Whether you’re approaching the end of college, contemplating a gap year or just desperate for a change of scenery, a ski season is an avenue many young women consider.
Werk spoke to a young woman who just completed her first ski season job and is ready to share her top tips. She told us her pro’s, con’s and top tips for applications.
Rosa Bryant, 24, is from North Yorkshire and recently completed a 5 month stint as a chalet host in La Plagne, France.
Pro’s
- “You’re going to gain experiences you potentially wouldn’t get anywhere else. I mean this in both a professional and personal way. It’s not often you can experience living in another country and climate whilst getting paid to do so.”
- “You get to meet people from all over the world, the seasonal staff are not only French and English. If I’d stayed in Settle, I don’t think I’d ever have come across the people I met. I really feel like I’ve made friends for life.”
- “I gained so many life skills and improved the ones I already have. I could already ski but my ability came on leaps and bounds. Alongside this, my hosting, cooking and cleaning skills flourished massively during my ski season. I know this will be invaluable when I have my own home.”
Con’s
- “To be honest, it’s not the greatest wage in the world. The seasonal work industry doesn’t have endless amounts of money, you’ll probably leave with as much as you earned after ski rental, food and the occasional apre-ski.”
- “People often look down on the career and dismiss it as a but of fun, in actual fact you work long hours and are often too exhausted to party and ski yourself”
- “The home sickness is very real. It’s easy to see all your friends and family together at home and wish you were back there with them. You miss birthdays, Christmas and countless gatherings”
If you still feel keen to explore the world of seasonal work and more specifically ski season jobs, here are Rosa’s top tips for the application:
- Be a show off in your cover letter! Showcase the work you’ve already done that relates to hosting, cleaning and cooking. Think outside the box. Retail and hospitality experience are very mouldable to ski season applications.
- Be open to change. Don’t reserve yourself to one resort or job role and be open to a variety of opportunities. You may apply to be a housekeeper and end up as a cook, the possibilities are endless.
- Look around and find what you think is right for you but also apply for as much as possible. The more you apply for, the more chances you have of securing a role. There are thousands of applications every year and some companies won’t even read them all. Almost all companies are worth a shot!
