Latest posts for the topic "A real skiing Job?"

A real skiing Job?

Tue, 6 Jan 2009 16:43:10 GMT

My job makes me sad.

Is there anyway of earning a real, serious salary with future security, benifits (pension/medical etc.), injury insured all year round within the ski industry? Preferably an instructor position but i'm just looking for suggestions.

Please save me!

Re:A real skiing Job?

Tue, 6 Jan 2009 16:51:37 GMT

Instructing? Not unless you are VERY good. If there was those jobs we would have them and wouldn;t be telling you all about them.

Move to a ski city (hour or two away from the slopes) Geneva? Salzburg? Denver? SLC? Reno? Seattle? Calgary? Vancouver? Toronto.. at a push :roll:

A real skiing Job?

Tue, 6 Jan 2009 17:06:59 GMT

dulcamara wrote:My job makes me sad.

Is there anyway of earning a real, serious salary with future security, benifits (pension/medical etc.), injury insured all year round within the ski industry? Preferably an instructor position but i'm just looking for suggestions.

Please save me!

Unfortunately you have to make a compromise for quality of life in the mountains or the rat race which hopefully brings with it financial rewards. The decision is yours 8)

Re:A real skiing Job?

Tue, 6 Jan 2009 17:09:23 GMT

IF you make the right compromise it can be good.. Calgary can give you 7 days skiing a week for example.

Re:A real skiing Job?

Tue, 6 Jan 2009 17:41:41 GMT

big ski city's not a bad idea, that may be a good fall back. However i am fully prepared to take the pay cut and if this is going to be my job i am willing to put in the work to be as good at it as possible. My main concern is what happens when im old or have that obligatory knee injury almost all long time instructors have.

I'm a pretty solid skier and i like to think im a good instructor, i have a few years experience with beginners and entry level race coaching. Does anyone know of any ski schools that really stand out from the crowd that i could work towards? (preferable english or german speaking)

Re:A real skiing Job?

Tue, 6 Jan 2009 17:42:41 GMT

What qualifications do you have?

Re:A real skiing Job?

Tue, 6 Jan 2009 17:45:11 GMT

Just my Anwarter, never bothered going higher because i thought i'd just be doing it for a couple of years, (i did not realise how much i hated the 9 to 5).
Pretty sure i've still got it in the legs to go whole hog on the instructor courses.

Re:A real skiing Job?

Tue, 6 Jan 2009 17:46:32 GMT

To what Ross has said about moving to a ski " city", That`s the exact crossroads we`re at ie quality of life over money......!!And are SERIOUSLY considering selling up over here and living a "simple"....or "simpler! without the corporate wheel churning" life in the mountains....For those that already live this life, I am so so jealous!!

Re:A real skiing Job?

Tue, 6 Jan 2009 17:48:32 GMT

I like your signature line there, it makes me sad though.

Re:A real skiing Job?

Tue, 6 Jan 2009 17:54:21 GMT

ok unless anyone has any great ideas to stop me destroying my knees, i shall change my question:

What are the best ski schools out there?

Re:A real skiing Job?

Tue, 6 Jan 2009 17:55:54 GMT

The more money you want to make, the more qualified you have to be.. my tip would be to keep working and work your way through the ranks on your holidays then go for it when you are a bit more qualified and can earn more money from the off.

Just my thoughts, I am sure someone else will be different.

Re:A real skiing Job?

Tue, 6 Jan 2009 18:20:06 GMT

RossF wrote:The more money you want to make, the more qualified you have to be.. my tip would be to keep working and work your way through the ranks on your holidays then go for it when you are a bit more qualified and can earn more money from the off.

Just my thoughts, I am sure someone else will be different.

I think that's right on the money, so much that I've given up getting any more ski instructor qualifications. There's too many people getting them now and too many people prepared to work in gap years or on sabbaticals for peanuts that it makes rates too low and careers non-existent. I think BASI and CSIA are starting to do good work in making their qualifications more professional but they're still not quite there at this time, but you can't change things overnight.

Re:A real skiing Job?

Tue, 6 Jan 2009 19:11:41 GMT

I agree with ise when i qualified there were not many ski instructors qualifiying each year basi ran some gap courses and a couple of companies ran Canadian gap courses but nowdays its like Mc Donalds basi have franchised it out to loads of ski companies and schools and anybody who is on a gap year who can stand on a pair of skis is churned through the system.

If your serious about getting a qualifications i would take the 7 grand it would cost you to do a gap and go somewhere like soldeau for a season get a part time job if needed and ski as much as possible.
Talk to the ski school its mainly Canadian and BASI instructors english speaking and im sure would let you shadow lessons all day every day. Once your in with the click they normaly run personal performance hours throughout the week and obviously you will be working on your personal skiing with a range of instructors that you shadow. They may use you for real teaching to cover sickness or busy weeks.
End of season book on the Canadian and Basi Exam weeks and you could end up with two sets of qualifications as well as a lot of work experience.

Re:A real skiing Job?

Tue, 6 Jan 2009 21:20:45 GMT

Think i may stick to the Austrian Qualifications, they seem to be one of the most respected and are much cheaper. Also i dont have to do a million years of shadowing for each one, and i can work for the increased rates straight away.

Still, for a long term goal im having trouble finding views on what the really great ski schools are, They all claim to be the best. Kinda hoping one of the guys on this site who go to austria all the time could reccommend schools they've used or heard good things about.