General advice for working in a ski resort

General advice for working in a ski resort – guest post from Julian at www.bestskijobs.co.uk

Every year, a new wave of people (lets face it, mainly, though not exclusively, students who have finished their exams and want to take some time out before resuming their studies, or getting their feet ensconced behind a desk in an office somewhere), are struck by the idea that working in a ski resort would be the perfect way to pass the cold and wet British winter months. Given the choice of cold rain or fluffy snow, who can blame them? But not everyone has a clear idea or understanding of how ski resorts like La Tania work, nor how to find gainful employment that will allow them to live there.

The first thing to remember is that working in a ski resort is definitely not the same as holidaying in a ski resort. You have probably enjoyed some wonderful holidays on the snow, but save for your one day off a week, while you are there to work, you can forget about wandering about the centre of the village, trying to decide where to sit and people watch for the next few hours. There are not many jobs that will give you this much time off, certainly not if you are hoping for a decent wage.

As you will already know from this blog, ski resorts spend most of the summer months preparing for the winter season. Each year there is investment in transport, infrastructure, facilities and accommodation. Resorts prosper by attracting more holiday makers, and more people visiting ski resorts means more jobs need to be filled.

Choosing a resort
La Tania is a smaller and more family orientated resort than its 3 Valley neighbours like Meribel. If you do have the luxury of choosing a resort (most season workers will get a job with one of the bigger tour companies, and are then told where they will be working during the coming season) then smaller can often mean better value, and the beauty of the 3 Valleys is you can still ski in the bigger resorts and access their nightlife if that is important to you. You will also find that the most fashionable resorts attract the most CVs, so it is definitely worth searching away from the more popular areas.

Job Types
The main resort jobs fall into the categories of representatives for the ski companies, instructors of either skiing or snowboarding, child care staff, chalet hosts who look after the accommodation, chefs and catering staff who keep everyone fed, bar staff who keep everyone watered, plus a host of other occupations ranging from drivers to ski boot technicians. If you are already experienced in one of these areas then your decision is probably an easy one, but if you are completely new to resort work or work in general, then chalet staff is perhaps one of the easier jobs to get into. While chalet hosts generally have previous experience, cleaners and assistants are more often first timers.

Improve your chances
As with any type of work, the more experience you have the better your prospects. Mindful of this, many companies now offer very useful and practical specialist courses designed to teach you the skills that employers are looking for. Examples include chalet cookery courses, ski technicians and running a ski chalet.

Another way to improve your chance of finding work is to apply as early as possible. If you have not started applying until a couple of months before the first snows, then you may have left it too late as the majority of positions are filled during the summer months. Don’t be too disheartened though, while you will improve your chances by applying early, there are always drop outs, even once the season has started. So it is never too late to find work.

If working a season is an idea you want to pursue, there really is nothing stopping you heading out to a resort like La Tania to spend your winter living and working with the locals.

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