Best ski season jobs – The ultimate guide
Your next adventure is just around the corner. Head to the mountains and leave your old life behind, find an amazing new job with fantastic colleagues and enjoy your new life.
Imagine getting away from the hustle and bustle of the city, leaving your 9-5 and the same old thing you every Friday night. Imagine instead, heading out to the mountains, meeting incredible new people and spending your free time on your skis or board. Imagine jetting off to do a ski season and work a ski season job! But it begs the question, what jobs can you do out there and what are the best ski season jobs?
This is now the choice that many twenty-somethings make instead of being run down by a hectic city lifestyle. You could go travelling and spend your hard-earned money, or you could head out to a ski resort for 6 months, get a job and be surrounded by awesome views, fluffy snow and great people. So even though you may work 6 days a week in a kitchen, just look outside and that’s motivation enough. What’s the saying all seasonnaires say? A bad day in the mountains is better than a good day at home.
You may be craving 6 months of letting your hair down, partying and being care free, or you may be interested in earning some dollar and developing your skiing or boarding skills. The job you get on the season will definitely dictate the type of season you have. You could choose to be a responsibility free pot washer or a sought after ski instructor. But either way, you will spend your free time hitting the slopes, dancing on tables and your Monday mornings waking up with a smile on your face (as cheesy as that sounds).
So where do you start? There are a multitude of jobs out in the mountains and we are here to get you started in the right direction, looking at what jobs there are on offer, the packages and where to find them. So keep reading for our ultimate guide in ski season jobs, to make sure you do your ski season the right way.
Gear up for your mountain adventure
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When and where to job hunt
There are so many jobs vacancies out in the mountains as seasonnaires practically run the resorts, from local restaurants, night clubs to major tour operators. Most companies and hospitality venues start to fill their job vacancies from the end of the previous season to start the following November or December, so if you are keen then start looking for jobs from around May. Alternatively, you may be the spontaneous type, and land a job a week before you plan on heading out. Or if you are really free-spirited, head out to resort, get some accommodation and job hunt face to face. Either way, to get started and to understand what jobs are available, there are hundreds of job sites and Facebook pages dedicated to winter season work.
Ridestore recommends
For tour operator jobs such as drivers, hosts, chefs, resort reps:
- seasonworkers.com
- bestskijobs.co.uk
- workaseason.com
- silverswanrecruitment.com
- snowseasoncentral.com
- freeride.se
- holidaystaff.co.uk
For ski and snowboard instructors jobs:
Facebook pages:
- facebook.com/groups/Jobs.Skiads
- facebook.com/groups/SkiandSnowboardJobs
- facebook.com/groups/Ski & Snowboard Instructor Jobs
If you are looking to work in a specific resort because you know you want to work there, such as Whistler, Val D’isere, Zermatt or Hakuba, then you can head to the resort website or resort Facebook page and you will find job postings there.
The package
As a season worker you will find many companies will offset some of your salary and provide you with a great package. Depending on what company and the role you go for. will depend on the job package you will receive. If you are looking for an easy life, get a job with a tour operator such as Crystal Ski, Mark Warner and Nortlander. They will usually provide accommodation with your other fellow work buddies, a season pass for the resort, ski and snowboard hire, insurance and most meals. These perks make your life super easy and you can go to resort and have everything set up for you.
Alternatively, some companies, such as if you worked in retail, restaurants and bars you will most likely have to fend for yourself, provide your own accommodation and your own season pass. But with this comes the freedom of choosing where and who you live with (this could be a deal-breaker, especially given the standard of staff accommodation). Look for roommates and flats on sites such as:
Our best advice is to be quick! The season apartments tend to get booked up fast, so if you want a decent apartment for reasonable money, then get searching in the summer.
We have broken down the best ski season jobs that will give an idea of a day in the life, the perks and where to find them. Most of these jobs are available in any resort around the world, so just find one that suits you, your skills and your vibe. Whatever job you choose, we are getting excited for you to embark upon the best 6 months of your life.
Chalet host
Where to find a job as a chalet host
Package (subject to variation) Shared staff accommodation, meals on shift, insurance, season pass, ski/ snowboard hire for the season, travel to and from resort, monthly salary.
Day in the life of a chalet host
The job of a host is probably one of the most readily available jobs in a resort, especially in the Alps, as catered chalets and hotels are a huge attraction for the tourists. If you have waited tables in the past or done any other hospitality job, then the role of the host is probably one of the easiest jobs to get too. You will be serving breakfast, afternoon tea and dinner and most likely be cleaning the rooms. It is a lot of work, but once get good at it, you will be able to ski everyday and hit the bar at a reasonable time. When you think of a chalet host you most likely picture the Chalet Girl film, where she worked for around 3 weeks of the season, got tipped huge amounts and lived in a 5* chalet, please don’t be fooled. You will often be dragging your feet from bed at 6 am for breakfast shift and be crying as you have to leave apres to serve afternoon tea 6 days a week. But, you will be part of a big team, who are all in it together, working similar hours and helping each other to get out of the chalet as quickly as possible. Work hard, play hard springs to mind!
Chef
Where to find chef jobs
- consensiochalets.co.uk/employment
- bestskijobs.co.uk/chef_jobs.php
- silverswanrecruitment.com/ski-chalet-jobs/chalet-chef/
Package (subject to variation)
Shared staff accommodation, meals on shift, insurance, season pass, ski/ snowboard hire for the season, travel to and from resort, monthly salary.
Day in the life chef
Food is a huge part of a ski resort, whether it be meaty burgers on the mountain, a beautiful plate of pasta or a gourmet 5-course meal with a cheese platter, so the role of the chef is sought after. If you are a chef by trade then you are in luck and will find plenty of jobs available, either in chalets, hotels and restaurants. Chefs in the mountains are lucky enough to have access to some incredible food, such as mountain cheeses, meat from farms down the valley and local wine. All whilst in a considerably more relaxed kitchen, with the added perk of spending your days off on the mountain. This is the massive draw for many chefs who head to the mountains, as they can live a lot more of a balanced life.
Bartender
Where to find bar jobs
Package (subject to variation)
Food on shift, drinks and discounts, sometimes staff accommodation and season pass.
If you are used to
Day in the life of a bartender
working until the early hours, serving hundreds of drunk people, then being a bartender in a ski resort is for you. It is one of the more intense jobs in resort, serving pints at apres ski and jager bombs until 4 am. However, the rest of the day is your blissful free time where you can either catch up on sleep or hit the slopes, any day of the week. You will only do three things: work, ski, sleep, repeat. If you can survive this lifestyle for 6 months, then you are truly resilient and have the stamina of an Olympian.
Working as a bartender has its perks, as all the seasonnaires will recognise you around the resort, you will get to know all the other staff in the area too. You will often get drinks discounts in other bars, and you will return the favour for your fellow bartenders. You will be part of the party every apres session and every night out. The only problem is that your mates will be doing the shots, whilst you pull the pints and they will be working whilst you hit first lifts.
Drivers
Where to find driver jobs
- themountainrescue.com/transfer-drivers-jobs
- jobs.natives.co.uk
Package (subject to variation)
Shared staff accommodation, meals on shift, insurance, season pass, ski/ snowboard hire for the season, travel to and from the resort.
Day in the life of a driver
Driving winding mountain roads with awesome views and top-class vehicles, is what a lot of people consider a holiday. Instead, you can become a driver for the season and you will get paid to hit the long stretches of road between valleys and drive around in a 4×4’s. There are plenty of driver jobs available for seasonnaires, whether that be a transfer driver to and from the airport or an in-resort driver running errands for the chalet staff and taking the guests around the village. This job has minimal responsibility and is generally relaxed for most of the week, (except when you have to shovel a metre of snow every other day).
As you can imagine the shifts are usually during the day, so time on the mountain is limited. Days off will be golden, when you get the chance to hit the slopes from first to last lifts. If you treasure your evenings, then at least you can clock off when everyone else is working their night shifts and be the first ones at the bar.
Ski & snowboard instructors
Where to find ski/snowboard instructor jobs
Package (subject to variation)
If you are doing an instructor course, usually accomodation and food, ski or board hire and season lift pass is provided by the school. Once you have a job, you may have to find your own accommodation or the school subsidises the accommodation.
Day in the life of a ski/snowboard instructor
When people think of doing a ski season, people automatically think of becoming a ski or snowboarding instructor. The imagination runs wild, dreaming of every day on the slopes going on epic adventures and having the rewarding feeling of teaching. But don’t get too ahead of yourself, to become an instructor you must, of course, do a training course which will occupy around half your season. We have written a guide on how to become a snowboard instructor, if you are interested in pursuing this route. Make sure you do at least your BASI 2 or equivalent to ensure you are qualified enough to actually teach for the rest of the season. Once you have graduated as an instructor, you often can find a job with the school you learnt in.
You spend half your season, developing your skills as a skier or boarder and the other half working long days come snow or shine. Either way, you are guaranteed to spend more time on the mountain than any other seasonnaire. Just prepare yourself for hours of crying children and annoying ski schools.
Resort rep
Where to find resort rep jobs
- careers.tuigroup.com/crystal-jobs/
- seasonworkers.com
- bestskijobs.co.uk
- langley.eu/sv/work-at-langley
- nortlander.se/info/jobb
- slopetrotter.se/kontakt/bli-en-av-oss
Package (subject to variation)
Shared staff accommodation, meals on shift, insurance, season pass, ski/ snowboard hire for the season, travel to and from resort, monthly salary.
Day in the life of a resort rep
Being a resort representative for a tour operator can be one of the most fun jobs in resort. The rep jobs are usually through large tour operators and you essentially act as the concierge for the guests. You are not bound by one chalet or hotel and don’t have to work long hellish shifts waiting tables. You spend a lot of time liaising with the guests and make sure they are happy. This can go one of two ways, one of which is that the guests are happy and you have a relaxed week, or your guests hate everything and then they break a leg- its an emotional roller coaster.
Unlike many of the hospitality jobs in resort, there is a lot of responsibility that comes with this role to ensure your guests are happy. Having said that, resort reps tend to work fewer hours than most other seasonnaires and the rest of the time you can be skiing and partying with your guests. What’s the saying? Happy guests, happy life?
FAQs
Is previous skiing or snowboarding experience required for all ski season jobs?
No, while skiing or boarding skills are beneficial and necessary for certain roles such as a ski or snowboard instructor, many other roles like hospitality tasks, drivers, or chef jobs do not require you to have these skills.
Can I work a ski season job if I can't commit to the entire season?
Absolutely, while many jobs run for the entire season, there are a number of roles that require short-term workers to cover busy periods such as Christmas and New Year.
Wrapping up
These are only a snapshot of the potential roles that are available in ski resorts around the world. There are so many more jobs that can cater to your skills, the type of season you are wanting or the pay you would like to have. But these are some of the well-known jobs that are easiest to get and can be found in all resorts from Niseko to Whitefish to St Anton.
If you are planning on doing a season next year, be prepared and start job hunting as soon as possible to ensure you get the best role for you. If you are feeling spontaneous however, jobs come available throughout the season and companies seem to always be hiring. This could probably be because a lot of people can’t take 6 months of non-stop partying, working long hours and hitting the slopes. It will be the most intense months of your life, but most certainly the best.
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