Ski Season Jobs

Most seasonal workers know that skiing is a winter sport, and that if you’re planning to work as a ski ‘seasonnaire’ your job will last from roughly mid-November to the end of April. The bulk of the skiing public take their holidays between mid-December and mid-April so as winter season staff your roles will entail some set-up and clean-down time at each end of the season.

Part-Ski Seasons

There are some exceptions to this way of working though. Whether you have prior engagements – a full-time job, travels or studying being the most popular – or you just hadn’t thought about ski seasons before, many Ski Operators look to employ staff throughout the season. This is a perfect opportunity to experience one of the greatest life experiences going – living, skiing and working in the mountains…

There are disadvantages to joining a ski season half-way through: The resort teams will have an established camaraderie built over the past couple of months of working and living together and there may not be the range of jobs to apply for as at the start of the season, for example.

Top 7 Reasons to join a ski season late

1. You’ll miss the difficult and demanding Christmas and New Year period
2. You’ll dodge the dark and sometimes bitterly cold month of January
3. The resort teams will be well-oiled and able to train you very efficiently and quickly
4. The weather is improving by the day
5. The snow-base (the amount of snow that’s compacted on the ski slopes) is pretty much at its maximum, making for amazing skiing and snowboarding conditions
6. The days are longer meaning more time on the slopes
7. There are events such as live music and ski competitions happening more often as the spring skiing season progresses

A Great Ski Season Employer

As a purely winter season employer, and one of the most established in the industry with over 35 years’ experience; Skiworld are a great option to consider if you’re looking for a ski season job. Amongst other benefits they offer a full employment package including return travel from the UK, your accommodation, food, lift pass and ski or snowboard equipment, plus you’ll get two days off per week.

Skiworld are still taking applications for this winter season up until the end of March, so you’re in with a great opportunity to be offered a job as a chalet host, resort rep, maintenance person, kitchen porter, chef, driver or one of many other roles!

If you’re interested, please see the opportunities we have advertised on Cool Ski Jobs and apply today.

Around the end of summer, recruitment for ski seasons really hits fever pitch. University graduates think about gap years, returning seasonnaires come to the end of their summer jobs and plans for the winter are hatched en masse. But how do you know you have what’s needed to be the best ski seasonnaire?…

Seasonnaires are the foundation of Skiworld

Over the years we’ve been very fortunate to have so many exemplary members of staff throughout our resort teams during winters in the mountains. Both first-time seasonnaires and multiple-season veterans have proven themselves in some very difficult conditions, not least the 2017/18 season with its record-breaking snowfall made working life pretty tricky at times to say the least. When the hardest challenges were levelled at us, we saw the quality of our staff come to the fore. Their residual energy supplies were released like Adrenalin, seasonnaire auto-pilots were turned off and superhuman acts of ‘going the extra mile’ became as commonplace as a baguette on a chalet breakfast table. To put it simply, our staff are our foundation.

Seasonnaire qualities, skills and traits

It got us thinking… What are these qualities that beset our incredible seasonnaires? How do we keep getting so lucky with such amazing people joining the Skiworld ranks? And could we figure out the secret formula to find more of these people, or better yet, teach mere mortals the mysteries of ‘The Skiworld Way’? In a kind of snow-covered Dr Frankenstein spin-off, we came up with the following parts-list:

11 things that make the best ski seasonnaire

1. A team player who is always willing to help

2. Someone who possesses an infectious zest for life

3. Welcoming affability; someone who’s door is always open

4. A person who strives and isn’t afraid to try, fail and try again in the quest to achieve their goals, no matter how small or large

5. Adventurous and boundless energy, with a desire to explore the furthest boundaries of, and exceed their comfort zone

6. Enthusiasm to live in the mountains and make the most of everything the lifestyle can offer

7. Personality that’s full of initiative and ideas to improve professionally, from individual, team and company perspectives

8. A natural motivator of people who will always look to encourage

9. Clear communication; willing to both listen and learn just as much as imparting their knowledge on others

10. Someone with the flexibility to tackle any individual task with a positive can-do attitude for the betterment of the team

11. And finally, most importantly… A dab hand with a snow shovel!

A ski season job could change your life

One thing that has changed a lot over the years is how employers view a ski season on a CV. In the past there was a perception that a ski season was just a bit of a doss for 6 months. A time to let your hair down and forget responsibilities. Times change.

Now a ski season is looked at more favourably by a whole host of employers – not just those in the hospitality or the tourism industry. The beauty of the range of skills our seasonnaires learn,  develop and hone, is that they are all transferable. Dealing with pressurised situations in a calm manner, communicating efficiently to a range of different people or maintaining a ‘can-do’ attitude in the face of adversity are just three examples of skills that being a seasonnaire allows you to perfect.

At Skiworld we want our staff to be able to effectively promote these skills as they look forward in their careers, so we help them do just that. In our CV Workshops towards the end of the season we teach our staff how to contextualise their ski season experiences verbally for interview and translate them onto their CVs in preparation for their futures.

Are you a Skiworld seasonnaire in the making? If the answer is “yes”, or if you know someone who is, we want to know about it! Get in touch with our recruitment team today

See all cool ski jobs HERE 

Thanks to Skiworld for the guest blog 🙂

What a year it has been, the biggest snowfalls seen in the Alps for about 40 years  and then the winter moved down under and Mt Hotham has announced it will stay open until 7th October! This has certainly been the best ever year to grab a ski job and enjoy life in the mountains.

At coolskijobs.com we have been working hard ourselves this summer with lots & lots ski/chalet companies posting ski jobs on the site and organising our first ever ski job recruitment day.

Ski Job Recruitment Day

So on September 1st we are hosting a recruitment day at The Snow Centre  which will be a fantastic opportunity to come along and meet ski companies that are recruiting right now . The day will be all about finding ski jobs in the Alps and what life is like in the mountains , we will have a couple of inspirational speakers who have lived the life and can give you some great insights .

In the morning we will have some time to have a Q & A session with 3 key ski companies who will be speaking about various roles in the ski industry ( Chalet Hosts / Resort Rep etc )plus information on some great ski resorts. We will have the chance to quiz a ski instructor on life in the mountains along with a key speaker from The Snow Centre who has some fantastic tips & tricks on how to survive your ski season ?.

With several breakout sessions you will get the chance to grab a coffee with an employer and run through their jobs and your skills , hopefully matching these up and getting you out to the Alps this winter .

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Of course we will be on hand with our recruitment desk and have the full ski job listings that are available with us on the day. We will have advise on all aspects of work in the Alps and will be able to help with your specific requirements .

Half price ski pass

We have also managed to blag a 2 hour ski pass for all attendees for only £20. With this pass you get all the equipment ( skis/poles/snowboard, boots & helmet) and a pass for 2 hours on on the slope ! All in all not a bad way to start the weekend – sort your job out and then hit the snow .

So what are you waiting for ? Just click on the button below to get your free tickets and ensure you don’t miss out on the chance to change your life forever !

25,000 British tourism jobs at risk from Brexit

At least 25,000 jobs and £1 billion in tax revenue are at risk warns SBIT (Seasonal Businesses in Tourism) as it today publishes its assessment of the impact of Brexit on the outbound tourism industry.

The industry impact assessment, endorsed by over 50 independent UK outbound travel businesses, draws attention to the size of the travel and tourism industry and its importance to the UK economy, jobs and training. With outbound tourism to the EU contributing an estimated £16.5 billion (i) to the economy and over £1 billion in income (ii) for the Exchequer, it is a sector that needs solutions – and soon – the assessment warns.

The report draws attention to the estimated 25,000 (iii) UK citizens who work in the European Single Market each year supporting the seasonal tourism industry. These are the people holiday makers meet at the airport and are their contact point at hotels, villas and chalets and who ensure holidays run smoothly. If it becomes costly or impossible for these people to
work in the EU on a seasonal basis, cost may rise and jobs cut the assessment warns. As with the UK’s aviation industry with which it is closely intertwined, deadlines for planning in the outbound travel industry are typically 12 – 14 months, much earlier than March 2019. Some tour operators are warning uncertainty about the status of flying programmes and the
status of UK staff seasonally employed in the EU is already having an effect on their businesses.

Two of the largest winter operators for example have already reduced their chalet programmes for the approaching ski season by around 10%, over 8000 holidays, with a corresponding reduction in seasonal tourism jobs. More cuts may be coming for the 2018-19 season they warn.
‘Skiers start booking their flight inclusive packages 11 months in advance with businesses like ours and holidays for 2018-19 Brexit year should be on sale in a matter of weeks’ said Sarah Searson, Managing Director of Skiworld, the largest independent ski specialist in the UK.

‘’Instead we have uncertainty around flying programmes and importantly the status of our UK staff working for the 2019 season looking after our customers’’ she said. ‘‘If we don’t soon have clarity on our ability to move staff around Europe during and after March 2019 there will be significant and possibly irreversible long-term impacts on the industry.’’

European holidays make up a significant part of the UK economy. Whether it is ski chalet holidays in the French Alps, adventure holidays, sailing and windsurfing in the Mediterranean, or a relaxing summer beach holiday in one of many  European destinations, holidaymakers from the UK tend to book with British companies and are often looked after by UK nationals working in the foreign resorts.

Currently UK companies in the tourism industry can employ British workers to work in European holiday resorts under the European Single Market freedom of labour movement rules. If these rules or something similar are not in effect after March 2019 then there will be a devastating impact on companies in the British outbound seasonal tourism sector.

The activity holiday sector (skiing, watersports, etc) is particularly vulnerable post Brexit. The sector is responsible for an estimated £9 billioniv of direct expenditure in the UK and companies in this sector are very reliant on existing EU and Single Market rules.

“We train our resort teams of often young people from different social backgrounds in high standards of customer service. They are responsible for looking after our guests and their travel arrangements, ensuring they have the best possible experience with us which is good for business. They are a key part of our customers’ holiday experience, not just in managerial guest-facing roles, but also as kitchen porters, hotel assistants and nannies” said Paul Carter, CEO of Hotelplan, which operates Inghams, Ski Total and Esprit Ski.

“In having the opportunity to work overseas, it’s not just the way of life they fall in love with….they acquire logistics and language skills and see different cultures and learn the ropes of how a hospitality business operates. In my experience, our teams work extremely hard and have the opportunity to progress quickly within the company. We must not lose these jobs and the training and experience these people in the hospitality sector bring back in to the UK economy, we therefore need the government to urgently address the issue of visa-free movement for our staff in Europe”

Today, members of SBIT have written to MPs calling on the British Government to agree transitional and permanent arrangements with the EU that preserve their ability to operate. This will preserve British jobs in tourism, protect UK treasury tax revenues and ensure the continuation of the successful British seasonal tourism industry in Europe. Restrictions or red tape, or at worst a “no-deal” Brexit, could mean that many companies will see their business models undermined due to challenges with staff employment and cost increases to the extent that they may no longer be able to operate.

SBIT is calling on the Government to:

– Agree a transitional agreement with the EU that will continue Single Market freedom of labour movement after March 2019.
– Establish a longer-term practicable, “fast-tracked” work permit / visa process which will permit UK citizens to be able to work in Europe on a temporary basis to meet the seasonal demands of the tourism industry post Brexit.
– Retain the ability of workers posted abroad temporarily to remain in the social security system of their home nation.

Media contacts: Charles Owen: 0739 993 7244
Diane Palumbo 07712 818578

Attachments:

All the following can be found on the SBIT website 
Timetable of planning for ski operators 
Brexit and the Impact on British Businesses in Tourism 
More quotes

Editors notes on references:

i Based on Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr): “Driving Growth – The Economic Value of Outbound Travel” dated June 2015, Total expenditure within the UK by residents engaged in outbound travel was £34.4 billion (and directly contributed £11.7 billion to the UK economy in gross value added (GVA)) and 64% of all trips abroad were made for holiday purposes (excluding visits to family and friends), also ONS travel trends: in 2016, 75% of UK residents’ visits abroad were to EU countries.
ii This figure is derived from the abovementioned survey. Cebr estimates suggest that the outbound travel sector contributed £2.35 billion to the UK Exchequer in 2014, 0.5% of the aggregate HMRC tax take. The analysis referred to in footnote i gives the proportion of the outbound travel market that are holidays to the EU which are booked through UK companies
iii Ref MPI survey Sept 2017: 20,000 posted workers and an estimated 5,000 EU mobile workers on local contracts
iv This is taken from a survey of SBIT members which estimates the revenue for tour operators in this sector being more than £4.6 Bn. The Cebr survey “Driving Growth – The Economic Value of Outbound Travel”, June 2015. Cebr estimates that 53% of the expenditure in the UK derived from outgoing tourism is on tour operators. These figures taken together suggests that direct expenditure was more than £9Bn.