How to apply for a ski season, What it’s really like doing a ski season.
How to apply for a ski season, so you want to do a ski season but just don’t know how to go about getting a job? Here is our tried and tested method for landing your dream job in the mountains.
It can be quite daunting at first not knowing how or where to start. We were like you, endlessly researching a way to get into what seemed like a secret industry reserved for the elite or hoping to come across someone with a way in. Job advertisements felt few and far between in an industry we knew nothing about. Heck we hadn’t even hardly put on a pair of skis before and the only French we knew was Bonjour!
Aside from our amateur skill base and poor knowledge on ski lingo, we managed to bag ourselves a job in a ski resort the first time we applied. And have gone on to work many a winter season and now also working summer seasons .. who knew that was a thing!
Here we will give you all the tips, tricks and info you need to apply for work doing a ski season to get you your dream job in the mountains.
Okay first things first: What even is a seasonnaire?
So working a ski season is like the ultimate dream right?
We’ve all seen chalet girl and fantasised about meeting Chuck Bass on the slopes and sipping champagne, partying on the tables at folie and earning sh*t loads of cash whilst we get to ski and party, like that’s the dream, right? Well first we need to just take a reality check and decide if a ski season is right for you?
I’ve seen so many people come to do a season and when they get here, they realise it isn’t exactly what they expected. So firstly here’s a few hard truths to help you decide if you really do want to proceed in applying for a ski season.
It’s hard work. Depending what job you do the hours are normally long, 6am starts and 11pm finishes. The days you’re not working you’ll be skiing or out late partying so being able to physically and mentally work hard whilst skiing every day is draining and isn’t for the faint hearted. The work is mainly physical so you need to be prepared to get aches and pains in muscles you didn’t even know you had!
Shared Accomodation?
The living situation can either be the best experience you’ve ever had or… THE WORST!
Depending what accommodation you get you may be sharing with 6-20 other people sharing bathrooms, kitchens and most likely bodily fluids. You may be clean and tidy, but it takes just one person to leave a dirty pan on the cooker or to play music til 3am, one too many times, when you’ve got a 6am start, for an argument to break loose. So be prepared to be open to living with others in potentially dire circumstances, but you are in the mountains so who cares right?
The pros definitely do outweigh the cons and I’ve only just scratched the surface. So now you know a bit more about doing a season let’s get into the details on how to apply and get you that dream job!
Step 1: Research what job you want?
So there are many different jobs you can get doing a ski season.
Many people think you can only be a ski instructor or a chalet host and that’s your only options. If you can’t ski or cook your dreams of doing a season are over!
WRONG, that’s not true, there are plenty of other jobs available.
We’re not going to go into detail on all of the different winter season job roles but if you click here you can read our other post where we go into each role in detail so you can decide which one is best for you.
Step 2: Find active job vacancies and get in early!
Find active job vacancies and get in early! There are loads of dedicated ski season vacancy websites some of the best are seasonal workers or ski jobs, where companies post active vacancies for the upcoming season.
TOP TIP* For the best chance at being selected for an interview by the employer the best thing to do is to find the vacancy on a job board website then applying to the company direct. Applying direct to the company increases your chances of actually reaching the company directly. It shows initiative to find their contact details and to reach out to them directly not using the third-party website. It shows that you have specific interest in that company and that you haven’t just copied and pasted your application to loads of different companies.
Step 3: Write an introduction email and attach your CV and cover letter.
So, once you have established what job you want and what company you would like to work for, send them an email introducing yourself and why you are contacting them.
You are more likely to be noticed by applying this way by directly, confidently introducing yourself. Adding a cover letter along with your cv also puts you a head above other applicants. If you’re not sure how to write a cover letter for a seasonal job you can find loads of information online how to write a great one step by step.
Step 4: Press Send !!
Okay once you’ve sent your first email and added your cover letter and CV now it’s time to research and repeat.
Find other companies you like the look of but may not be your first choice and send them emails too.
Its best to have options. This is a hard industry to get into if you have never done it before, but once you’re in and done your first season you will easily be selected for future seasons!
We hope this has helped you with your first step to becoming a seasonnaire! How exciting, now get off your arse and just bloody do it!
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