Adventure Camp Manager
Who Is An Adventure Camp Manager?
Imagine an office with stars as your ceiling and open grounds as your workspace. Sounds like a dream? It’s a reality for adventure camp managers!
An adventure camp manager organises and plans outdoor camping activities for people. As an adventure camp manager, you will interact with a lot of people of different age groups and guide them through their outdoor adventures.
For example, you could take a group of enthusiasts on one of the numerous treks that happen in the Himalayas. Here, you will manage the entire trip. This includes coordinating with the group, making food and accommodation arrangements, finalising the itinerary and ensuring everyone’s safety.
Roles & Responsibilities
Planning and organising trips. As an adventure camp manager, you will have to pick ideal locations. You will then plan the trip and make sure the same materialises. This is probably the toughest part; handling everything from the smallest issue to the biggest hurdle will be your responsibility.
Arranging food and accommodation for camp participants. You will have to ensure the best possible arrangements for your customers. After all, you have to make sure that the camp remains a memorable experience.
Training your team as well as camp members. You will have to train your team for the excursions and other outdoor activities. This is so that they can take care of the participants during the trip. You also have to conduct training sessions. This is especially true in the case of a difficult trek that requires proper preparation.
Coordinating with locals during your trips. Along with the people who accompany you, you will also have to hire and coordinate with locals at the camping sites. Locals will help you with the on-site arrangements and are often the backbone of any camping trip.
Knowing the camp location well. As camp manager, you have to help participants with as much information as possible about the place. You will need to be well-versed with the area around the camping site. Prepare yourself with a bunch of important and interesting trivia about the place.
Dealing with queries. You will be responsible and answerable for all the queries that will come your way. For instance, if you are managing a children’s summer camp, you will have to help the parents with any questions and concerns they might have. You will be the guardian of their kids after all.
Overseeing the safety and security of the camp. As camp manager, you are responsible for ensuring that the participants are in a safe environment. You have to make sure that the rules and regulations are in place, and more importantly, they are being followed. You should also know basic first aid in case an emergency arises.
Purchasing and maintaining equipment. Arranging for all the equipment will be required during a camp is your responsibility. You also have to keep an inventory of the equipment and supplies.
Ensuring the camp is a fun experience. Along with ensuring safety, you have to remember that the participants are at the camp to have fun. You need to keep up the energy levels of the group and make sure they are enjoying their time.
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What Skills Will I Need To Have To Do This Job Well?
As exciting as this sounds, there are some things you’ll need to learn to do the job right:
PLANNING SKILLS
This is probably the most important skill required to be an adventure camp manager. You need to be an expert planner. From planning the general trip itinerary to figuring out all the details involved, everything is a part of your job. You should also be able to plan various activities and keep people engaged.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
As an adventure camp manager, you should be able to give clear instructions that get across to your audience. You have to motivate them to take part in various activities. You also have to maintain order and safety. You should also learn multiple languages, as this will help you coordinate better with local staff.
FLEXIBILITY AND ADAPTABILITY
As an adventure camp manager, you should be adaptable by nature. You should be comfortable with the surroundings so you can help others adjust to them as well. You will face innumerable hurdles while you make plans and execute them. You have to be flexible enough to find a way around them and keep looking for solutions.
LEADERSHIP SKILLS
You should be able to manage groups of people – whether small or large. This also means being as adventurous as the group you’re hosting. As a leader, you need to be there for your team members as well as the camp participants. You should also be calm and composed during emergencies or stressful situations, as everyone is counting on you for providing solutions.
What Will My Workplace Look Like?
As an adventure camp manager, the mountains, rivers, lakes and beaches will be your playground! The location of the camps you manage will be your workplace. This means that a majority of your time will be spent outdoors. However, you will be spending significant time in your office as well. This is when you will be planning and coordinating with different entities to make sure camp is conducted smoothly.
During the camping season when you will be outdoors, your working hours will be very erratic. You might be out on back-to-back camping trips. You will usually be busiest during vacations, weekends, long holidays, etc. During the off season, while in office, you will have much more regularised working hours.
Thinking of a career as an Adventure Camp Manager? Take the Mentoria assessment test & talk to our career counsellors to get personalized step-by-step guidance for your future career path.
What Is My Scope For Career Growth As An Adventure Camp Manager?
If you are interested in working in this unique area, you will most probably begin working as a Camp Instructor. Here, you will be assisting the Camp Manager/Director and help them manage a smaller group along with other Instructors.
You can go on to become the Assistant Camp Manager/Director and eventually, the Camp Manager/Director. If after significant experience, you are looking for further growth, you can apply to become a part of the senior management of the company you work for. You could look at a position like Head of Operations.
Spend a day in the life of Adventure Camp Manager – Navesh Dakdar, to truly experience what a career in this field holds for you!
How Much Will I Get Paid?
The exact number will depend on where you’re working, your skill set and experience. But we can give you a general idea.
You could begin with a monthly salary of roughly INR 15,000. This could rise to about INR 3,00,000 with time. With more experience, senior responsibilities and if you even choose to work independently and run your own business, the figure could rise considerably.
Okay, I'm sold. This is amazing
STEP 1: Class XI-XII/Junior College
You can complete your 10 + 2 or junior college choosing any of your desired subjects. Physical fitness is essential to become an adventure camp manager. Thus, being enthusiastic about physical education will be beneficial.
STEP 2: Diploma, Certifications and Graduate Degree
A high school certificate is sometimes enough to land a job in this field. However, most organisations prefer at least a graduate for a managerial position like adventure camp manager.
You could pursue a degree like Bachelor of Management Studies (B.M.S.) or a Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.). You could also look at pursuing a Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com.) specialising in Travel and Tourism.
Apart from your graduate degree, you could look at pursuing a related diploma or certification. You could get yourself an outdoor activity or a first aid certification. Alternatively, you could look for a diploma that could help you gain additional knowledge.
If you’re organising camping trips at high altitudes and rough terrains, you might want to study a basic or advanced mountaineering course.
STEP 3: Internship
As you may know, this career is a unique one and hence, there is no formal requirement of an internship. However, you could look for short summer stints at different adventure activity organisations. This will help you get insightful industry experience and also reflect well on your resume.
STEP 4: Land a Job
Now that you have the relevant skills to become an adventure camp manager, put them to good use to bag a job.
Try and get a job that will help you learn as much as possible. As they say, nothing teaches you as well as experience.
Congratulations, you are now officially an Adventure Camp Manager!
STEP 5: Postgraduate Degree
You could go on to pursue a Master’s degree. You could opt to get a MBA degree in a discpline of your choice. This is not mandatory – it depends on where you work, what role you are in and the plans you might have for your future. A postgraduate degree could help you advance in your career and be eligible for better compensation.
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