 Poster: A snowHead
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Over the last 6 weeks my life has changed beyond all recognition and part of this change has involved me quiting my job, my health is more important than a sh*t job that was just making me depressed and you only get one hit at life, i am 50 years old and have been skiing since i was 12, i would class myself as advanced and held an instrutors qualification in the military.
My desire is to sell up and go to a ski resort for a season, not bothered if it is paid or voluntary, is there any organisations that take volunteers or companies that will employ people without resort experience, my background is sales and marketing at which i have held positions at VP and director level for the last 15 years.
As i go through my epiphany any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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leedsunited, congratulations on having the courage to get out before it gets you. Might be a getting a bit late, but have a look on Natives and see what jobs are going for a start.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| leedsunited wrote: |
| My desire is to sell up... |
I'd start by not doing that.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Hells Bells, Many thanks for the encouragement it is very much appreciated, i have checked out natives and there are a couple of possibilities but lack of resort experience is a concern, i have also posted similar note over there so will see how it pans out.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Bode Swiller wrote: |
| leedsunited wrote: |
| My desire is to sell up... |
I'd start by not doing that. |
Unfortunately i've no choice in that one but i will put my share of the funds in the bank for when i come back.
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leedsunited, most resort staff start out there with no resort experience. At least you have life experience, and a career behind you.
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Hells Bells, Very true 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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If you've got experience of instructing, why not start with a pre-season course that will get you the necessary qualifications and then spend the rest of the season teaching. I think this is easier in places like Canada than France, but I'm sure it's possible.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| kieranm wrote: |
| If you've got experience of instructing, why not start with a pre-season course that will get you the necessary qualifications and then spend the rest of the season teaching. I think this is easier in places like Canada than France, but I'm sure it's possible. |
I am currently applying to BASI under their Grandfather Rights to convert my JSSI qualification to BASI Level 1 Alpine and i am advised that should enable me to apply for level 2.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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crumbs, I read that as, your wife had changed beyond all recognition!
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Disaster, That as well 
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You know it makes sense.
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leedsunited, Nothing practical to add but very best wishes to you
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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leedsunited, your age might count in your favour for a transfer-driving job, and lack of resort experience shouldn't really be a handicap. Good luck. 
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Poster: A snowHead
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To all many thanks for the support and advice, SH's as always being very helpful.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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You do not have to work.
I jacked everything in in 2008 and skied the winters of 08/09 and 09/10 funded by savings, rental income and the proceeds from market research freelancing. Do not underestimate the healing effects of not working at all. If you can afford to do nothing and just ski, then do nothing and ski.
Go somewhere that has an older crowd and, unless you have good language skills, some form of Brit community. I just couldn't deal with the T/O kids and I am 20 years younger than you are. It is late in the day to be doing this but I'd check out lodging in le Chable and Nendaz. Inter Agence in Nendaz are good and may still have stuff available. I'd also look at Cham although that isn't somewhere I've lived and have little knowledge of the community - mind you this place isn't short of experts.
If you are in Cham I would suggest doing some form of avalanche course early on, for obvious reasons but also because they are a good way to meet suitable people to ski with. All the courses I've done through Mountain Tracks or Avalanche Academy have been heavy on the seasonal workers.
Best of luck.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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right down the bottom of this website is some useful advice IMHO http://www.latania.co.uk/resort/workersguide.htm
Try contacting local companies directly. Check latania.co.uk for links / contact details. Next would be to try the ski operators / holiday companies (including smaller ones and foreign based ones). Touting yourself around the Ski Show at Olympia in October is always worth a shout too - lots of prospective employers about.
Finally if you've got some money saved up and can survive for a few weeks - why not get out here right at the end of November / beginning of December and start looking, make yourself known in the resort (and the bars), make sure everyone knows you're looking for work and usually something will turn up - someone is bound to get injured snowboarding on their first day off!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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leedsunited, do you have any handyman skills? I'm assuming, if you're ex-military, that you're fairly hands-on and practical? You could put a post on the Chalets Direct job forum bit, saying you will be in a particular resort and all the stuff you could offer(driving, snow-clearing, DIY etc.) - I think it's probably looked at more by independent chalet owners than others, a number of whom might be interested in hiring someone like you on a casual basis because they don't have the need/cash for a full-time seasonal employee.
Best of luck - it might well be that, after a season in the mountains, you think the timing of this whole life change turned out to be just right for you.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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leedsunited, now I think of it, the British Armed Forces hold their Alpine championships in Serre Chevalier (Chantemerle IIRC - where they certainly used to have an office). No idea whether there might be an angle for you there in some capacity, but your previous experience and the contacts in the area may be something worth looking into.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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leedsunited, wishing you all the best - and reading the thread with some interest as I am only 5 yrs older than you and have been contemplating doing a season on retirement (hopefully in 2 or 3 years time).
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Congrats!
What sort of work particularly are you looking for? Instructing, something related to your past work, any sort of general seasonnaire work (bar/chalet/etc), or just anything at all? Most 'normal' seasonnaire jobs shouldn't require any previous experience of the resort.
If budget isn't too much of an issue, why not 'bum' a season for maximum ski time?
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Tue 23-10-12 16:59; edited 2 times in total
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Freddie Paellahead, I am hoping to be doing the same, although I don't think retirement will be an option, and I might have to take hubby with me.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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the suggestion of getting out there early is a very good one. One of my sons went to Val D'Isere as a chef with an upmarket TO but parted company with them very early on, then had to find his own accommodation and freelance. There was plenty of work Christmas/New Year but January was lean pickings, and he had to work very hard on his networking (and his French is very poor). Then, of course, it picked up in the February/March holidays and he got on the books of a staffing agency which found him very lucrative jobs. He had a very specific skill (cooking) but I'm sure the same seasonality applies to all jobs. If you could make yourself some money working hard over Christmas/New Year, and are available for stuff like snow-clearing when (if....) there are big dumps in January, that should give you plenty of time to ski, then maybe spend more hours working in the very busy February period.
I would have thought that, going out on your own, a bit of a mix of work and play might make for a more satisfactory experience, overall, than just being a skibum. You'd meet a wider range of people and maybe even pick up some ideas about jobs into the future.
If you are thinking of going to France, I'd put in some weeks of really intensive work on French, before the season starts.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Congratulations , wish you the best of luck.
Have you thought about Nixmap?
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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leedsunited, Brilliant, hope it all works out for you. You have huge cajones!!!
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Canada? If the parley vous and sprechen zie are issues. And I guess there may be more of history of more mature Brits trying to make something of a life there. But just guessing and don't know where to start!
Good luck
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Poster: A snowHead
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Well done mate! It's worth having a look in chaletsdirect.com 's solution room - you might find something there. Make sure you don't waste your season working for one of the big TOs though... Have you looked at ski guiding? You might enjoy it!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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leedsunited, if you want to use your M&S (S&M?) skills, there's usually stagiere places in the resorts - possibly a little late, but sometimes people don't work out or can't commit etc. Try the tourist boards direct for leads. Do you have language skills you can bring too?
Sound as if you've done the right thing tho' congrats on having the balls.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Hey man, sorry to here about the reasons (if I'm reading right) behind it, but every cloud...............
This would be me:
| gorilla wrote: |
| You do not have to work. |
You could also maybe just book a room/buy a pass somewhere and see what turns up (probably EU only, Ca as mentioned will need a permit). Work tends to find people who have anything about 'em, and I'm sure most places have their fair share of dreamers who neck it part way through. Not sure about the teaching stuff, driving the transfer bus etc sounds more like it.
Isn't it Wayne(?) on here who advertises for bus driver/guide etc and throws in pass/accom etc? Whoever it is may be worth a PM.
Most importantly, good luck and all the best.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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mishmash, The problem with Canada is visas, alright if you just want to go for a few months and ski but difficult to work.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Quote: |
| and held an instrutors qualification in the military |
| Quote: |
| What sort of work particularly are you looking for? Something related to your past work.... |
In terms of something related to your past work, I've seen the French Foreign Legion skinning up the slopes in Tignes  . But seriously leedsunited, wishing you all the best. Keep us posted with updates on your adventure!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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leedsunited, can't seem to PM you - email me via this site and I can give you some personal ski school contacts.
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Sorry, I thought canada was a big commonwealth freebie hence all these aussies etc we have here and working the Whistler lift system. My error, but still maybe worth looking at long term..
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Offtopic but Aussies probably there under the WHP Canada - Working Holiday visa, granted in 2 year blocks repeatedly between ages of 18 and 30.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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valais2, many thanks got your pm and reply sent. Again to everybody thanks for the advice and encouragement it is much appreciated.
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Leedsunited, what are your ongoing employment circumstances?
Is your ski season going to part of your gardening leave? Are you retiring? Was a sabaticcal an option?
If you have some money, maybe you should think of starting your own business?
I wish you well, I hope you keep us posted in the future
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FAQ
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