I want to be a Counselor for 2008 advice wanted

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andystroik
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I want to be a Counselor for 2008 advice wanted

Post by andystroik »

Hi,

I want to become a counselor for spring/summer 2008.
I haven't filed the paperwork yet but I took my school transcript to HR and it is uncertain weather or not I qualified.
But I am hopeful.
Any advice I would be appling for space side.
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Boomerang
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Post by Boomerang »

Well as far as the application goes not really much advice i can give except be honest on it.

If you dio get hired i have plenty of advice.

1. be prepared to work hard. Often counselors work 16 hour days sometimes 7 days a week. This isnt all the time and it also depends on iof you are hired as a counselor 2 or 3. If you are a 2 it will be l;ess unless you can work more but you get a little more flexibility with hours. If you are a 3 then you could reasily be working those kind of hours.

2. Training- they arent going to just hand you your wings and say you are a counselor. You do earn them. You will be trained to safely run every simulator that you need to know. You will be certified on them as well. You will also be tested on the acedemic information you need to know and it is alot. even if you have a lot of knowledge on space you can always learn more. Don't take for granted that you know it already. You will recive a trainign manual use it. Study it. And gobeyond it to other sources.

3. It sounds like you are from the huntsville area but if not and you will be living on sight. re,member you are required as an RA to take a week of on call every few weeks or so. Lewss often if you have alot of counselors living on sight. You will have to be in your room 11 pm -7 am those nights with brief times allowed outside. They do enforce this and you can get in trouble if you are not there. Be prepared to do this. As part of this make sure to bring a phone with you. A land line phone not a cell phone. You cant use cell phones on call. This was left off last summers packing list and alot of people were caught by suprise. Also be prepared if you are a male over 25 or female i believe its 21 or older with a fdrivers liscense you may be required to drive campers to the emergency room at night and stay with them. This is done on a rotating basis. This does not excuse you however from having to be up at 6:15 the next morning with a team.

4. Off sight activities. Be careful. Counselors ften go off sight to relax at night. Sometimes to bars or clubs. If you are living on sight dont come back seriously inebriated. At best you lose your RA priveledges, at worst you may be fired.

5. Romantic relationships- This happens alotr between counselors. there is no rule against it but be careful if it ends you still have to work with that person. And make sure to follow the rules regarding RA's in this department.

6- Ask yourself the following.
Can i work with trainees ranging from 7-18 and do i enjoy working with children?
Can i deal with the long hours and sometimes little sleep?
Do i have a genuine intrest in space and science?
Do i have a desire to have a once and a lifetime experiance that only a select few have had?
If you said no to any of these and be honest with yourself you may want to think twice about it. The job isnt all fun and games but its worth the hard work.

7- Have fun- i know i made it sound like the job is tough. it isn't for everyone if it was then everyone wuld do it. If you do become a counselor it is an experiance you will never forget you will make friends that you wuill want to keep for as long as you live. And its an experiance that will stick with you for the rest of your life. Enjoy it treasure it and above all savor every minute of it because it ends far to quickly.
Jason original callsign Loverboy
SC 1991
SA Level 1 1993
AC Intermediate 1996
ASA 1998
Corporate Space Camp 2005
AC Counselor Summer 07 callsign Boomerang
Adult Alumni Camp 2007
Adult Alumni Camp 2008
Official Space Camp Ambassador
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andystroik
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hi

Post by andystroik »

hello,
I was hoping you would respond
Boomerang. Because I am also handicapped I have
Cerebral palsy.
I only use a walker though.
I know I read your posts before and I am comfortable with almost anyone. I love being around people and I have loved the USSRC since my first trip!!!
I need a job to get the money to complete my college education and I thought why not try there.
I am not from AL but every time I leave camp I say to myself "why does it have to end.
SCI-VIS ASA Von Braun team member 2004-2006
SCIVIS mach 3 team black lions 2007
Max Carpenter award winner SCIVIS 2007
8/24-8/29 2008 Adult ASA 6-day
Team Kennedy
MS track
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Boomerang
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Post by Boomerang »

Ok with the cerebral palsey i do have a few other words of advice. You say you use a walker. Keep in mind you will be doing alot of walking as a counselor often times up hill and sometimes over rough terrain. You also need to beable to keep up with the trainees. Being in a wheel chair i managed but it wasnt always easy. often times even paved areas around camp are rough. Though the camp has made strides in disability access they still have a ways to go. I know you went as a camper but as a counselor the pace is even more intensive many days. I'm not saying you cant do it just wanted you to be awaree being a counselor is not easy when you are mobiliy impaired.

I also see you went to Sci Vis again i dont know the level of your vsion impairment but keep in mind it may cause problems as well. Wha they have in place for sci vis is not ormally there.

I hope you can do it and hope to see you there in january i just wanted to make it clear being a counselor is tough especially if you are impaired. J hope everything works out in this for you.
Jason original callsign Loverboy
SC 1991
SA Level 1 1993
AC Intermediate 1996
ASA 1998
Corporate Space Camp 2005
AC Counselor Summer 07 callsign Boomerang
Adult Alumni Camp 2007
Adult Alumni Camp 2008
Official Space Camp Ambassador
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JennieM
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Post by JennieM »

I have to agree with Boomerang. Even though I was a counselor 15 years ago, the rules then are the same as now.

Boomerang...LOVED #5. So true. :wink:
Adult Space Academy - September 1990
Space Academy Level I Counselor - Summers 1991, 1992, & 1993
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Boomerang
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Post by Boomerang »

Thanks Jennie. I know i made it sound tough on my post but i dont want people going into training with any illusions about this job. I saw people not make it because they were not prepared. And really i can only do so much in advice because its diffrent every year on how tough it is. This summer was particularly tough due to some problems with unbderhiring and high turnover this year looks like they are going for a very largre class i read in the alumni newsletter i think they said they are going for 120 counselors for january wjhich to me suggest they have lost more since i left. I know from talking to people last years january class wasnt this large. And not everyone makes it through training. Ussualy because they dont take it seriously enough or the job just isnt right for them but those who do get an amazing experiance that i wouldnt trade for anything in the world.

As for number 5 there werent too many relationships at camp this summer not that some didnt try. :oops: I think alot of it had to do with we seemed to be even more overworked than ussual this summer even the managers agreed it was a tough summer for that. But we also had counselors get in trouble for not following the RA Rules regarding relationships so it does happen. Its not worth getting in trouble over a romantic relationship take it off sight and be professional if you meet someone at camp. Its alot safer that way. There is one thing in training that i'll never forget. One day Colonel Bryson who helped found Aviation Challenge and now works in the top level management came by to address our group. He had all the non married men in the room stand up and told all the women to look around because some of them were looking at their future husbands. Guys were most;y turning red and i think it got the girls attention pretty well too but that one i wiont forget.
Jason original callsign Loverboy
SC 1991
SA Level 1 1993
AC Intermediate 1996
ASA 1998
Corporate Space Camp 2005
AC Counselor Summer 07 callsign Boomerang
Adult Alumni Camp 2007
Adult Alumni Camp 2008
Official Space Camp Ambassador
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andystroik
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Post by andystroik »

hi guy,

Thanks for the advice. i was turned down. because I have only 15 credits out of the needed 30 so close! :(
I will have the last 15 by next january though. I also am cattempting to conact HR one more time. though to see if anything I've done in the past will help.

I thank you for the advice.
SCI-VIS ASA Von Braun team member 2004-2006
SCIVIS mach 3 team black lions 2007
Max Carpenter award winner SCIVIS 2007
8/24-8/29 2008 Adult ASA 6-day
Team Kennedy
MS track
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JennieM
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Post by JennieM »

Boomerang wrote:I know i made it sound tough on my post but i dont want people going into training with any illusions about this job.
You are absolutely correct in your assessment. For us, we live for this. We have fun doing this. But we have to remember, parents are paying good money to send their kids to Camp and are expecting them to learn something about aviation and/or space. Then there is the liability factor. There is no way the higher-ups are going to turn a prospective counselor loose to run the equipment if they haven't been tested and tested and tested on it. What if a kid got hurt because their counselor didn't have a clue as to what they were doing. Can we say "Lawsuit!" No, not everyone graduates. You have to EARN your counselor's wings.

Back in my day, there were no rules regarding relationships. As such, oh my gosh!!! LOL It was always kept professional during the day, but do I have some stories. :wink: There was a certain AC couple...well...let's just say they had blastoff in the moon lander. :oops: And that's only one story of many...
Adult Space Academy - September 1990
Space Academy Level I Counselor - Summers 1991, 1992, & 1993
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Boomerang
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Post by Boomerang »

Actually you are right they dont have rules specificly about relationships. Mainly just some dues and dont's mainly all are common sense if you act professionally. Others are similar to rules for campers such as no males in female rooms and vice versa. Nothing specific but it applies in these cases especialy. Too bad about the credits. I have not heard back from HR yet but didnt expect too this early really.
Jason original callsign Loverboy
SC 1991
SA Level 1 1993
AC Intermediate 1996
ASA 1998
Corporate Space Camp 2005
AC Counselor Summer 07 callsign Boomerang
Adult Alumni Camp 2007
Adult Alumni Camp 2008
Official Space Camp Ambassador
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