As their time is limited, students tend to focus on jobs that bring excitement or unusual experiences on a daily basis. Working in summer resorts is a popular option as demand for staff peaks in late spring/early summer, and volunteering abroad is a perennial favourite.

However, a small industry has sprung up to send students abroad to work at summer camps, particularly in the US. Freshers’ fairs across the country have stalls manned by BUNAC and CCUSA representatives, securing the next year’s crop of young people to spend 10 to 12 weeks looking after children at residential camps.

Alex Sawczuk was one such Manchester University student recruited by Camp America to work at Camp Shane in upstate New York when he was 20.

Unlike the general camp counsellor role, where the adult is responsible for a certain group of children and spends all their time with the same kids, Alex was an IT specialist as well and supervised the computer equipment for all campers to use.

He said: “Camp Shane specialises in weight loss and was a rather large camp. The camp itself is often involved in the media, and in fact during the summer of 2006 when I was working there they had TV crews from The Learning Channel  who were shooting a TV programme called Losing It: Tales from Fat Camp which followed several of the campers around through the time they spent there.”

Alex did not deliberately pick a weight loss camp, but applied to Camp America late in the scheme and had to take the first job offer he received, which was in late April, and began working in June.

There were several reasons for choosing to work abroad that summer: “One of my friends was doing a similar thing and I was keen to spend the summer out of the country too.

“As I was studying Computer Science at the time, my tutors were eager for me to spend the summer working in IT somehow. So when I applied I listed IT as one of my skills, as others often list sports instead.”

He did not need to be qualified to work for Camp America, but doubts he would have been placed in the IT specialist position if he did not have a background in computers. He found the day-to-day routine easy enough to cope with, if a little repetitive.

“At a summer camp you work six days a week and get three evenings off in that time. The rest of the time, you’re on duty. My typical day was the 8.30am wake-up call – boys got breakfast after the girls, but then we all enjoyed the extra hour in bed!

“Then everyone would go down to breakfast and eat, before coming back up and having to get down to the IT cabin for the first group of the day – the girls and boys timetables were offset by about half an hour to get everyone into the dining hall.

“We’d have groups in the morning followed by lunch, then several more groups in the afternoon followed by dinner. In the evening I’d once again be in there if on duty, when just anyone including staff can use the computers.”

One of the largest drawbacks to working at a summer camp is the low pay, as Alex found out, but as already mentioned the work experience and different culture can offset the financial side. Crucially, the camp provides the accommodation and food, so expenses are minimal.

Alex said: “The salary on Camp America is poor. You get basic pocket money of about $800 to $1000 for your first year and you’re on camp for about 10 weeks. However, you do get a free bed – but obviously in the same room as a bunch of kids!

“You have to pay various fees to Camp America and then they streamline the visa process. There are several agencies that can organise these things, I found out on camp that there were better alternatives to Camp America when you look at just costs and the amount of money you receive.”

However, Alex did not enjoy every moment of his time working abroad, largely because he felt constrained by camp protocol. He said he would recommend the overall experience, but thought the general counsellor jobs may give people more satisfaction than a specific position.

“If you like kids then going to be a camp counsellor can be pretty great, however the specialist jobs on the camps can easily become rather repetitive. You can have all these ideas and things you want to do, and often find yourself frustrated and unable to do them.

“In the end for the main course of my stay my job became nothing more than an internet monitor, making sure people didn’t hog the computers for too long – and understandably I found this rather frustrating and boring after a while. I didn’t intend to come all the way across the Atlantic to waste my summer doing nothing much on the internet.”

There were obvious upsides to the summer spent in the US, as Alex explained: “Meeting so many people out there, the first week before the kids was brilliant and more like Freshers’ Week at university with a little bit of work mixed in there.

“Then, once the kids initially arrived it was good to meet them all, and it was very interesting seeing all these kids and how they get on – or don’t in some cases.”

Yet even the social side of being a camp counselor was affected by his specialist IT role: “I found myself drifting away from people who I’d got on well with in the first week as I found myself pushed off into this tiny little room for the majority of the summer. I think I’d have preferred to just be a normal counsellor and see everything.

“The other big negative was the food. This was a weight loss camp and the food portions were rather stringent and rather poor quality. Often the meals just didn’t do anything for me.

“Being 6-4 and rather skinny, I often found myself incredibly hungry despite taking seconds or thirds. I quite often found myself going to Burger King or McDonalds, which was a 20-minute walk away from the campsite – mainly as that was the closest cheap food!”

Working in the US gave Alex the travelling itch, and now he has finished his degree he wants to get more IT experience in foreign climes.”

“The experience is definitely one I’d recommend to students to do one summer while they’re at university,” he said. “However, I’d say just be a general counsellor rather than a specialist if possible, as then you’ll get the biggest range of activities, as well as properly getting to know your campers.”

The hospitality sector is a huge employer during the summer months, as hotels, hostels and campsites need staff to look after their guests. Jade Leeming, 20, from Skipton in North Yorkshire, spent almost four months working in France as a camp courier for Canvas.

She worked at Le Bois Masson campsite in western France, near a seaside town called St Jean-de-Monts in the Vendee, from May 26 to September 10 in 2008.

She heard about the job while completing a BTEC in Travel and Tourism at Craven College, as her tutors passed on details of vacancies to their students. After applying through the company website, she attended an interview and was matched to an available campsite. People out of education who like the sound of the job can find out about Canvas’ summer 2011 vacancies here.

She said: “During the day I had to clean customer accommodations and make sure they were ready for the customers coming in after 2pm. When guests arrived in the afternoon, we would show them to their accommodation, and give them a brief introduction to the site.

“We took it in turns to do night duty, which entailed being on call if anything needed doing or if late arrivals came in. I had one full day off a week, as well as a few hours here and there.”

Jade’s motivation for working abroad was to gain experience for her later career. She said: “I’ve always liked travelling, so by working abroad for a summer I knew I would gain more experience to do it later and gain a better job within the travel and tourism industry.”

Her wages came to about £600 per month, leaving about £500 after accommodation and living expenses were deducted, yet Jade acknowledged that not every company provides food, accommodation or travel expenses for their employees.

However, she was happy with how well Canvas looked after her travel arrangements.

“My flights were all organised by Canvas themselves. They booked a flight for me from Stansted to Nantes airport, and it was an hour-long train journey to the campsite from there. I was fine without a visa because I’m from an EU country but people from other countries would need to apply for a work visa before they arrived.”

Was previous experience necessary to get accepted for the job? “Well, I had a head start because I spent the two years beforehand doing a BTEC, but speaking to other people, most of them had degrees or some sort of qualification but nothing specific. Some of the reception staff who had to interact with the foreign guests everyday had to be nearly fluent in that language, but that was pretty much the only qualification needed.”

Living in a country which speaks a different language might pose a problem for some, but Jade managed to get by on schoolgirl French. She said: “I did French at school so I knew the basics and could string a conversation together! I was not always perfect but the French staff were happy to help me and correct my worst mistakes. Being immersed into the community really helps and makes you learn the language faster – you pick up things without even realising, which was good. Also, the French staff helped a lot with anything you didn’t know.”

Although setting up her future was one of her main aims for working abroad, Jade said the best part of her time in France was gaining her own independence. “I basically lived on my own for the summer, which makes you learn a lot for yourself. I made loads of great friends who I still keep in contact with, so it lasted much longer than a summer.”

Surely spending the best part of four months abroad must have had its low points as well? Jade struggled to find anything to criticise, and finally came up with: “Probably the amount of luggage I could take with me, as I was only flying budget so the limitation of 17KG for four months was not a great. I ended up having to pay about £60 excess when I travelled out!”

And if that is all she can find fault with, it must have been a fantastic summer working in France!

I was a podium Dancer for one on the most popular bars on Magalluf Strip – Alex’s.

Why did you choose to work there?

I went there on holiday the previous year and loved it. I knew I wanted to go back and try and get a job there for the summer. Alex’s plays the best R&B music around so I thought I would love to work there.

Magaluf Club Jobs - Be a Podium Dancer

How did you find the job?

I just walked in and asked for the Manager and said ‘have you got any jobs going’ which is the way most people find jobs there. You don’t need a CV for bar work, PR work or as a Dancer even though I have been learning to dance for years, I didn’t need to prove it.

Do all pubs and clubs there employ dancers?

The main bars and most popular ones may have dancers but for only a few hours a night when it is the busy time.

Did they interview you?

No, if they like you, they give you a trial night, which meant you would give the job a go for a night and if you were any good you would get hired and get paid for that night!

What was your day to day routine then?

I was very lazy during the day as I was dancing from 10 each night until 4 in the morning. I didn’t tend to get up till around 2, but that was ok as the sun was still strong so you could still go to the beach and get a tan! After the beach I tended to just go and chill out at one of the bars ­ Alex’s lounge was my fave, it’s a chill out lounge and there are three different bars. Alex’s Indie, Alex’s R&B, and Alex’s Lounge. During the day Alex’s Lounge is very popular for the workers as everyone would tend to go there late afternoon to hang out and have a drink or 2!

What was the salary like?

The salary was average 50 euros a night, (about £28) maybe during mid season if you’re doing well it would go up to 60 a night.

Is accommodation included?

Not with the job but there is a lot of accommodation available locally. We had a flat 30 seconds walk (crawl) from Magalluf strip. The cost of our apartment with kitchen and bathroom was 350 euros a week which sounds steep but when there are 4­5 of you sharing its not so bad! Ours was a two bed apartment with a bed settee in the lounge. You could get cheaper ones than that, there’s a lot of choice.

Would you recommend working as a dancer?

Yes I would, you don’t have to have qualifications in dance, you just need to show that you are there to have a good time and that you are a hard worker. Also, when I was working out there my shifts were 6 hours a night 6­7 days a week, it was hot and I lost over a stone in weight through the constant exercise, so stamina is definately needed.

Well everyone knows that Magalluf is the party capital but are there other things to do like sports/beach/tourist attractions?

There are plenty of things you can do, lots of excursions, but the shopping trips are the best days out! Palma is an amazing city. Down at the beach there are a lot of water sports, jet skis, banana boats, lots of things to keep you and your mates happy…

Tell us about the worst and the best bits?

The best thing is that you don’t have to rush all the time like a lot of people do in England you just take your time to chill, relax… Plus earning the money by doing something I love is even more of a bonus!

The worst bits I would say are the hangovers the next morning, but the beach and smelling that sea air soon sorts you out! You make so many new friends and soon enough you’re part of a little community and you all know each other and get on really well, there wasn’t one person I disliked out there!

Do you plan to work abroad again?

Yes! I heard it rained all summer in the UK when I was in Magalluf last year! I’ll be back there in March to have a break before starting the same job, to meet more new people and catch up with the old ones…Can’t Wait!

Do you feel this experience will help you with your career?

Yes, very much so as I want to be a professional dancer and to dance in a hot country for 6 hours a night 7 days a week will give me experience of what’s expected of you as a dancer.

Work at a Club on Mallorca

There are literally hundreds of bars, clubs and restaurants along the strip and they are constantly looking, if not relying on Brits to come over and work. After all, the majority of tourists are from the UK and who would understand a slurred, drunken order from a Brit than another Brit?

Don’t just rely on what I tell you, if you search the web today you will find dozens upon dozens of sites proclaiming that “Ibiza is dead! Long live Magaluf!” For instance, the BCM Club is the biggest in Mallorca and for one entrance fee you get three all-inclusive bars on 3 floors, which takes out the hassle of constantly handing over cash and queuing is a thing of the past. You also get lost of free goodies (we all love a freebie!) now, doesn’t that sound like a nightclub fit for a King?

Apart from this, quite literally amazing club in my opinion, there are lots of other venues that all offer a different twist on a night out. Consequently, there are lots of jobs, hundreds even, on offer in these places including; bar staff, cocktail waiters, dancers or promoters – whatever takes your fancy really. It’s essential though that you fully understand that these clubs stay open until the very wee hours of the morning. So, if you are the sort of person that takes on homicidal tendencies when you don’t get your eight hours, you may want to think twice about such jobs.

Of course, most people tend to adjust to working what is essentially a night shift, but you still have to be fully committed – it can be bloody hard work!

If you are not the kind of person that can handle booming trance and indie music in your eardrums for hours on end and would prefer a more sophisticated summer experience, Mallorca still has something to offer – Porti Pi. Picture a town that oozes class and distinct style, which is a playground for the rich and famous. Many celebrities have yachts moored in the summer months including apparently Peter Stringfellow (form an orderly queue ladies…thought not!)

The good thing about working in Porti Pi is that you can have the best of both parts of Mallorca. You can walk into Magaluf for a night as it’s walking distance away and enjoy the calming pace and tranquility of working in Porti Pi. If you have a nautical element to your CV you could look for work on yachts (maybe you’ll meet a celeb or two!). The good thing, if that interests you, is that they seek people at all times of the year – so you have far more choice when to work. If sailing isn’t in your blood and the prospect of boarding any boat instantly makes you want to projectile vomit, fear not, there are endless bars, restaurants, and rich families in need of nannies in and around the area of Palma Nova.

Why did you choose to work there?

Because it was a decent bar in Kavos, had a good DJ and a good boss.

How did you find the job?

Get a Club PR Job in Kavos, Corfu

Turned up in Kavos on the 1st May on my own, had a few days to chill out then went to some bars asking if they had any work. Most places did so it was my own preference and the quickest start time that helped me choose (they all pay roughly the same).

What was your day-to-day routine?

I’d wake up mid afternoon, go get “breakfast,” go swimming or to the beach with mates, then to a bar for a few drinks and a restaurant for dinner – if you get to know restaurant owners they give you good discounts. Then go to work at about 8pm and PR until about 1am – 2am (I worked at one of the earlier shutting bars) then on to a few bars before going to the clubs. Again, you get to know bar owners so get cheap drinks!

What was the salary like?

25 euro per night, sometimes a bit more.

Is accommodation included?

No – I lived with a mate I met out there, we shared a twin room with kitchenette, shower and balcony. It was pretty nice and was only 6euro each per night. Air con was available as well for an extra 2euro/night.

Would you recommend this type of job?

Yes! At first I wanted bar work but I’m glad I was PRing as I got to meet so many people and it’s a good laugh, plus you can get hammered on the job for free!

Do you need to be qualified?

No.

What’s the nightlife like?

It’s brilliant every night, as there are so many bars to choose from – most have poles – and there are always good deals on various drinks in almost all the bars. You get to meet people, have a laugh and then you get a new load of people the next week and do the same again.

Are there other things to do like sports/beach/tourist attractions?

Yes, there are loads of watersports, including wakeboarding, jet skiing, and ringos. The beaches around Corfu are really nice, better then the Kavos beaches. Ibiza town has some really good shops and if you’re into sightseeing, has some good attractions apparently.

The water park is a good laugh, it’s got a massive wave machine and loads of slides, and it’s only 40 minutes away. In Kavos you also have astro-turf football pitches, quads and bikes for rent, bowling, pool, cinemas, bars playing new DVDs throughout the day and night and the rest of your typical holiday activities.

What’s so good about working out there?

You’re surrounded by people in great spirits, all out there for a laugh, there’s great weather every day and you can go swimming in any hotel pool as they’re all public.
The nightlife is even better – again everyone’s up for a laugh, the bars are busy from 9 at night ’til the last club closes at 6am or something like that.

Tell us about the best and worst bits!

The gypsies can get a bit irritating but just ignore them… but they have been known to pick-pocket.

Are there any negatives?

Just the gypsies.

Did you make some new friends?

Yes, you meet so many people – workers, tourists and locals. Over a year on I am still in contact with many friends from Kavos, as well as a number of PRs and DJs and a local who was a barman at our bar.

Do you plan to work abroad again?

I would like to, and possibly will. I’d try somewhere else though as I wouldn’t want to ruin the experience I had by going there twice.

Do you feel this experience will help your career?

Yes, it has been a good confidence booster for me, going out there on my own and meeting new people.

Do you have any advice for people who want to become a PR?

If you get to the resort early in the season, like April or May, you have a good chance of getting a few job offers and you can decide what suits you. It’s the same in most top resorts but you have to be prepared to be there for a few weeks while it’s still pretty quiet and the holiday season hasn’t started. Shame really – spending your days on the beach, playing footie and relaxing with a good book! : )

Where are you working?

I work at Hush in Ibiza.

Sam - Working as a DJ in Ibiza

What job are you doing?

Resident DJ and Music co-coordinator.

Why did you choose to work there?

I played at Hush in 2005 and was asked back to be the resident DJ for the following year.

What’s your day to day routine?

Sleep, eat, sunbath, work.

What’s the salary like?

Very good.

Is accommodation included?

No I had to find my own apartment.

Would you recommend this type of job?

Yes to anyone that is serious about DJing.

Do you need to be qualified?

No but you do need a skill.

What’s the night life like?

Amazing, we’re talking about Ibiza here, the party capital of the world.

Are there other things to do like sports/beach/tourist attractions?

Apart from Raving, Ibiza is a beautiful island with lots to do.

What’s so good about working there?

I’m doing my dream job 5 nights a week and on my nights off I’m seeing my fave DJs play.

Did you make some new Friends?

Yeah you make new friends everyday but the best part is seeing old faces that come out every year.

Tell us about the best and worst bits!

The best thing is you get to party with all your friends when they come over on holiday, I can’t think of anything negative about spending the whole summer in Ibiza, anyways I don’t think you could publish any stories I could tell you (laughs). If you’re looking for work at a European beach resort then try Ibiza for sure.

My best memory is playing @ Amnesia for Cream with Steve Angelo. It has been a lifelong ambition to play at a super club in Ibiza and that was made possible last summer…I was shaking so much with adrenaline when I finished that I nearly collapsed, all my friends were there to support me.

I also run my own night in Ibiza with a brilliant team, the night is called La Vita. We launched the brand in London last year and then decided to take it to Ibiza, we had an amazing summer and now look to take the brand to other countries as well as Ibiza again this summer! Our overall aim is create awareness for breast cancer and already we have raised over £10,000 which we have donated to Breakthrough!

Do you plan to work abroad again (or have you since you worked there)?

Yes I will work in Ibiza every year until my body can’t take it anymore.

Do you feel this experience will help you with your career?

Yes it’s helped 100%; it’s given me the confidence to play to crowds from all over the world.

Out of interest did you go to College or Uni in the UK?

No, I always knew I wanted to play records besides I didn’t have time for further education as I was always out partying.

What advice do you have for people who want to work in Ibiza this summer?

Well read this magazine for starters! And the best website to use is www.ibiza-spotlight.com it has apartments, club nights, tickets, etc….for jobs check out the Ship Inn when you get here and try and get here as early as April if you can so that you can check out what’s happening and tell people about yourself. Remember that thousands of people come to Ibiza and want to work for the summer, so you have to be good at what you do and be prepared to work hard in any job or your boss has another 1000 people to choose from that will do anything just to stay on the island.