View Full Version : Interview Questions
CAMPFRIEND
11-18-2005, 02:33 PM
So I know that all of you had to apply for jobs as counselors. What do you think are some good interview questions that were asked to you? The reason that I as is I am always looking for more questions to add to my 4 pages of questions!!
Thank you!
Skater Bubbles
11-18-2005, 02:57 PM
I was interviewed over the phone and I think some of the best questions are the situational ones. Like, if two kids were calling this other kid names what would you do? Those kinds of questions are really good!
camper
11-18-2005, 03:16 PM
i like the creative questions, but if you went to our camp as a camper you don't need to be interviewed b/c the people that are hiring already know you and your personality. i've heard my mom interview new people though and it's less of an interview than a "let me tell you about the camp and then you can ask questions and tell me what you're thinking of for the summer." my mom will hire people based on their experience and whether or not what they're looking for is a fit with what we're looking for, also the person's confidence on the phone helps. also if they ask good questions and truly seem interested. she also checks references REALLY carefully.
CAMPFRIEND
11-18-2005, 03:25 PM
I will never miss doing phone interviews. I was on the phone for like 2 months before summer time just talking on the phone. I like to interview in person.
OK, it sounds like you have gotten a lot of good question asked! What were they?
Again, the situation questions are always good. Like what you do if one of the kids in your bunk was bullying another kid (I was asked that). Or what would you do to make a camper who didn't have any friends in camp fit in with the rest of the bunk (I had that one also).
rockinsmiles
11-18-2005, 05:42 PM
i have to say situation questions are pretty good if you want to see how the person will respond to a situation. duh. haha. my interview was over the phone as well and it was nice because i already knew the director. he asked all sorts of questions...the hardest ones being: what have you done thats been creative lately? and what is one of the hardest situations who have dealt with and how did you handle it?
Fleur
11-18-2005, 08:02 PM
Heh. At my first interview for my current camp, one of the first questions I got asked was "Do you like working with kids?"
But situational questions are good too. I remember getting asked about how I would deal with a group of campers who did not want to participate in a certain activity. When I applied for a head staff position this year, my director did a bit of role playing with me where she acted like a staff who was causing problems, and I had to show how I'd talk with that staff about the problem.
who_stole_my_loofa
11-18-2005, 08:24 PM
I think it is important to ask question like what do you think your biggest flaw is and then ask about how they would deal with it in a situation. For example I remember I was asked this in my interview 3 years ago and I said that I am a perfectionist(which I am- but generally I don't care if other people are perfect I just care if my stuff or whatver I'm working on is) and then they asked me something along the lines of "ok what would do in a situation where the kids were doing cabin clean up and everyone was not spotless"
A lot of times when youre interviewing someone the questions should just be spontaneous and you should only refer to your sheet when the conversation is going dead. I think it's more important to see how the person can conduct themself.
camper
11-18-2005, 08:38 PM
haha i really like the roleplaying thing. i'll have to remember that for one day when i'm interviewing my own staff...
Indigo
11-18-2005, 10:47 PM
In my interview, one of the questions was to describe what I would do if I didn't get along with another counselor who I was with, and finally she did something to really push my patience past its limits. In my first interview I wasn't quite sure of the situation, so I said I'd walk away and calm down (thinking that arguing in front of the campers wouldn't be good), but in my next interview, I thought to mention that it depended on the situation, and I'd make sure the campers weren't left alone or under-supervised, and talk to the camp director when I could.
speedx5xracer
11-19-2005, 12:31 AM
I was asked the infamous zombie question one time. It works to test creativity and sense of humor i guess. What would you do if zombies invaded camp and you only had supplies found on camp and no mode of transportation off camp? that was the exact wording
CAMPFRIEND
11-19-2005, 02:19 AM
I was asked the infamous zombie question one time. It works to test creativity and sense of humor i guess. What would you do if zombies invaded camp and you only had supplies found on camp and no mode of transportation off camp? that was the exact wording
That is a new question for me. I think that I might have to use that one!
I was asked the infamous zombie question one time. It works to test creativity and sense of humor i guess. What would you do if zombies invaded camp and you only had supplies found on camp and no mode of transportation off camp? that was the exact wording
That's an interesting question. My camp wasn't that creative; I was only asked questions from this world. :P
Skater Bubbles
11-21-2005, 05:53 PM
I was asked what my best qualities were and what some of my flaws were. I was also asked if I had an experience where I really had to overcome something. I had to think about that one but then I used an example from when I was in the hospital for weeks and couldn't walk and stuff when I was in High School.
Flukie
11-22-2005, 09:40 AM
I think it is important to make sure you vary your questions with conversation. My first interview ever was exhausting - it was like, question after question after question. It took about an hour and a half. I don't remember ever just talking about camp or how camp would run or what I liked/disliked about camp.
My second interview was much more GS-centric with conversation and questions about my involvement outside of camp along with camp information and some questions geared towards camp.
My last interview? The director had been snowed in at the fire station on dispatch for the last 72 hours. Her husband had called in the numbers and names of the staff she was interviewing and she openly stated that she had no idea what she was going to ask and would just go with the flow of the conversation. Lol. It helped that she had also already seen me work at a weekend camping program at her camp.
That first interview was a long one, Flukie! :speechles
rockinsmiles
11-22-2005, 07:04 PM
Yeah my interview was only 30 minutes. then again i did know the director. however one of the counselor's interviews lasted that long (he was one of the best counselors too!). it shocked me cuz it sounded like 30 mintues was about average. i couldnt imagine it lasting over an hour!
CAMPFRIEND
11-22-2005, 08:07 PM
Thank you all for the great ideas!
code3cadet
12-03-2005, 11:25 PM
I had to sing on the public bus to get my job. they ask me to sing a camp song. at that time was was going to work for that day. so i was taking the bus beacuse my car was not working. all the people on the bus told me to shut up. the best part was when the bus diver kick me off the bus. what ever I got the job
Indigo
12-04-2005, 12:43 AM
One of my first interview questions was, if I was a sandwich, what kind would I be? I forget what I said... maybe a sub sandwich, to have some of everything!
Those are some strange questions you guys had. :P
CAMPFRIEND
12-04-2005, 11:23 AM
I had to sing on the public bus to get my job. they ask me to sing a camp song. at that time was was going to work for that day. so i was taking the bus beacuse my car was not working. all the people on the bus told me to shut up. the best part was when the bus diver kick me off the bus. what ever I got the job
I guess they wanted to see if you could be in the spot lite.. Well you got the job, that is all that matters.
code3cadet
12-04-2005, 01:16 PM
I guess they wanted to see if you could be in the spot lite.. Well you got the job, that is all that matters.
Ya that is what they wanted they made the staff that went to camp for one get hit with a pie
CAMPFRIEND
12-05-2005, 10:44 AM
Ya that is what they wanted they made the staff that went to camp for one get hit with a pie
Was that before you got the job? I can see that after you get the job. I guess that sould be a new part of my interview! I am sure that my staff would love it. I thought I was hard making them get up and sing a song out of the blue.
code3cadet
12-05-2005, 11:36 AM
Was that before you got the job? I can see that after you get the job. I guess that sould be a new part of my interview! I am sure that my staff would love it. I thought I was hard making them get up and sing a song out of the blue.
Ya that was before we got the job. to see if we would do it.
CAMPFRIEND
12-05-2005, 12:32 PM
Ya that was before we got the job. to see if we would do it.
Your camp is different! I am not sure that I would do all that.
code3cadet
12-05-2005, 12:36 PM
Your camp is different! I am not sure that I would do all that.
I did not do the pie I just have to sing on the bus only the kids that went to camp for there intrview had to do it.
That's some weird stuff your camp does! :P
Skater Bubbles
12-05-2005, 04:27 PM
Code3 what kind of camp was it that was interviewing you?
code3cadet
12-05-2005, 04:58 PM
Code3 what kind of camp was it that was interviewing you?
It was a rich kids camp. the kids have to pay around $3000 for two weeks of camp
camper
12-05-2005, 05:15 PM
haha code3cadet, what does that have to do w/your interview? my camp is about the same and the way my mom interviews people is not at all like that.
code3cadet
12-05-2005, 05:21 PM
oh and I for got to tell you that all the head staff are Australian's and they are crazy.
Skater Bubbles
12-05-2005, 05:29 PM
Code3 are you talking about Pali? Last year when I was looking for a new camp I applied to Pali cause it looked great, but I never heard back form them, which is ok because then I found the camp that I am at now and I love it. But Pali looked really great to me! Is it as good as it looks? Which specialty camp did you do?
code3cadet
12-05-2005, 05:35 PM
Code3 are you talking about Pali? Last year when I was looking for a new camp I applied to Pali cause it looked great, but I never heard back form them, which is ok because then I found the camp that I am at now and I love it. But Pali looked really great to me! Is it as good as it looks? Which specialty camp did you do?
ya I was art acadmy and Secret Agent Camp. It was fun. we have paint ball filds, ATV, dirt bikes and othere thing like that.
CAMPFRIEND
12-06-2005, 01:19 PM
ya I was art acadmy and Secret Agent Camp. It was fun. we have paint ball filds, ATV, dirt bikes and othere thing like that.
What camp do you work at?
code3cadet
12-06-2005, 01:37 PM
What camp do you work at?
I did work at www.paliadventures.com
code3cadet
12-06-2005, 01:56 PM
this is the are camp vidoe for staff http://www.paliadventures.com/pali_hiring_video.html
CAMPFRIEND
12-06-2005, 02:13 PM
It looks like a great camp!
code3cadet
12-06-2005, 02:18 PM
It looks like a great camp!
it was. at first and then it was hell
Skater Bubbles
12-06-2005, 02:56 PM
What made it hell?
code3cadet
12-06-2005, 06:27 PM
What made it hell?
Me I did not have to work as hard as i did. I worked 8 days with out a brack because My co counselor quit. i would go out of my way to see that the camper are getting there $3000 out of the camp. I could have been like all the other staff that made friends with each other and ignored all the campers that camp. At the end all the campers loved me but none of the staff did only the head staff did.
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