Behind The Scenes: McKenzie’s UK Camp Job Story

Introducing McKenzie

Hello! My name is McKenzie, I am twenty-three years old and from a small town in Ontario Canada. Since I was fifteen, I have had the travelling bug and have wanted to work and live abroad but because of my fears, I did not get the chance to have this experience until this year. Truth be told I had given up on going abroad until I saw an advertisement for step abroad on my social media page, I decided then and there to face my fears and fulfill my long-time wish of working and living abroad. The Stepabroad team was very friendly, easy to communicate with, and eager to help me through every step of the process and made me feel less stressed and that things would be done correctly without any hiccups. I am grateful for the opportunity and once-in-a-lifetime experience that Step Abroad helped make happen.

Did the working culture in the UK differ from what you were accustomed to?

When I decided to live in the UK, I anticipated that there would be changes to the way the work culture would be but since I graduated from university not too long before coming to arriving, I was not sure what to expect or how it would differ from Ontario Canada. From the experience I have had, I would suggest that the work culture is friendlier, and people are more likely to want to get to know you and see you outside of work.

Tell us about a memorable interaction with your colleagues or supervisors that left a positive impact on your overall experience.

A memorable interaction I had with some of my colleagues that has impacted my overall experience would be how friendly and understanding they have all been and how they have helped me adjust to living away from home. When I first arrived, I was very scared and wanted to go home because I was uncomfortable in the new setting, but throughout my first few weeks, everyone checked up on me and did their best to make me feel as at home as possible which I will always appreciate.

Reflecting on your year in the UK, how do you think this experience will influence your future career choices and aspirations?

At the time I decided to work and live in the UK, I was unsure what avenue I wanted to pursue my career, but I knew I wanted to work with children. Working at camp solidified my choice to have a career with children but it also helped me make the decision of if I wanted to work hands-on with them or in the background.

Ultimately, I enjoyed being an activity instructor, but I came to realize that I am good at and feel fulfilled working behind the scenes helping make the children’s stay the best possible instead of running sessions all day. Now that I understand myself and my career aspirations a little better, I am ready to pursue my future career when I come back to Canada.

Did participating in the working holiday program offer you opportunities to engage with other participants from around the world? How did this multicultural environment contribute to your personal growth?

The working holiday program allowed me to have colleagues not only from the UK but also from countries such as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, and Portugal. I feel as though I have learned a lot from the multicultural environment at camp because everyone brings different strengths that they learned in their home countries through this, you learn new ways of doing tasks and problem-solving that you probably wouldn’t have known otherwise.

I have also had the experience of working with children from all over the globe and learning bits and pieces of their culture, language, and how they view the world which has positively changed my own perceptions of life.

What was the highlight of your time at camp?

Feeding off of the questions above, the highlight of my time at camp would be making friends from all over the world which is one of the reasons I chose to work here. Due to the living situation which is similar to dorms you spend all your time with your coworkers which results in some of the best bonds and friendships you will ever make. Currently, I have friends that feel as close as family from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and all over the UK and because of this, I can now travel to all those countries knowing that I have friends that I can visit.

Did you become a true ‘haggis connoisseur’ or were you secretly on a mission to try every type of deep-fried Mars bar in Scotland?

The food in the UK is different than the food in Canada although it does have its similarities. For example, the UK (at least Scotland) has chips and cheese which is as common as poutine is in Canada. One of my favorite dishes to eat in Scotland is a chippy otherwise known as fish and chips and have a deep-fried Mars bar for dessert. Although I have tried haggis, I will say it’s not for me and I will stick to eating deep-fried Mars bars but everyone who comes to Scotland should try both and the decision for themselves.

What was your favourite outdoor location?

I have a few favourite outdoor locations I would like to share. The first one is close to where I live and work in Scotland and is called the hermitage, it is a stunning location and great for photos and It has lots of mini waterfalls. The second location is Glencoe Scotland which has the three sister mountains on the west coast. If you go at the right time, you will see the fog/mist on the top of the mountain and the water running down them.

Were there any language barriers you had to overcome when interacting with locals or colleagues? How did you manage to bridge those gaps?

When I arrived in the UK, I did not expect there to be a small language barrier between myself and some of the locals. Simple words and phrases have very different meanings in the UK compared to Canada. Some examples I struggled with when I first arrived were trousers instead of pants, lorry instead of transport truck, bin instead of garbage, and chips instead of calling everything fries. I did not do anything to overcome the language barrier, over time you adjust to the way things are pronounced and the words that are used so much so that you use them yourself.

Can you share some insights into the type of work you were involved in during your time at the camp?

While at the camp I worked as both an activity instructor and a group leader as well as cross-departmentally in housekeeping and kitchen. As an activity instructor, you are in charge of running four sessions a day plus evening activities for the children whereas as a group leader, you can be in charge of a group anywhere between forty-eight and sixty children making sure their stay is pleasant and acting as the liaison between the camp and the leaders that came with the children.

What is one thing about the experience that you’ll never forget?

One experience I will never forget is a couple of my friends and I decided to do a spontaneous trip to the west coast of Scotland at 2 pm in the afternoon. We visited Fort Williams, Glencoe, and Oban all before arriving back on site in the pouring rain at 11 pm at night and we all had to work the next day. I was exhausted when I woke up, but it was worth it for the amazing views I got to see and the people I spent time with.