The Student Room Group

So, you want to do a ski season?

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Reply 280
Original post by f1 boss
Haha same. Looks absolutely ridic...especially when you take into consideration that there isn't much friction. Hospital trip after a night out in heels? I think so.


Haha I was surprised at their ability to remain upright whilst being so drunk and walking through snow.
just come back from a ski season and dear god it was bloody fantastic. cannot recommend it more. as for what to wear in the evenings, girls generally wore jeans/tights with shorts or something. but jeans were generally most popular. heels definitely a no go. tops were usually things like chiffron shirts, graphic ts. it's very relaxed in a ski resort to be honest - i don't think i saw any seasonaires wear dresses really... ive never come across a club which had a 'smart' dress code in a ski resort so dont worry about that.
Reply 282
Does anyone know of a company/experience similar to Ski le Gap for Australia? I'd planned to do the Ski..Gap ultimate experience in the upcoming winter, however a few things have come up which mean I'm no longer free to do it Would still love to do something similar during the summer though their winter, and was wondering if there are similar courses?

Regards
Hi there,

I have just found out that I will be working at a youth hostel in the French Alps fro 4 months from January-April 2013. As part of my payment, I will be given a free ski pass for the season so I want to make the most of this and learn to ski etc as I have never had any experience of this before.

I was wondering if you could tell me what kind of personal equipment I might need to buy beforehand, like a jacket perhaps? Could you recommend a good jacket that would suit my needs?

Thanks

gillsfan36
Reply 284
I so want to do a ski season, it's like number 1 on my bucket list! I hurt my knee about a year ago though and I'm still waiting until it's strong enough to ski/board. My physio recommended waiting a bit longer before I do a season :frown: I might just do one anyways though and only ski a little or something.

Can anyone give me an insider's perspective on which companies are good to work for and which ones to avoid? Just so I know for when I do finally get to apply :smile: Thanks!
Original post by toofaforu
just come back from a ski season and dear god it was bloody fantastic. cannot recommend it more. as for what to wear in the evenings, girls generally wore jeans/tights with shorts or something. but jeans were generally most popular. heels definitely a no go. tops were usually things like chiffron shirts, graphic ts. it's very relaxed in a ski resort to be honest - i don't think i saw any seasonaires wear dresses really... ive never come across a club which had a 'smart' dress code in a ski resort so dont worry about that.


Hey, where did you go and with what company?

I'm guessing you worked, what did you do? :biggrin:
Original post by snowboardsteve
Any one ever thought about doing a season with a company, where you get accomodation, flights, tuition and food. You basically snowboard all day and get qualifications where you can then go and work as an instructor.

I signed up the other day with one cant wait for 2012 now.

Seems better than working in the resort and only riding on days off. Just gotta save my money now


So what's the deal with that? Are you teaching - because you mention you get qualifications whilst you're out there.. It sounds too good to be true :tongue:


Is it a case of you signing up, then you're basically signing to say you'll then become an instructor for them for the next two years or whatever, in return for the training?
Original post by Architecture-er
So what's the deal with that? Are you teaching - because you mention you get qualifications whilst you're out there.. It sounds too good to be true :tongue:


Is it a case of you signing up, then you're basically signing to say you'll then become an instructor for them for the next two years or whatever, in return for the training?


Original post by Architecture-er
Hey, where did you go and with what company?

I'm guessing you worked, what did you do? :biggrin:


ill answer both of these in one... i did my season in val disere (great resort). i did not work no, i did an instructor course as well. you don't do any teaching really as u have to be qualified first to teach, though u do a small week of shadowing real instructors. u get qualified but not high enough level to teach in france/teach full time anywhere but a snowdome.

and no, u have to pay quite a lot for the training but there's no commitment. a lot of people on my course had no intention of becoming instructors, but it looked far more appealing than working all day and not skiing. we were the ultimate ski bums.


Original post by meow444
I so want to do a ski season, it's like number 1 on my bucket list! I hurt my knee about a year ago though and I'm still waiting until it's strong enough to ski/board. My physio recommended waiting a bit longer before I do a season :frown: I might just do one anyways though and only ski a little or something.

Can anyone give me an insider's perspective on which companies are good to work for and which ones to avoid? Just so I know for when I do finally get to apply :smile: Thanks!

best companies to work for? bars. any bars. ones to avoid? tour operators, but specifically ski total, esprit, inghams.
Reply 288
Original post by toofaforu

best companies to work for? bars. any bars. ones to avoid? tour operators, but specifically ski total, esprit, inghams.


Yea that sounds like solid advice, thanks. I don't know if I would get enough money to live off of if I worked at a bar though. I expect I would only be working part time, and I'd have to organise accommodation myself which would be a bit daunting/expensive. Do you think it's possible to organise bar work before you go, or would it normally be a case of just turning up at the resort and asking around?
Original post by toofaforu
ill answer both of these in one... i did my season in val disere (great resort). i did not work no, i did an instructor course as well. you don't do any teaching really as u have to be qualified first to teach, though u do a small week of shadowing real instructors. u get qualified but not high enough level to teach in france/teach full time anywhere but a snowdome.

and no, u have to pay quite a lot for the training but there's no commitment. a lot of people on my course had no intention of becoming instructors, but it looked far more appealing than working all day and not skiing. we were the ultimate ski bums.


Ah ok, definitely avoid the training holiday then! Barely have enough money for a regular ski holiday this winter :frown:

edit: why do you advise against tour operators? They'll pay for your ski pass / accommodation and the like, which I'm sure a bar wouldn't do?

~~

Does anyone know how easy it is to get a job working for a TO in the Alps somewhere (VT / 3's etc)? Plus is there a load of discrimation against boys in favour of hiring a busload of chalet girls for bar work and the like?

I could do any job well, though I've not had experience of bar work or cooking in a paid job before, do they look for people with experience or is there such a demand that anyone can go, as long as they have the enthusiasm and personality?
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 290
Original post by toofaforu

best companies to work for? bars. any bars. ones to avoid? tour operators, but specifically ski total, esprit, inghams.


Care to give some reasons?

IMO compared to the other TO's, they're one of the better ones to work for.
Reply 291
Original post by Architecture-er
Ah ok, definitely avoid the training holiday then! Barely have enough money for a regular ski holiday this winter :frown:

edit: why do you advise against tour operators? They'll pay for your ski pass / accommodation and the like, which I'm sure a bar wouldn't do?

~~

Does anyone know how easy it is to get a job working for a TO in the Alps somewhere (VT / 3's etc)? Plus is there a load of discrimation against boys in favour of hiring a busload of chalet girls for bar work and the like?

I could do any job well, though I've not had experience of bar work or cooking in a paid job before, do they look for people with experience or is there such a demand that anyone can go, as long as they have the enthusiasm and personality?


In general, bars pay better as you're on a French contract as opposed to a UK secondment contract from tour ops. The downside is that you'll generally have to pay for your own travel, accom, food, pass, equipment and insurance whereas it's included with tour ops. Foreign bar owners will tend to hire more females, but that's pretty much to be expected unfortunately. TO's do have bar positions available though, and TO's seem to be fairly evenly split m/f.

I've just completed my 3rd season with Total/Esprit/Inghams, and from talking to other tour op staff, T/E/I come across as one of the better companies to work for. Don't get me wrong, they aren't perfect, but very few companies are.

T/E/I also run a cookery course that you can choose to do the week before the normal comapny training week. Works out to about £250, but given that Orchards Cookery School charge in the 000's for a less relevent course, it's very cheap.

If you're interested, have a look at www.workaseason.com for an idea of the jobs on offer, and if you have any questions, drop me a PM.
Original post by simeon
In general, bars pay better as you're on a French contract as opposed to a UK secondment contract from tour ops. The downside is that you'll generally have to pay for your own travel, accom, food, pass, equipment and insurance whereas it's included with tour ops. Foreign bar owners will tend to hire more females, but that's pretty much to be expected unfortunately. TO's do have bar positions available though, and TO's seem to be fairly evenly split m/f.

I've just completed my 3rd season with Total/Esprit/Inghams, and from talking to other tour op staff, T/E/I come across as one of the better companies to work for. Don't get me wrong, they aren't perfect, but very few companies are.

T/E/I also run a cookery course that you can choose to do the week before the normal comapny training week. Works out to about £250, but given that Orchards Cookery School charge in the 000's for a less relevent course, it's very cheap.

If you're interested, have a look at www.workaseason.com for an idea of the jobs on offer, and if you have any questions, drop me a PM.


Thanks, that's all really helpful :biggrin:

I noticed all the jobs require 'significant' cooking experience or child care experience and the like, are there any jobs for average students? I mean, they even want experience for people filling the bloody housekeeping and chalet assistant positions, or is that something you can just wrangle? For example, I don't need "Hospitality industry and customer service experience" to be a strong, hospitable asset to a chalet team :angry:
Reply 293
Original post by Architecture-er
Thanks, that's all really helpful :biggrin:

I noticed all the jobs require 'significant' cooking experience or child care experience and the like, are there any jobs for average students? I mean, they even want experience for people filling the bloody housekeeping and chalet assistant positions, or is that something you can just wrangle? For example, I don't need "Hospitality industry and customer service experience" to be a strong, hospitable asset to a chalet team :angry:


Although they ask for experience, at the interview they are looking more for potential than anything else (unless you're going for a Head Chef/Chalet Chef, Head Nanny/Head Snow Ranger position).

I was a Chalet Manager this season, responsible for 23 staff. Of those 23, 12 had no previous catering experience.
Original post by simeon
Although they ask for experience, at the interview they are looking more for potential than anything else (unless you're going for a Head Chef/Chalet Chef, Head Nanny/Head Snow Ranger position).

I was a Chalet Manager this season, responsible for 23 staff. Of those 23, 12 had no previous catering experience.


Awesome!
Reply 295
I agree with you. Your points of view make me thinking about some thing for my project.

I also find more materials that may be useful for you: Restaurant hostess interview questions

Pls try to keep posting. Tks and best regards
Reply 296
I've sent my applications for a chalet assistant position and I've got an interview for ski total, what should I expect from the interview? Do they just ask questions or do I have to do something like bake a cake??
Reply 297
Original post by star*
Do they just ask questions or do I have to do something like bake a cake??


If they want you to cook at some stage, they'll definitely tell you about it in advance! They would want you to be prepared for something like that, so if it's just described as an interview, that'll be all for now. As an assistant, they might not need you to prove your cooking ability - it depends what sort of position they think you'll end up in. Take it as being just a normal interview now, and if you later have to cook things for them, you'll be told :smile:
Reply 298
Original post by star*
I've sent my applications for a chalet assistant position and I've got an interview for ski total, what should I expect from the interview? Do they just ask questions or do I have to do something like bake a cake??


Well done on getting an interview, can't fault your choice of Company.:biggrin:

The interview process seems to have changed a lot since I started, the company is a lot bigger, employing a lot more staff, so things are more structured now.

Chalet Hosts/Assistants used to be asked to take something like a cake with them to the interview, but I don't know if they still are...it'll tell you in the details that you get sent prior to your interview exactly what you need to take.

If you do have to take a cake, when you're asked about it, make a point of telling them you the processes you used in baking it. They're not just interested in end results, they want to see that you know how you got there. For all they know, your Mum made it for you. Something worth mentioning for 'bonus' points...cake recipes that work at home won't work at altitude, they don't rise...this is why the majority of cakes in ski chalets use yoghurt as an ingredient.

I know they definitely do group exercises now, so be prepared to get involved, but don't come across as over-bearing/unwilling to listen to others. Give your opinion, listen to others.

If you do well enough in group interview, you'll go onto a 1on1 interview. Most of the interviewers are the Management team from the various resorts and the majority of them started in a job like you're applying for, so although they know the job inside out, they've been in the same position as you . Do a bit of research into the company...what 3 brands do Hotelplan UK operate, what countries/resorts do they operate in etc. Be prepared to be asked what you expect to get out of the season...and don't tell them you want 5 months on the piss!

Good luck, and if it all goes well, I'll see you in Les Arcs for your training...I'm one of the Training Chefs for next season.
Reply 299
Original post by simeon
Well done on getting an interview, can't fault your choice of Company.:biggrin:

The interview process seems to have changed a lot since I started, the company is a lot bigger, employing a lot more staff, so things are more structured now.

Chalet Hosts/Assistants used to be asked to take something like a cake with them to the interview, but I don't know if they still are...it'll tell you in the details that you get sent prior to your interview exactly what you need to take.

If you do have to take a cake, when you're asked about it, make a point of telling them you the processes you used in baking it. They're not just interested in end results, they want to see that you know how you got there. For all they know, your Mum made it for you. Something worth mentioning for 'bonus' points...cake recipes that work at home won't work at altitude, they don't rise...this is why the majority of cakes in ski chalets use yoghurt as an ingredient.

I know they definitely do group exercises now, so be prepared to get involved, but don't come across as over-bearing/unwilling to listen to others. Give your opinion, listen to others.

If you do well enough in group interview, you'll go onto a 1on1 interview. Most of the interviewers are the Management team from the various resorts and the majority of them started in a job like you're applying for, so although they know the job inside out, they've been in the same position as you . Do a bit of research into the company...what 3 brands do Hotelplan UK operate, what countries/resorts do they operate in etc. Be prepared to be asked what you expect to get out of the season...and don't tell them you want 5 months on the piss!

Good luck, and if it all goes well, I'll see you in Les Arcs for your training...I'm one of the Training Chefs for next season.


Thanks so much! I had no clue about the rising thing!
I've worked as a part time swimming teacher for 2 years now (+ a year of volunteering before) and I've done some casual waitressing work for dinners etc, do you think I have a good shot? I also can bake well, tho not as good as making main meals :s-smilie:

Also, if you're offered a job, do you get a choice of resort?

Hopefully see you in Les Arcs!

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