There are very few jobs where you can claim you have taught a child how to jump on a horse, created a giant paper mache toothbrush, impersonated Elvis and acted as a choir master all in the one day. If you are reading this wishing that was your job, maybe it's time you considered summer camp.

I have had the privilege to work at two summer camps now and it is an experience I have treasured, and one I could not have done without the help of BUNAC. There are a lot of companies out there offering the same services as them - Camp America, CCUSA, etc..but BUNAC has proved to be the most cost-effective way to have your working adventure.

WHAT DO BUNAC DO?

All the tricky bits! Obtaining a US work visa is near impossible without the aid of a company like this, and almost every camp will not even consider hiring an international counselor unless they are using one of these companies, and some have their preferences of who you use.

BUNAC act as a sponsor for your visa, and guide you through all the confusing paperwork. They will literally hold your hand and guide you through the battlefield of baffling terms and daunting forms.

I should also mention that BUNAC not only help people if they are wanting to work at a camp, but they have programmes in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Work America for those not wanting to work at a camp. All these progammes are open to young people although some require you to be a student and have proof that you will be returning to full-time education on your return.

As I have only had personal experience with the Summer Camp USA programme, that is what I will be talking about in this review.

COSTS AND INFO REGARDING THE PROGRAMME

The first year you use BUNAC, you are required to have them schedule your flights. You can either find your own placement using various camp job sites such as www.campjobs.com, or have them choose one based on your preferences, skills and abilities. You will attend an interview where they can assess where you would be happiest placed. Even if you have secured a placement yourself you will be required to attend an interview so they can double-check you are suitable for the job. On your first year you will also have to attend an open day, which like the interviews are held in several major cities, where you are able to ask questions, possibly meet others going to the same camp, and hear speakers talk about their experiences.

To apply you must join BUNAC, which costs £5, and a programme registration fee of £141. You also need to take out BUNAC's insurance policy which is £133. There is then a £55 visa processing fee, which you would have to pay with whichever company you went with, making the total application cost £334. BUNAC will then deduct the cost of your flights from the wages you receive from camp. The 2008 wages run at $935 for under-21s and $1075 for over-21s. I actually received the higher payment even though I was under-21 because I worked at a riding camp where barn staff were paid more than other staff, but wages are negotiated between your camp and BUNAC and, as you can see, working at a camp is very much for the experience and not for the money.

If you return the next year or any year after that to the same or a different camp, you can opt to arrange your own flights, meaning whatever salary the camp and yourself have decided upon is yours to keep, no deductions by BUNAC. The registration fee you pay depends on when you apply, but is between £195 and £255. There is also an option for BUNAC to arrange your flights and deduct $1095 from your wages, so depending on the price of flights it might be worth it. (This price does not include the embassy fees and criminal background check you are required to have).

Also remember that if BUNAC arrange your flights, you are able to change them if you want to stay travelling for longer after camp, which you may not be able to do with your private travel arrangements.

My paychecks always looked considerably healthier than my fellow international counselors who were there using different companies.

BESIDES FINANCIALLY, HOW DO BUNAC SUPPORT YOU?

BUNAC staff are second to none. They are always helpful and friendly, and explain everything thoroughly. Paperwork is sent in the right order so that you don't get confused, along with thorough guides on filling it out. You then send everything back so they can go through it and check it all looks good. They will call or write if they have any queries and always keep you informed on what will happen next.

On the day you go for your embassy visa to obtain your J1 visa, you will go to the BUNAC offices where they have a packet of all your paperwork ready for you. You are sent detailed directions which even suggest travel options for the journey to London. Staff at the office will check through everything with you, and direct you to the embassy if you are unsure, reminding you to get there in plenty of time.

The interview itself is very straightforward, although you will have to wait for hours. Afterwards your passport with the visa attached will be sent to you in the post.

ONCE I'M THERE, WILL THEY FORGET ABOUT ME?

Definitely not! BUNAC make a point of coming to visit at some point during the summer to make sure you are okay. There is also a freephone number you can call if you have any queries or want to change your return flights, which I did the first year I went without any problems at all.

WHAT ARE THE FLIGHTS LIKE?

The year I used BUNAC flights, it was on Virgin Atlantic and another counselor from my camp was on the flight so we were introduced and seated together. You do have to pay a supplement if you want to fly from a different airport although these are fairly limited so you're most likely to go from Heahtrow or Gatwick.

BUNAC flights fly into limited airports, so you might have to have a bus journey afterwards, so often a night in New York is included before you get the bus the next day. I was lucky that my camp agreed to pay for me to fly to Washington instead.

The problem with the return flights is that you don't get the details until fairly last minute. I was at the other end of the country and needed to make flights to get to my BUNAC flight, but at that point I didn't even know if it was leaving from Newark or JFK! When I finally found out it was Newark, the only flights I could get were a lot of hours earlier so I waited a long time to check in (although I did bump into a camp friend once I was there!).

ANYTHING ELSE I NEED TO KNOW?

I could write pages and pages on what the job itself is like, but that would be another review. This was about BUNAC and I highly recommend them if you are thinking of camp, as you will definitely see more of your wages then using competitors. A lot of camps only like their international staff to use BUNAC because of the great care they take of people enrolled with them. The fees really aren't excessive considering that without them you wouldn't be able to get a visa, and the own-arranger return programme is a definite bonus, it made everything much cheaper for me and meant I could be more flexible with my after-camp plans.

The only downside would be that you have to use their insurance which is quite expensive, but I think that maybe American employers cant use their workman's comp for foreign staff, and ordinary travel insurance wouldn't cover work-related injuries, so it's just what you have to do. A girl at one of my camps had to use hers when she had an accident and BUNAC were really great getting all her costs sorted although she unfortunately did have to go home as she wasn't able to work with her injury :(

www.bunac.org