 Poster: A snowHead
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queen bodecia, your job actually sounds OK, I can see why that would appeal to you if you don't like cooking and housework. Personally I love cooking and so I'm a more natural candidate for a chalet host's job.
I should mention that I was repping for a school group, so I probably had a bit less flexibility than a general TO rep might get.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Quote: |
Just out of intrest why would a lack of French stop anyone being a rep?
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Unfortunately it doesn't, but it ought to, if only to stop them constantly pestering the nearest French-speaking hotel manager to do their job for them. 
Reps are supposed to be able to talk to bus drivers, doctors, the police, ticket office staff, ski school etc etc. You can generally bank on getting at least a bit of English out of ski school and the ticket office, but not the average bus driver.
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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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| Lizzard wrote: |
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Just out of intrest why would a lack of French stop anyone being a rep?
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Unfortunately it doesn't, but it ought to, if only to stop them constantly pestering the nearest French-speaking hotel manager to do their job for them.
Reps are supposed to be able to talk to bus drivers, doctors, the police, ticket office staff, ski school etc etc. You can generally bank on getting at least a bit of English out of ski school and the ticket office, but not the average bus driver. |
The best jobs in resort go to those who can speak french - simples
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Lizzard, agree on the sales thing. Although I don't think I've ever had the hard sell on a skiing holiday. Now 18-30s that was the hard sell, and they didn't talk to you the rest of the week if you didn't buy the whole package!
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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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| James the Last wrote: |
| Or go and work for Nixmap where you'll only work 2 days a week and there's no pay. But he prefers couples. |
I prefer couples mostly for companionship and we easily have room for it. Naturally, it would seem like work for one person rather than two just lending a hand. Still as my kids get older 7 and 11 in 2013 as opposed to 3 & 6 when I originally started, then I guess there is a lot less to do these days.
Millie10 - feel free to contact me if you want more info, I also have some friends that might be interested on a similar basis with a different setup even better suited for one person.
Probably best by private messages as I dont think the forum quite has the energy for a "Ski for free 2013" thread this early in the year. 
N
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I think the nixmap, deal sounds like a good one. I noticed he said on the "Switzerland is expensive" thread that "you get what you pay for".... which means he obviously expects you to do absolutely zilch 
Millie10, I know you said you want a break from physio so this is just a back up suggestion, but I did meet someone last year who did a season working as a physio (Verbier I think it was) and who got a pretty good deal on the accommodation/cash/ski pass etc. front and it sounded like she had a lot of free time to ski and a very good social life.
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bobmcstuff,
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Repping looks like a hell of a lot of work from what I saw, they seemed to be on the go all day every day
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Ah, that reminds me of an important aspect of the job which is to look as though you're busy all the time.
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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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| Quote: |
The best jobs in resort go to those who can speak french - simples
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Depends what you mean by 'best'.
Resort manager - ridiculous working hours, loads of grief from all directions, minimal skiing. About £900 pcm (whcih usually works out at an hourly rate of less than your staff get)
Hotel manager - more or less as above
Rep - busy weekends, unrealistic sales targets, grief from resort manager determined to pass it on, daily ski time. About £350 pcm
Chalet host - one busy day, housekeeping and being nice to people, daily skiing. About £300 pcm plus tips
Dishpig - one busy day, daily skiing, no responsibility whatsoever. Under £200 pcm
If I were about to go back to that sort of thing, I'd be doing chalets, which requires no language ability at all.
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| Lizzard wrote: |
| If I were about to go back to that sort of thing, I'd be doing chalets, which requires no language ability at all. |
But wouldn't that involve being nice to people?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Lou, only between the hours of 8-10am and 6-10pm
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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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Nadenoodlee, which anyone can manage.
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[quote="Lizzard"]
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Resort manager - ridiculous working hours, loads of grief from all directions, minimal skiing. About £900 pcm (whcih usually works out at an hourly rate of less than your staff get)
Hotel manager - more or less as above
Rep - busy weekends, unrealistic sales targets, grief from resort manager determined to pass it on, daily ski time. About £350 pcm
Chalet host - one busy day, housekeeping and being nice to people, daily skiing. About £300 pcm plus tips
Dishpig - one busy day, daily skiing, no responsibility whatsoever. Under £200 pcm
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You forgot
Nixmap volunteer - Own appartment - good friendship - household chores, a few dinner parties, ski every day - nothing in the week. £0 occasional tips (I heard)
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You know it makes sense.
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Remember when you said:
| nixmap wrote: |
I dont think the forum quite has the energy for a "Ski for free 2013" thread this early in the year.
N |
Give it a rest. You made a comment, I made a joke... but this thread isn't about 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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| miranda wrote: |
Remember when you said:
| nixmap wrote: |
I dont think the forum quite has the energy for a "Ski for free 2013" thread this early in the year.
N |
Give it a rest. You made a comment, I made a joke... but this thread isn't about you. |
I understand what you mean, but jokes with that kind of attack angle are only meant to provoke a response, so either you are less smart than you sound or you got the response you wished for. Either way its hard to agree that I sent the thread off topic.
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Poster: A snowHead
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nixmap, I'm very sorry you felt attacked by my joke. Let's move on.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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My advice is save up money, buy a ski pass early, find some cheap accom, then look for some part time work to keep you going whilst you are there
My friends did 10 weeks in Whilster last year with 4k. Other mates have a flat for 4 people thats 600 euros a month. Thats 750 euros per person for the season, and a season pass is about 800 euros if you dont have a job contract. 2-3 grand would give you a comfortable start... (France)
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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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Mea culpa.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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My daughter is doing her first season with Crystal - she's a Chalet host in Riders Lodge in Tignes - she did Uni first so this is in effect her gap year - she does comment how she's glad she is not a Rep and from the stories we hear being a Resort Manager must be really tough, so all credit to queen bodecia, she likes the Chalet Host even if the hours are well OTT but she skis pretty well every day, works her butt off, gets great end of week 100% reviews, and is having a great time - a real case of work hard play hard!
She didn't have an interview as she did a Natives Cookery Course and on one day were mock interviews, and the person doing the interviews was from Crystal, then the following week she had a phone call from Crystal offering her a job based on the dummy interview, very shrewd of Crystal to get in there on the course!
On the course were quite a few guys and it seems, especially being up at Kingston seeing them all depart, that it's pretty well 50/50 - well gone are the days of the Chalet girl - in fact my daughter is the only girl in a team of five!
Looking at all the comments above, if you're going for the skiing and the craic then be a lowly chalet host / driver / cook - no responsibility, plenty of time on the hill and not having to deal with idiots who complain that it's not the right type of snow or why there is no dinner for them when they arrive at 03:00 after a delayed transfer 
Daughters blog, though she has not updated it for a couple of weeks http://www.anotherharddayattheoffice.co.uk/seasonairehead.html
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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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Surely the point is that not all TOs operate like Crystal. There will be some less mass-market ones around, for whom very different considerations will apply. It's no use assuming that a small, up-market company will have the same types of job available as the big boys.
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Oh, I almost forgot, if you're interested in being a chalet host, a Chalet Cookery course from these guys will work wonders for your job prospects:
http://www.orchardscookery.co.uk/aboutUs/
The week's course is also a massive amount of fun and will teach you loads about cookery and time management... and possibly how to work in a high pressure environment with your other half without stabbing them or burning them 
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ap96, those courses look good - woudl be nice for cuztomers if all chalet hosts had been on somethign like that!
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kat.ryb, glad you approve, because I speak from personal experience! Put it this way, I *thought* I was good cook until I went to Orchards...
It's a bit like Masterchef now I think about it - having to learn stuff really quickly and then cooking to a deadline using unfamiliar equipment and techniques and trying to manage your stress while getting the job done. All with the ultimate aim of learning how to be super-efficient so you can get more time up on the mountain...
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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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Thank you for all the replies. I have a meeting with the big boss lady on the 29th to discuss a career break so fingers crossed!
I did think about doing a season and not working but pretty sure id rather have a go working, can always have a go doing it the other way later in life.
Im so useless at cooking that i dont even think a weeks cooking course could help me haha. How ever im a good public speaker, have good communication skills and am friendly and aproachable so hopefully somwone will give me a job lol
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If I was to do another season I'd save as much cash as I could in an effort to only work on a part-time basis. But I'd still work, if only to meet people and to pay for more skis.
Millie10, I'm sure it wasn't too long ago you were asking about advice for your first trip?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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My £0.02, I did three seasons a while ago:
First two were as a barman, all French staff bar me. 2 days off a week, 3 2pm starts, 2 6pm starts and finish between 12.30 and 1.30 depending on how busy the bar was. Also included was an evening meal on the days I worked plus an apartment. We got a decent wage, £1200 a month I think plus tips. I skied most days, loved the work, really improved my French and came out £3500 in credit at the end of the first season. (Second season involved a couple shoulder dislocations, some skiing with my shoulder gaffer taped to my side, alcohol consumption far in excess of anything achieved before or since, marked weight gain and little to show financially)
My last season was as a rep for a small ski company. Not too many guests (only 50 – 200), pretty switched on clientele, no sales targets and more ski time than I could shake a stick at. Less money but I could pretty much ski first till last lift 6 days a week. Great company to work for and a fantastic season.
Rep-ing is what you make of it and who you work with. As a solo rep, if you’re organised, good at your job and actually motivated to ski, you’ll get out 5 days a week easily. As a rep in a team, the incompetence of others may lead you to having less time on the slopes than you thought!
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galpinos,
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Rep-ing is what you make of it and who you work with. As a solo rep, if you’re organised, good at your job and actually motivated to ski, you’ll get out 5 days a week easily. As a rep in a team, the incompetence of others may lead you to having less time on the slopes than you thought!
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That sounds spot on to me. The trick will be in carefully scoping the job before taking it on. (I cannot believe I just used the word 'scoping'. )
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You know it makes sense.
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| galpinos wrote: |
| My £0.02, I did three seasons a while ago............... As a rep in a team, the incompetence of others may lead you to having less time on the slopes than you thought! |
Pretty well spot on I'd have thought...............
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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Depends how old you are IMO as I kind of agree with Whitegold.
Loved my seasons working for a Brit company as a ski host/handyman and the other year as a driver. 5-6 days on the hill a week and permanently on the lash with an instant group of mates. But yeah it was hard work at times. Even the chalet hosts, chefs and reps managed to get on the hill a lot. Though the nannies just seemed more pre-occupied with smoking and pulling.
I think a resort rep/manager would be ok, if you got it dialled early in the season with a good process for everyone, then you can sit back and let everyone else do the work ; ) Dont need langauges as a rep but certainly as a resort manager. And yes, get on Natives. Probably a bit early for next season though.
BUT, if I was to do it now, I wouldnt work! Couldnt cope with the perma-lash with all the early 20 somethings.... or the work for that matter!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Alans deep bath - yeah that was last year and im now very addicgted and planning my 4th week for next month lol
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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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Im so useless at cooking that i dont even think a weeks cooking course could help me haha
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Then a chalet host job is NOT for you. Try for one of the rep/driver jobs. Just saying in case I ended up in your chalet, I like my food and I like it cookled well 
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It's a bit like Masterchef now I think about it - having to learn stuff really quickly and then cooking to a deadline using unfamiliar equipment and techniques and trying to manage your stress while getting the job done.
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Yes, I think I'm a pretty good cook and can do a decent dinner party no probs, but reckon its a whole different ball game cooking up in the mountains day in day out for guests with different dietry requierments all while trying to actually go out skiing.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Lizzard wrote: |
1. You don't need either a second language or any skiing ability at all to get a job as a rep.
2. Look at www.natives.co.uk for both job ads and rather more informed and up to date advice.
3. Ignore anything Whitegold says. |
Agreed on all counts.
| Lizzard wrote: |
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Read war and piste (Alex Thomas)
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But don't expect it to be typical, and really don't mention it in interview.  |
If you read War & Piste, very wise to not mention it in your interview. I have no idea how many TOs think it is might be based on them, but at a guess, more than three. For the record, it IS completely fictional. Also don't mention your aspirations to write a blog about your experiences as a rep. In fact, feign ignorance of the whole concept - 'what is this "blogging" of which you speak?'
War & Piste is definitely not one typical season but bear in mind that the most 'wtf?!' moments in the story were inspired by things that have actually happened. In fact, when I was writing it, there were quite a lot of real things my research threw up (many of which I saw with my own eyes) that I decided not to use for reasons of total implausibility - my first season's sojourn in a crevasse in Saas Fee being only one. There were many. So expect your season to contain at least half a dozen head-scratching moments, plenty of 'is this really, genuinely, actually - and not in my imagination - happening?' moments, 'what in the name of back bottom is this person talking about and why must I go along with it?' moments and especially '£$%^&^%$£$%^%$£@-what-have-i-done-how-do-i-get-down-from-here?' moments.
My slightly more practical tip would be to look for a job with a smaller TO in a resort you really want to go to.
You'll have a blast. Good luck with the job hunt.
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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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AlexT,
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look for a job with a smaller TO in a resort you really want to go to.
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That makes total sense to me.
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AlexT, is War and Piste yours? I ordered it of amazon after seeing it mentioned on here. Hope it's good
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| AlexT wrote: |
| - my first season's sojourn in a crevasse in Saas Fee being only one. |
I suppose that's one way of ensuring that you don't get disturbed by your roomates' incessant shagging.
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kat.ryb, yes it is - I hope you enjoy it. Get in touch and let me know what you think www.facebook.com/warandpiste
fatbob, desperate times, desperate desperate measures.
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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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AlexT,
Reading War & Piste at the moment and loving it, even more so as I won it in Rude Chalets Christmas competition!
It is a read more for the females I would think, it has a bit of a Bridget Jones style to it I think, hope I've not offended!
Gilly
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Have been trying to read Wat and piste for 4 weeks and am just not into it- I like the ski references tho.
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FAQ
