 Poster: A snowHead
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Guys, I'm an intermediate skiier but first time seasonair and was wondering which of the three jobs would give the most ski time, but also be the most suitable as a first timer.
I've been on most of the tour opperator websites (Natives, Skiworld, Skiplan, Skiolympic etc) and was looking for some inside knowlage.
Cheers, Mehdi
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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MehdiA, for the last time, GO AND ASK ON NATIVES. You're talking to a bunch of punters on here, they don't know. Natives is a website specifically for resort workers, and the people on there have all actually done the jobs you're talking about.
Apart from that, I think I've already pointed out taht bar jobs generally go to returners, and if you think you're going to get assistant chef at 18 with no relevant qualifications or experience then you're even dafter than you appear.
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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've been on natives! I wanted to hear from people who have some past experiences, not from people ranting on about a website, which I have been on and know is a good source!
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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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Umm I do know - I did a season.
When I was a chalet host I was in at 7:30 - 10:30am then 6- 10:30pm 5 days a week, One day a week is change over which is HORRENDOUS (up at 3am - clean whole chalet, back in bed at 9am, up at 12 for new guest arriving, back in bed for 2-6 then back in the chalet 6-10:30!) and then a day off.
Assistant chef sounds to me like a lot of washing up and prep but probably some good mountain time - you'll still have to do changeover though. Bar staff - you'll get a mix of shifts, do you want to be in the bar when everyone else is out on the slopes?
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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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MehdiA, I've done a total of nearly 20 winter seasons, most of them for tour ops. You'll find about half a dozen people max on here who have the experience you're talking about, most of them for only one season. This is because (and I repeat myself here, but never mind) it's a site aimed at holiday skiers, not resort workers.
Natives forum, on the other hand, is populated almost entirely by people who have worked not just one but several seasons. Why haven't you signed up on there and asked the question of people who actually know what they're talking about? Not that you seem to be inclined to listen, mind you.
For what it's worth:
Asst chef - what it says. You also have to cook dinner on your own on chef's night off, anything from 40 to 150 pax plus staff (talking hotels here, not chalets). Rather more than a bit of food prep/washing up, and you won't get it unless you've got significant kitchen experience. Don't waste your time. Working hours vary with the company depending on whether or not you're doing lunch.
Barman - bar positions don't generally go to first timers. There's a queue, and returning staff get preference over untried unknowns. Working hours vary again - some bars are open for brekkie/lunch, some aren't.
Chalet staff - working hours broadly split shifts from about 07:30 to 11:00 and 18:00 to finish. UsuallY one day off per week, not two.
Look at the job descriptions and apply for somrthing you're qualified to do. And don't ask about ski time in interview - ask them what the ususal shift pattern is instead.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Lizzard's right, Native's is a goldmine of info on this stuff. Even if you don't join the forum (which you should), there's a job guide on there answering your question.
FWIW, you're very unlikely to land a bar job, but if you do it depends on whether it's an apres bar, a late night bar, a club style bar, a food/snach bar... Figure on working all night, skiing all day. If you get your self together in chalet work you should get at least 3-4 hours skiing a day, plus you#re day off (you're unlikely to ski on transfer day though).
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In my experience it is not a case of necessarily choosing whta job you want to do, rather what job you can get.
My second job in the alps was ironing napkins and tablecloths for 2 hours a day. that got me 40 French Francs a week plus my food accomodation and beer. I was expected to help out around the place at other times and got my fair share of tips. I was then slung behind the bar in a moment of need and two days later was permenant behind the bar. I ended up managing the place the next season.
So take a job and work at it. Then if something better comes up, move, otherwise enjoy what you have!
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Ah, i did not realise that there was a forum on Natives! I have posted on there now, so should get some positive response.
Thanks for all the help guys!
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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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Lizzard,
'The eternal Lizzard who is actually very patient and helpful' 
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cad99uk, there is a limit even to my eternal patience. 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Lizzard, ave a word, Natives was the forum, now it appears top be a load of stuff with the forum hidden away. Or has Wear the fox that been re-arranging the pages
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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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If they cant find a forum on a website do you want them running your business Boredsurfing,
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What's a chalet host?
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You know it makes sense.
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In the old days you could work all season as a night porter. I think these days you do alternate day and night shifts as a KP / NP. Money's not great but who ever did a season for the money? As already posted, as a first timer you have to earn the best jobs, especially if you want to work for a TO. Or there's always the old method of going out to resort early and knocking on doors until someone offers you a job...............
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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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Hurtle, is that some sort of joke question? 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Hurtle, cleaning but not responsibility for actual meals - just prepping and helping the chef/ cook.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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MehdiA.....Ok here's my input which you might find useful deciding what sort of job you want to look into...both my son's have done seasons, both got jobs at 18 yrs Did all their research ( LOADS AND LOADS) online. Applied for loads...CVs sent everywhere etc etc
One was first in a TO chalet/hotel (Though this was 5 yrs ago). Very long hours, two sittings for dinner in the evening, big hotel to clean, make up rooms each day. Not a huge amount of ski time. Soon managed to move to chalet assistant job. some cooking involved,serving cleaning ,making beds Early start 6 days a week which was a killer but hey he was 18..caught up on sleep when he got home! As stated elsewhere, you can finish by 10 - 10.30am , back 5.30 6pm . Long transfer day. More snow time.
This year he is older and wiser and independently sorted out bar job and own accommodation directly with owners. manager in resort. He was working mostly evenings, Apres shifts.....quite late nights but good ski time. No early mornings, Two full days off a week Now on day shifts....not so good.
Other son 18yrs working in a bar ( Big brother advised him to get a bar job!!), got job in UK through TO. Varied shift pattern, some split shifts, but bar doesn't open till 4pm so only odd days working all day which involves cleaning and stocking up. No early mornings. At least one full day off per week. Helps out in kitchen if needed .Again some very late nights but all in all petty good ski time. Sharing a really tiny room.....so need to get on well with other people and be very thick skinned. Not much privacy. Def not ideal if you like your own space
Crucially.......be prepared to work really hard and do your own washing AND clean up sick from all over toilets.
Just be prepared to accept the lowliest position for 2011 2012 season because I think it is increasingly difficult for 18 yr olds to get the "best " jobs. Lots of graduates who are unemployed will also be looking to do a season and with more experience than you may have.
Youv'e got plenty of time to research this. Good 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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I did a season as a chalet host and was very glad to have had that job, not a bar job.
Bar staff tend to get more time skiing, but very limited evening time (obviously depends on what times the bar is open). Chalet boy/girl hours were pretty much as Nadenoodlee, says, but could get out a bit earlier with an extra effort on powder mornings (by 0945 sometimes). Some days we would pre-prepare much of the evening meal in the morning, so had a later start but were able to join in apres until about 1830. Would always be finished by 2200-2230 so able to partake fully in the evening fun.
Another question is WHO to work for. I worked for a large, relatively low end chalet company. That comes with its own problems but ultimately, guests' expectations are lower, so less time is required = more time to ski etc.
If you are there to ski, and only ski, then go for a bar job (ideally in the resort centre so only open in the evening).
If you are there for more balanced fun, the chalet host enables lots of skiing and lots of partying (but not much sleep).
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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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why is this in resort reviews and tripe reports?
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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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| bertie bassett wrote: |
| tripe reports? |
They're not that bad!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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maggi,
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| Lizzard wrote: |
| Hurtle, is that some sort of joke question? |
No, I'd not heard the expression. Plainly, particularly with larger chalets or chalet hotels, there are differences between the various jobs which staff undertake, and I wondered what this particular term signified in terms of actual duties.
Nadenoodlee, thanks, I had actually been wondering whether any cooking was involved. When I did a season five million years ago, I was a "resort rep" which meant - then, and for that particular company - being in overall charge of staff at the resort and helping them out as and when needed (cleaning, cooking, whatever) plus doing central ordering of supplies, going to the airport each week and looking after hotel guests as necessary (but not ski guiding.) The chalets were all pretty small, so we just had a resort rep and a chalet girl per chalet. It's more complicated nowadays.
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Like Hurtle, I was a 'resort manager'. Anything involving cooking and/or cleaning was way beyond me. But since I speak a bit of a few different languages, sorting out problems, staff, hotels, transfers, budgets and all that gubbins was well within my ability. The money was rubbish and there was a lot of paperwork but it was great fun and I got to ski pretty much every day. I only ever did it for one season. The need to earn proper money and pay off student debts forced this decision.
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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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queen bodecia, exactamundo. But I took a career break to do it, so had already made a bit of dosh (and had no student debt.)
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Ultimate job for ski time - ski guide. Many TOs provide this as a service, and it means you will be on the slopes from 9am to 4pm every day, and will probably get a free lunch wherever you take the 5-10 punters following behind you with cash in their pockets. That said, the people doing this job seem to be the graduates and career-break older people, as it is a job that requires a good level of skiing but also a certain amount of potential accident management on the slopes if a client takes a bad fall.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Hurtle, job titles/descriptions vary from one company to another - that person cooking your dinner might be a host/manager/chef depending who he's working for.
Monium, you won't get ski guide at 18 unless they're really desperate. And while you do ski a lot, it's quite a poor job for doing the kind of skiing you might like to do rather than pootling around blue runs and answering daft questions.
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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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Monium, I did a fair bit of ski guiding too. The TO I worked for didn't employ exclusive ski guides, but did train the reps who already had solid skiing skills to become guides (I think it was called BASI 4 in those days). I assume the qualification is not essential, just recommended.
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Lizzard,
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job titles/descriptions vary from one company to another
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Yes, I'm sure, and the OP should ensure exactly what he's letting himself in for, irrespective of the job title.
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You know it makes sense.
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The chalet ski guides I skied with were very good - I remember one Ski Olympic one, in particular. Certainly a lot better than your average "intermediate". One of them gave one of his skis to a "punter" who had broken one, and skied back with the group on one ski, carrying the broken one.
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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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Think they have to be called Ski Hosts in france to get round all the legal
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Poster: A snowHead
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Nadenoodlee, it's not a legal requirement, it's a misunderstanding regarding the meaning of the word 'guide' in French vs English. Calling them hosts just avoids confusion and prevents the Bureau des Guides having a stroke.
queen bodecia, pam w, I did ski guiding on my first seasn when I was an even more pants skier than I am now. Fortunately the guests were all even worse than I 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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[b]Lizzard[/bwe had several chaps (antipodeans) turn up at training who had sworn they were skiers and could host.... never seen snow in their lives. There followed a two week brutal boot camp with the company owner and I have to say they werent half bad when he'd finished with them!
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FAQ
