How To Be A Ski Instructor - Job Hunting

For those who have followed my occasional posts on 'How To Be A Ski Instructor', now is the time to start looking for work for next winter (in the Northern Hemisphere at least). If you are a newly qualified instructor it can be daunting to get that first job and get on the instructor ladder - like many professions there is something of a Catch 22 where you need experience to get a job and a job to get experience.

My advice is to apply for a lot of positions. Hopefully you will have some contacts from courses or from resorts you have visited. Use these but do not rely on them exclusively. It is always good to have a backup plan if a job falls through. By all means apply to the big name resorts - they will employ a lot of instructors but there will still be a lot of demand for positions. Do your research and find all the ski schools in a resort, not just the biggest or best marketed. Do not be disheartened though if you are not offered your dream job on a plate. Look at other options, including less glamourous options. In Europe you obviously have the Alps, but also Andorra, Spain, Eastern Europe and Scotland. In the US the East Coast resorts may be easier to find work at. In Canada there are many smaller areas beyond the obvious Whistler and Banff resorts. There are also advantages to working in a small area, as part of a smaller team. It is often friendlier with more opportunities for training and progression. Above all, don't give up - something will turn up if you keep looking.