 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi, I'm new to posting but have been an avid reader of the forum for a while. I'm planning to take some time out and do a ski season at the grand old age of 36. This will probably be in 15/16 but I want to do some research now in case there's a particular skill or qualification I need to land my dream job. I'm after some advice on the pros and cons of different seasonaires' jobs and also people's opinions of working for different companies. Now I know much will depend on my priorities and skills so here they are:
- I really want to have my own room
- The amount of pay I earn isn't important (I know it will all be low!)
- I'm keen to live in a resort and also close to where I work
- I'd like to be able to ski 5 days a week
- I'm happy to work really hard when I'm at work and to be 'on call' but I don't want a job that routinely keeps me up to 6am
- I have a Canadian instructor qual (level 2) but my skiing certainly isn't ESF standard
- I'm not fixed on a country but think N America would be problematic for working visas. I'd definitely consider Japan
- I'm keen to be in a resort with decent access to off-piste and ideally touring
- I can easily knock up a dinner party style meal for 12+ (but would need to extend my menu repertoire!)
- I have waitressing / bar / supermarket experience but it's 16 years out date
- English is the only language I'm fluent in
- My (real) job is HR and training delivery. I have project management experience and a CIMA qualification
So what are the amazing seasonaires' jobs that I just don't know about? Which companies are best / worst to work for? And a final long shot: would my age make me an attractive prospect for any particular job / company?
Thanks for any advice / info you can give
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I really want to have my own room
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Apply for a manager's job.
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would my age make me an attractive prospect for any particular job / company?
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Anybody and anything. Staff management in ski resorts generally resembles running a creche, which gets tiresome.
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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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louisep77, the better you get paid, the less you ski.
The more pleasant your day job (generally) the less you ski.
Wouldn't it be better to save (more?) and consider not working for the season? Or do something UK based ( but location and working hours independent ) that lets you ski or work when you choose?
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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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You'd have to be bloody lucky to get your own room working a season, especially for UK companies (unless you are a manager). Another option is to sort out your own accom in a resort, thereby ensuring your own room, and then look for a job.
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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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Agree with all the above. Being a lowly chalet slave gets you more ski time than management job. Own room? Unlikely.
I did a season aged 40, I was mainly a ski guide/host in a chalet for 19 before the French clamped down on guiding again, though I had gone out to cook and did so a couple of days a week. I shared a room, not too bad. I'd suggest looking at smaller companies if you want a chalet job as they probably favour to more mature candidates and tend to be a bit more civilised.
You should definitely look at Japan- you may get to teach with your qualification. My stepson is working here
http://www.evergreen-hakuba.com, and has had a great time. Owned and run by Canadians, they have been quite happy to recruit people with BASI level 2,and I think Canada level 2. You do have to get a working holiday visa. The only caveat is that you need to check if there is an age limit on eligibility for that visa.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Friend of mine runs a snow clearing company in Fernie in Canada - he employs people on a retained basis to clear snow after heavy falls, this might work for you?
Main downside is that the best days to ski are those with a heavy snowfall....
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Thank you all for taking the time to reply. I'm still hanging in for my own room though
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Thank you all for taking the time to reply. I'm still hanging in for my own room though
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No chance! Not even the resort managers got their own rooms when I did a season with my wife. We were 30 and 31 when we did our season (ten years ago this season). We were in a tiny room that just about fitted a double bed. We had an en-suite but two other girls had to walk through our room to use it. One of the girls liked to "entertain" on a regular basis so we often had total randoms knocking on our door in the morning asking to use the loo! It wasn't great, but it's all part of what doing a season is all about. Embrace it and you will make friends for life.
At the company i worked for there were quite a few "more mature" chalet hosts, some couples some singles. All were in shared rooms but they also had the attitude that it was part of the experience.
If you want your own room the only way is to rent the accommodation off your own back.
I agree with Perty, that smaller independent companies will favour people that are a little older. This will more likely mean you would be with people of a similar age and maturity.
Good luck
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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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Save a couple of thousand and don't work.
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| clarky999 wrote: |
| Save a couple of thousand and don't work. |
This (but sadly a couple of thousand won't do it). Am now finishing my first season at the grand old age of 36. Live in my own room in a large and luxurious shared apartment outside Morzine. Ski every day, made lots of friends in resort, have great housemates who will be friends for life, and have had a 3 month holiday with tonnes of skiing.
Approx costs (EUR)
Driving there and back 600
Fuel driving to slopes every day 400
Ski pass 680
Accomm for 5 months 4500
Food 1000
Insurances, breakdown cover etc 400
Add spending money: not cheap, but have had a ball. And no clearing up vomit after stag parties. Result! And this is going all out - you could definitely save by not taking a car, taking ski bus etc. our accommodation was a bargain for what it is, though - I saw shared rooms advertised for the same...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| louisep77 wrote: |
| I'm still hanging in for my own room though |
That's not the way it works. Unless you see an ad for a job that specifically offers your own room (which I still think it unlikely), the truth is you have to take pot luck. What is your priority-skiing every day, or having your own room? I'd take the former and hope for the best on the latter. The lower down the employment food chain you are, the more time you are likely to get to ski, but, to be frank, the more basic your accommodation.
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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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At 36 you're too old for a working holiday visa for Japan. The age limit is 30.
You'll have no problem getting work in the Niseko Resort Area of Hokkaido with your Level 2 Canadian certification but to qualify for the skilled labour visa you'll need to show 3 years of ski teaching experience.
That's 36 months not 3 winters.
So approx 9 seasons of teaching experience depending where you spent your winters.
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| louisep77 wrote: |
| Thank you all for taking the time to reply. I'm still hanging in for my own room though |
If that's your main thing, then your only real option is to sort your own accom in a resort and look for jobs from there. Won't necessarily be cheap though.
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You know it makes sense.
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getting your own room isnt difficult!?
choose a resort thats mainly english speaking.
go to resort with some money
get somewhere to live.
get a job.
enjoy the rest of the season.
its not that difficult, there's lots of jobs and life outside of the t/o's!
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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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If that's your main thing, then your only real option is to sort your own accom
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Not true. Most managers get single accommodation (I've never shared) and while it's rare in other roles it's far from non-existant. Talk about it in interview.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Lizzard wrote: |
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If that's your main thing, then your only real option is to sort your own accom
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Not true. Most managers get single accommodation (I've never shared) and while it's rare in other roles it's far from non-existant. Talk about it in interview. |
The initial post gives me the impression that the OP may not really be looking for a management role, leaving the usual chalet host/rep jobs. Depending on company and resort, even at interview they may not even be able to tell you if you will have your own room. Often accom arrangements aren't sorted until just before the staff arrive in resort as roles/place of work can and do change during training/set-up and then during the season due to injury/sacking/quitting.
If the OP really is that desperate for their own room, sorting out their own accom in a resort is the only real way to go.
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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: |
while it's rare in other roles it's far from non-existant
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Agree with this - chalet hosts in smaller chalets (where they are the only member of staff) often can get a single room. Some operators really value staff with a bit more maturity (tends to be the more upmarket operations) and probably recognise that people in their 30s and beyond are less enthusiastic about sharing!
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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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I had my own room as chalet host in Ellmau way back in 1993.
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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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| Harry Flashman wrote: |
| clarky999 wrote: |
| Save a couple of thousand and don't work. |
This (but sadly a couple of thousand won't do it). Am now finishing my first season at the grand old age of 36. Live in my own room in a large and luxurious shared apartment outside Morzine. Ski every day, made lots of friends in resort, have great housemates who will be friends for life, and have had a 3 month holiday with tonnes of skiing.
Approx costs (EUR)
Driving there and back 600
Fuel driving to slopes every day 400
Ski pass 680
Accomm for 5 months 4500
Food 1000
Insurances, breakdown cover etc 400
Add spending money: not cheap, but have had a ball. And no clearing up vomit after stag parties. Result! And this is going all out - you could definitely save by not taking a car, taking ski bus etc. our accommodation was a bargain for what it is, though - I saw shared rooms advertised for the same... |
This is the way to go IMO.
I did a season in Whistler at 26 and prepaid accom (own room) with UK company first month (no job) then sorted it for half the price on the ground. Picked up a job in retail which wasn't too bad, with early and late shifts were you could get morning or late afternoon on the hill.
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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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I'm doing similar to Harry Flashman this season, although just doing 3 months out in Chamonix. I had a 3 month job contract which allowed me to cover 3 months of skiing...ideal! Would MUCH rather do it this way than work for a company out here. I have a few friends doing the company route and one of them has only skied 2x week for the past 6 weeks! Rubbish!
Return flights with ski equipment = £220
MBU Season Ski pass = £700
Rent for 3 of us = £4500 (1 of my mates paid a higher portion as he had his own double bedroom)
Food = £600 max (for me... and I eat a lot!)
Apres ski = £600ish
Premium insurance for the 3 months = £140
I also bought all my ski gear (skis and boots) and new clothing which came to £1200.
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