 Poster: A snowHead
|
I am doing a ski instructing course next year and I was just wondering if there are any instructors here who'd like to tell me all about there job??
I'm new here by the way so hi!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
daisyc, You might be better off posting this in Bend Ze Knees, that's where the Instructor's generally "hang out" and you might get a better response.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
daisyc, Welcome to snowHeads 
I'm a Ski Instructor, what would you like to know?
Are you planning to pursue Instructing as a career or as a part time occupation?
Like Colin B, says, Benz Ze Knees might be a better place to get answers, but feel free to ask here if you like.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
I'm planning for it to be my career, and hopefully get csia1 & 2 from an eleven week nonstop course.
Yeah, tell me everything you can, the good and the bad.
I'm 99% I'd love it, but it's nice to hear from people that actually do it, thanks.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
I'm working my way through the BASI system. To make it a full-time career which earns a living wage I'd say you need to commit yourself to getting fully qualified. It's not easy or cheap, so you need to be committed to the long haul to get there. Also think about what countries you might want to work in and make sure your qualification path will be suitable (eg, I don't think you could work in France even with the highest Canadain qualification).
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
daisyc, Where to you intend to ply your trade once you've got CSIA 2?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
daisyc, have you booked your Nonstop course already? The info book you will get during the course will give you all the necessary. I did one last season so if you have any questions...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I havent booked it yet, but hopefully asap, when i'm sure i've got all the money together.
I wasnt really interested in teaching in france at all and i really like the look of nonstop, with
csia you can teach most places right?
I was just interested to see how people were finding there ski instructing!
I am thinking of doing the course in Banff, where did yo udo it?
How did you find it??
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
And: I was thinking of working in Canada, maybe try australia, austria.
Not really completly sure yet x
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
daisyc, Obviously no problem working in Canada with CSIA, but you won't earn enough in the winter season to carry you through the summer, switching to Australia in Summer is an option, but the season is short and flights aren't the cheapest things. Most instructors will do another trade in the summer to supplement their income. It's only really France where you can earn a decent living working for a ski school.
Getting to CSIA L4/BASI ISTD or comparable, where you can work independently outside of a ski school, you're looking at about 5 years minimum and about £30,000 also.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
Yeah money is the biggest issue,
I just feel more drawn to the Canadian qualification, the course seems perfect for me and I really like the look
of the company etc and everything I've heard about it.
How come you can get a better living in France? Thankyou for all the info.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
daisyc, the level set to work in france is very high therefore it is the old supply and demand thing. There is a small supply of teachers therefore they can command high hourly rates. If you work reasonably hard in France for a ski school through the season you would be able to make it through the summer without working if you wanted to. If you work as an independent potentially the earnings are even greater.
In virtually every other country worldwide the reverse is true the minimum level set to be able to teach is generally not very high therefore there is a big supply of people who can teach (quite often they only want to do 2 or 3 seasons) and therefore wages are low.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ah I see.
How come France don't take the CSIA qualifications, even the highest level?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
The canadian system is not recognised as having a qualification which is equivalent to those of the alpine cartel by the members of that cartel (france being one). Also I suspect that as the Canadians have a large enough market of their own they probably have no great interest in getting their top level qualification accepted by the euro cartel in any case.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
daisyc, The CSIA system has a great deal to offer. Their teaching philosophy is IMHO the best in the world. Even with CSIA L1 you will get work in Canada, albeit teaching children initially. You will need an alternative occupation for the summer though or you'll starve.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
Yeah, will have to make other plans I guess.
It's okay because I can always work for my mum's chocolate company if need be (which isnt too bad)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
daisyc, A large part of making a go of being an instructor as a career i.e for the rest of your working life is definetely to have a skill set that you can use in the summer months to earn a reasonable living as Spyderman suggested. The favourites seem to be generally plumber, spark, general builder, carpenter etc. But basically anything that means that when you return to the UK (or wherever) for the summer months you can get reasonably paid work within a couple of weeks of your return.
The real killer is not having anything other than low paid work or skills that will not quickly get you a job. As a ski instructor you have to look at the summer and winter and work out what you think your annual incomings will be and whether this will be enough to live on over the year and give you enough of the lifestyle you want (however your unlikely to get rich in any case).
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
| skir67 wrote: |
| The favourites seem to be generally plumber, spark, general builder, carpenter etc. |
A friend of mine teaches scuba diving in the caribbean during summer months. It's a hard life...
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
I think i'd go for the scuba diving option, what a life...
Last time I went skiing there was a ski instructor who was a life guard in
the summer, seems pretty cool.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
daisyc, make sure you're able to fight off the advances of the opposite sex once you qualify. Some of the instructors here (mentioning no names) tell us they've had all sorts of problems with unwarranted attention from admirers once they learn they're qualified instructors. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
daisyc, if canada/NA appeals to you, do your CSIA courses and have a go at teaching. get out and teach some kids as soon as possible. if you really enjoy it i am sure you will get work and move up the ladder. Just do it, you will have a blast!
making money off season is really an open book, i know farmers, accountants, web designers, consultants, oil platform workers, tree surgeons, gardeners, wind surf/scuba/mountain bike instructors etc etc...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Do it in Fernie. The instruction here is second to none - I get to ski with the coaches a lot through ski school sessions and internal training. Plus, it's ace here. I know a bunch of Nonstop Fernie people working this year who passed their 2 last year and they rip.
Oh, and you can make it a career but initially it's hard work. Like, you'll make very little in your first two winters to the extent rent is hard to cover/it's hard to hop to NZ if you want to teach year round. But anyway, Nonstop is a good start to get into it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| rob@rar wrote: |
| skir67 wrote: |
| The favourites seem to be generally plumber, spark, general builder, carpenter etc. |
A friend of mine teaches scuba diving in the caribbean during summer months. It's a hard life... |
In Australia surf coach is pretty popular... (especially with snowboard instructors)...
I also know some who work as Personal Assistants in off seasons...
I knew a few worked in metal works factory... and some who cut timber for a living in non-winter months and sell it in winter...
and a ski bum friend does conversions of cars to right hand drive - and swears his glues do not set in winter - so he works really hard all summer then closes the workshop and skis for 3 months each year...
You could probably do it also if you had a talent that allowed you to run a business still in the ski season...
I know a guy has an engineering business... he just spends his day off from ski instructing each week doing the wages/books etc... He says this is the only plus from his failed marriage - she made him stop instructing long enough to set up the business...
and I have another ski bum friend that somehow works from the snow via computer for quite long stints of the season and has considered instructing and doing similar at night...
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
daisyc, are you going to need 11 weeks to get to csia 2 standard? If not you could save a lot of money. OTOH, your mum's chocolate company...hmmm...c isn't for cadbury is it? 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Yeah, definatly want the eleven weeks, get my skiing perfect and get away for a while, have some fun
while all my friends are gap-yearing.
Hopefully i'll win the lottery soon so then I wouldnt have to work in the summer,
alternatively could i not work on dry ski slopes?
My mum's chocolate company is much better than cadbury google it
It's Chocoholly, very classy!
The C stands for my last name you see.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
| Sideshow_Bob wrote: |
| daisyc, make sure you're able to fight off the advances of the opposite sex once you qualify. Some of the instructors here (mentioning no names) tell us they've had all sorts of problems with unwarranted attention from admirers once they learn they're qualified instructors. |
Uhoh, very true, lots of people do fall for there ski intructors, I will just ski off very fast if I come accross this issue!
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
No it's not Chocoholly, it's Caulfield haha, Chocoholly is my mum's bussiness.
The mecca of UK skiing is Milton Keynes? (My guess of the MK)?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
I've definatly taught her everything she knows (maybe it's the other way round?)
I can't wait to teach her to ski properly! That's the one thing I beat her in; skiing AHAH.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
daisyc, skiing or chocolate, which one to make a life's work or a life's indulgence? Tough call! Good luck either way. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Skiing all the way! 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
slikedges, You know the UK Snow Sports mecca is soon to be Hemel Hempstead! www.thesnowcentre.com
Dont make me pay you a visit to get this sorted!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
Wowee
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
daisyc, Shame you are not a geezer, you would be quite a babe magnet, - young ski instructor with a mum who has a chocolate factory.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
Maybe the lesbians will go for me?
Definatly find it easier to fight off their advances 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
gilleski, not necessary mate, I'm sure I'll be a convert!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
