 Poster: A snowHead
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I’ve made a very last minute application to work a ski season. I’ve currently been offered a job as a night porter with Neilson and have a KP/NP interview coming up with Skibound. Does anyone have any advice about which would be the better job to do? Way I see it there are pros and cons for both, but I’m finding it difficult to decide. Any and all advice welcome and very much appreciated 😊
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Kitchen every time for me - really enjoyed it (many years ago).
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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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What are your goals for the season?
I am guessing that one role would allow more time for skiing, the other more time for après.
Ask the question at the interview "Whats the typical day for a KP / NP ?"
They'll say "Oh it's amazing, no 2 days are ever the same, it such a rich tapestry of team dynamics, awesome mountains, alpine culture..."
Then say - "No, really, paint me a picture with broad brush strokes, working hours etc.."
Then decide which of these sits best with your season goals.
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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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If you want to ski - night porter
If you want to drink hard and shag colleagues/nannies/f*ckboys - kitchen
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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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Thanks for such quick replies guys 😁 I am looking to get a lot of skiing out of it. The problem is I’m concerned that I’ll be a bit isolated socially doing NP shifts. I’ve got a firm offer for NP which I only have 7 days to accept, and then got my KP/NP interview next Wednesday, so it’s a risk turning down the NP job.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| WindOfChange wrote: |
What are your goals for the season?
I am guessing that one role would allow more time for skiing, the other more time for après.
Ask the question at the interview "Whats the typical day for a KP / NP ?"
They'll say "Oh it's amazing, no 2 days are ever the same, it such a rich tapestry of team dynamics, awesome mountains, alpine culture..."
Then say - "No, really, paint me a picture with broad brush strokes, working hours etc.."
Then decide which of these sits best with your season goals. |
I would say my goals are equally skiing and for the social experience. You reckon NPs have a bit of a dead social time? Because if they do that would probably rule it out for me as I’m definitely not looking to do the whole season on my own.
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| telford_mike wrote: |
| Kitchen every time for me - really enjoyed it (many years ago). |
I’ve done KP work for a while now so would be pretty easy to move into it. What kind of hours did you work?
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@matteyyo, are they definitely separate roles? I think it's often the case that you do both, in some kind of rota system.
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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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One of them is for a purely Night porter position, the other is for combined roles
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@matteyyo, the inviolable law of doing a ski season: work, ski, party - pick any two.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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If you're saying you want social equally then you're not really fussed about skiing. Remember its easy to add social on to any job (unless NP truly has you working all night in a hotel without a bar) less easy to add skiing on to a job if you're at work and hungover for the hours you might ski before that.
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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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| Dave of the Marmottes wrote: |
| If you're saying you want social equally then you're not really fussed about skiing. Remember its easy to add social on to any job (unless NP truly has you working all night in a hotel without a bar) less easy to add skiing on to a job if you're at work and hungover for the hours you might ski before that. |
Yeah I definitely take your point actually. Also as a quick side note, the NP role is based on Deux Alpes, whereas the KP/NP is in Alpe d’Huez. Any insight as to which is the better resort? Only been to 2 alpes but thought it was decent!
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| matteyyo wrote: |
| telford_mike wrote: |
| Kitchen every time for me - really enjoyed it (many years ago). |
I’ve done KP work for a while now so would be pretty easy to move into it. What kind of hours did you work? |
I did 6 evenings and 4 lunches. Plenty of time for a few beers after the evening shift.
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You know it makes sense.
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@matteyyo, accept the NP job. Go for the other interview and if successful decide on one or the other.
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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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NP, get you r sleep pattern sorted and ski EVERY day, one of my friends has been doing this for 15 seasons!
After getting the job make sure they abide by local laws in terms of hours pay etc, or life can be tough.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Idris wrote: |
NP, get you r sleep pattern sorted and ski EVERY day, one of my friends has been doing this for 15 seasons!
After getting the job make sure they abide by local laws in terms of hours pay etc, or life can be tough. |
Sounds amazing to be fair. How did they say the social experience was?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| halfhand wrote: |
| @matteyyo, accept the NP job. Go for the other interview and if successful decide on one or the other. |
^ this.
and
| Dave of the Marmottes wrote: |
If you want to ski - night porter
If you want to drink hard and shag colleagues/nannies/f*ckboys - kitchen |
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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Buy and read the book Belle De Neige. Good season prep, if somewhat exaggerated.
Although what would I know? I haven't worked my seasons, instead ski bumming, artfully in between jobs back in the UK, burning savings. It was great but you definitely have to make more of an effort to socialise if you are not part of the working community, and will be viewed with suspicion by many (especially if, like I was, you were older, appeared to be solvent/incontrol of life, and not interested in shgging randoms). But the seasonnaires I met and remained friends with were good people, without quite the array of sociopaths and disease ponds portrayed by Belle in her (witty) book. I'll be seeing a bunch of them again this season.
I do know from their stories that chalet guests can be absolutely awful. I'd probably do the NP job so that I could ski/not go to jail for knifing someone. If you're a gregarious sort, you'll still make friends.
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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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Would you be the only NP or KP/NP at your place of work?
How many guests & employees (ie how much washing/cleaning up to expect as KP)?
What are the expected start & finish times (and hence what likelihood of sleep & ski hours)?
How long would you be out in resort with each job? And (perhaps more importantly) between which dates would you be able to ski - I've know people be out in resort working for quite a while before getting their ski pass, and not skiing at the end of their contract due to time spent 'closing down' the chalet/chalet hotel.
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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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If you do np then you'll be able to ski crisp crimped snow every morning, but you'll only be able to socialise once a week.
If you go for kp (been kp, waiter, barman etc), then you'll be able to socialise every night, but you'll only get to ski once a week.
(Roughly speaking)
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Neither.
Get a loan or creditcard.
Ski, not work.
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| Kenzie wrote: |
Would you be the only NP or KP/NP at your place of work?
How many guests & employees (ie how much washing/cleaning up to expect as KP)?
What are the expected start & finish times (and hence what likelihood of sleep & ski hours)?
How long would you be out in resort with each job? And (perhaps more importantly) between which dates would you be able to ski - I've know people be out in resort working for quite a while before getting their ski pass, and not skiing at the end of their contract due to time spent 'closing down' the chalet/chalet hotel. |
One of my options is combined role, the other is purely Night Porter. It’s actually a pretty small chalet hotel (for the NP role), think it’s only 16 rooms and a bar + restaurant. KP hotel is much larger, with 42 rooms. NP shifts are 11pm to 7am with lifts opening at 8am. I’d be out from 4th December to 27th April. Not been given any times/dates for the KP job.
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| marodo2712 wrote: |
If you do np then you'll be able to ski crisp crimped snow every morning, but you'll only be able to socialise once a week.
If you go for kp (been kp, waiter, barman etc), then you'll be able to socialise every night, but you'll only get to ski once a week.
(Roughly speaking) |
Yeah that’s the dilemma 😂. I’m thinking though that with the combined role of KP/NP I’d have it pretty good as some days would be social occasions, whereas others can be used for skiing. It all depends on how night porters find it socially whilst on a season for me I guess.
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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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| Whitegold wrote: |
Neither.
Get a loan or creditcard.
Ski, not work. |
With 40 grand in student debts already I don’t think I can be doing this 😂😂
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| Kenzie wrote: |
Would you be the only NP or KP/NP at your place of work?
How many guests & employees (ie how much washing/cleaning up to expect as KP)?
What are the expected start & finish times (and hence what likelihood of sleep & ski hours)?
How long would you be out in resort with each job? And (perhaps more importantly) between which dates would you be able to ski - I've know people be out in resort working for quite a while before getting their ski pass, and not skiing at the end of their contract due to time spent 'closing down' the chalet/chalet hotel. |
And yeah I’d be the only NP on shift
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Harry Flashman wrote: |
Buy and read the book Belle De Neige. Good season prep, if somewhat exaggerated.
Although what would I know? I haven't worked my seasons, instead ski bumming, artfully in between jobs back in the UK, burning savings. It was great but you definitely have to make more of an effort to socialise if you are not part of the working community, and will be viewed with suspicion by many (especially if, like I was, you were older, appeared to be solvent/incontrol of life, and not interested in shgging randoms). But the seasonnaires I met and remained friends with were good people, without quite the array of sociopaths and disease ponds portrayed by Belle in her (witty) book. I'll be seeing a bunch of them again this season.
I do know from their stories that chalet guests can be absolutely awful. I'd probably do the NP job so that I could ski/not go to jail for knifing someone. If you're a gregarious sort, you'll still make friends. |
Just read some of the reviews of that book and it’s f*cking intense 😂😂 I seriously doubt that a Night porter could have that lifestyle 😅
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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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| matteyyo wrote: |
| Kenzie wrote: |
Would you be the only NP or KP/NP at your place of work?
How many guests & employees (ie how much washing/cleaning up to expect as KP)?
What are the expected start & finish times (and hence what likelihood of sleep & ski hours)?
How long would you be out in resort with each job? And (perhaps more importantly) between which dates would you be able to ski - I've know people be out in resort working for quite a while before getting their ski pass, and not skiing at the end of their contract due to time spent 'closing down' the chalet/chalet hotel. |
One of my options is combined role, the other is purely Night Porter. It’s actually a pretty small chalet hotel (for the NP role), think it’s only 16 rooms and a bar + restaurant. KP hotel is much larger, with 42 rooms. NP shifts are 11pm to 7am with lifts opening at 8am. I’d be out from 4th December to 27th April. Not been given any times/dates for the KP job. |
If skiing is your priority then I'd tend towards NP - see rule 4:- https://www.buzzfeed.com/belledeneige/21-rules-to-help-get-you-through-a-ski-season-fmkq
My first season (96/97 Meribel) I worked as an accountant, never being able to ski Saturday or Sunday. Rule 4 applied.
Due to my previous experience I was determined never to be tied to rule 4. My other 4 seasons (05/06, 06/07, 07/08, 08/09 Tignes) I was a skibum (ie no job, living on savings from the summers). Rule 4 applied, but I was free to ski every day of the season & learnt to ski powder (and other fresh snow) 
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So I accepted the night porter role and it’s been one of the most challenging experiences of my life and has pretty much completely cut my social life out of the season. Anyone who’s followed this forum - don’t accept the night porter role if you value any form of social life. Wish I had known this before I signed myself up to it
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You know it makes sense.
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Told 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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@matteyyo, sorry to hear you feel like this, but look forwards to the stories  .
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Poster: A snowHead
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Look for any other Jobs coming up in resort. People get injured, home sick, sacked etc something else might turn up. One season I did we lost about 15 staff by mid January and had to find replacements.
Wish I’d seen this thread before you accepted the job. I’ve done multiple season and would never advise taking a night porter position.
Keep the faith and ask around, every chance you’ll find something else.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@matteyyo, you're sounding surprised!! I think you were warned that the Night Porter role would be great if your focus was skiing but poor for socialising whereas KP was great for socialising but poor for skiing.
As @sparkzter, keep your ear to the ground and see if you can switch roles as people are leaving resort now!
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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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@matteyyo, Like any other temporary job, do you best, don't complain, don't burn bridges. Use it as a base to build upon. There's always next year (brexit notwithstanding...). And, hey, you're working in the ski industry.
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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’re less than a month into full season, so the social side may well pick up. See each chair lift ride as a chance to chat to whoever is next to you, whilst most will be tourists, you might well find fellow night workers / morning skiers.
More importantly are you getting plenty of skiing in?
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FAQ
