Beyond the obvious perks of skiing, working with stunning views and sharing adrenaline-packed experiences (and après), reasons for working a ski season include life-changing benefits, such as advancing your career, offering personal growth, and helping to develop skills for future jobs in different industries.

Here's what you need to know: 

BEST SKI SEASON JOBS

Identify where your talents lie. On or off the slopes. Front of house or behind the scenes.

On the Slopes

If you’re an expert skier or snowboarder, take a ski instructor course so as to share your passion and help others improve their skills, while actually skiing all day. Another option can be joining the ski patrol to ensure everyone’s safety on the slopes and help during emergencies. Note that this needs excellent ski skills, on-slope training and first aid knowledge.

In the Resort

There are tons of opportunities in hospitality including chalet hosting, managing guests’ stays, working behind the bar, or waitstaff in the resort restaurants. These ski resort jobs help to improve customer service skills. If you’re interested in the culinary scene, ski resorts are always looking for talented chefs. 

Behind the Scenes

If the operational side of things interests you more, there are behind the scenes roles that could be a better fit. Positions such as maintenance, ski lift operator, resort representative, and retail. These jobs are essential for keeping the resort running smoothly and look good on the CV.

KEY SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

To make sure you stand out and secure a job faster, here are some essential skills that you should highlight if you have them:

Skiing or Snowboarding 

Being a talented skier or snowboarder is essential for on-slope roles and ski instructors.  Many resorts offer training, but having a solid foundation will help secure the job faster.

Hospitality

Experience in customer service, food handling, and housekeeping can be a game changer in hospitality roles. If you've served coffee, tossed burgers or folded sweaters as a holiday job you could be one step closer to working the ski season. 

Language

Speaking the local language is obviously an advantage. Only know English? Then stick to American and Canadian resorts. With French, German, or Spanish  the ski job prospects open up. And it's worth a language course in Japanese to nail a job in the land of the falling pow.

WHERE TO LOOK

These are the best ways to find ski season jobs:

Job Boards and Websites

There are plenty of ski resort vacancy boards and websites that post ski season roles. The top platforms are: Natives, Ski Jobs, and CoolWorks.

Apply Directly with Resorts

Check out ski resorts,, ski operators and ski hotels. Most have current vacancy pages on their websites and update their open positions regularly. You can also look up their career contact information and email them directly with your CV.

Networking

Networking can be a real game changer in finding ski season jobs. If you know anyone in the industry, start by asking them for any connections that can land the first interview. Also expand your search and join social media groups or forums where people post openings. Another option can be to participate in events that connect employers and candidates and network at any pre-season ski exhibitions. 

WHEN TO APPLY

Getting the timing right and choosing the best locations are key factors to landing a ski season job.

The ideal time to apply is in the summer or early autumn so you can secure a position before the ski season starts. This gives time to sort out paperwork and make travel arrangements plus, if necessary, sort out accommodation. You can still apply right before or even during the ski season in case there are some last-minute job openings. 

TIPS FOR LANDING THE JOB

Here's how to help your applications stand out and increase your chances of landing the dream gig:

Tailor Your CV

Make sure you customise your CV to highlight any relevant experience for ski season roles. Use a CV template for ski jobs and include customer service, language, or skiing-related experience that show you are a great fit for the position.

Customised Cover Letter 

Your cover letter should complement your CV and help show your passion for skiing. It should also highlight your dedication, skills, and experience that make you stand out. Make sure you personalise each cover letter for the specific role you’re applying to.

Interview Prep

Prep all your interviews by researching the resort or the company. Look up some common questions and answers so you can practise ahead of time. Most importantly, show your enthusiasm for the role and highlight how your skills and experiences align with what they’re looking for.

SKI RESORT ACCOMMODATION

To make sure you have an enjoyable ski season experience, finding good accommodation is key. Here are some tips for nailing your ski home:

Staff Options

Many resorts offer staff accommodation, which is super convenient and helps create a friendly community among employees. Just keep in mind that it can sometimes be a bit cramped and/or noisy.

Finding Your Own Place

If you prefer a bit more privacy, look for affordable rentals or consider sharing a place with private rooms with your colleagues. You can use Airbnb or local vacation rental websites to find a somewhere within your budget. But, note, ski resort living can be expensive with decent accommodation in resort and close to the ski lifts aimed at visitors paying premium prices. So you might end up a bus ride away from the ski lifts. Also the bigger more prestigious ski resorts will obviously be more expensive for seasonaires to live in unless your employer offers staff accommodation.

VISAS AND PERMITS

It’s important to understand the visa requirements and work permits needed for a smooth transition and legal employment during your ski season:  

Brexit and UK Citizens

Since the UK is no longer part of the Schengen agreement, it's now essential for British seasonal ski workers to have a visa when working in Europe. But many of the main UK based tour operators and ski companies can cut through the red tape and obtain visas for their UK staff.

Digital Snomads

The mountains are calling all snomads, skiers and snowboarders who can work remotely as more countries with ski resorts offer long stay digital nomad visas. These include Italy, Norway, Andorra and Japan. However, you do have to pay for the visa, prove a minimum annual income and have health insurance. Read more here. 

THE BENEFITS OF WORKING A SKI SEASON

Where do we start?

University of the Mountains

A ski season job is more than just work—it’s a chance for personal and professional growth, to improve your skills, gain more experience in other areas - and also make friends for life. This is why they call working in a ski resort, The University of the Mountains.

Graduating after the Season

Yep, you're a high achiever if you've completed a season working in the mountains. If you really enjoyed the experience, why not work, ski - and repeat - with another winter's work. Or what about summer? There are plenty of jobs in resorts for working in the mountains throughout the year. Working a ski season is a unique, unforgettable experience. It offers the opportunities for skill-building, career growth, networking - and lifelong memories.

Embrace the challenge and enjoy the ride!