos of your work — is your best interview asset.
Performance: music, drama, dance
Guitar and piano accompanists, singers, drama instructors who can stage a camp show in two weeks, dance and aerobics teachers. If you can perform and teach, say both.
Media and skills
Photography, broadcasting and camp radio, computers, cooking, farming and animal care, outdoor cooking, orienteering and pioneering. These round out a camp’s programme and suit candidates whose strengths are not sporting.
Cabin and childcare roles
General counselors and childcare staff anchor every cabin. Here the skill is children: patience, energy, warmth and reliability. Tutoring, volunteering, school camps and looking after younger siblings all count as evidence. See counselor vs support staff for how these roles differ.
How to position your skill
- Lead with your strongest, rarest skill — “swimmer who also plays guitar” beats “all-rounder”.
- Quantify it: years played, teams, tournaments, students taught.
- Show teaching, not just doing. One summer coaching juniors outweighs five trophies.
- List honest second activities. Directors build schedules; flexibility wins tie-breaks.
- Bring evidence: certificates, a short video of you coaching, photos of your art.
In our screening interview we go through exactly this — and tell you honestly which roles your profile can win. Then we prepare you for the director interview itself.
Find your role
Browse the USA programme, or tell us your skill — we will map it to the camps that need it for Summer 2027.
Ready to take the next step?
Robinhood Overseas has placed 75+ Indian staffers at camps abroad since 2019. Tell us your skill and we will tell you honestly which program fits.