Working at ski resorts

Any of the big Western Canada hills should be dope only Whistlers gonna be mad pricey for a spot. Better terrain than the US. I’d probably do employee housing the first year.

I don't know much about working in Canada. Employee housing varies massively from resort to resort. Generally only the big places will offer it, and even that's not a guarantee. Quality and pricing can very a ton. A lot of place that do have it have limited amounts. If you're in a more generic role like first year liftie, it might be harder to score than a role that they're actively trying to bring somebody into.

Some ski areas/employee housing is pretty tightknit. Some it's not at all. Worth asking when you're first in contact with a place to see what they offer and what you have to do to get in. I've seen huge waiting lists places so def don't wait. If they don't offer employee housing they might be able to point you in the direction of some places to call about rentals, people looking for roommates etc. Maybe they have a network of some sort, maybe a facebook group of people looking fr housing.

Ski resort life is shitty and awesome. Some places are better than others, the pay sucks across the board, but it's all what you make of it. I love it enough to be doing it year round a decent amount, and every northern hem winter since 2003.

Honestly at this point I'm probably in to deep to ever do anything else with my life, but I dig it. If you're even curious about it I'd say send it for a season. Worst case you'll drink too much, eat shitty food, live in some shanty, work a job you're not feeling, and come out with less $$ than you started. But there's a good chance you'll ski a ton, meet plenty of people to shred with, and have a great time.

Will it be something you'll want to do forever? Probably not. Will you regret it? Probably not.

Indeed is generally a good place to look for jobs. A lot of jobs are already getting posted. I only look at terrain park and grooming jobs but a bunch went up the last 2 weeks. Some jobs and smaller resorts don't post things till closer to fall. You don't have to be particularly qualified to land some sort of job at a ski area. At the same time, there can be a ton of people applying. Get a job before you commit to a move. Nothing worse than showing up and having everything full. I've seen it happen to people a bunch. Also worth applying to a few places to give yourself a backup plan.

If you get a job do a decent job, even if ski industry isn't your jam. It's a small industry and if you do shit work/are an asshole it won't help you if you wanna work another ski season. And honestly, it's always nice to have a big list of good references for the future jerb hunt, even unrelated industries.

Ski a bunch, drink a bunch, and have yourself a jolly good time. Ski lyfe is the best lyfe. - Some dirtbag from the internet

Also only have experience in USA for North America. I feel it's fairly similar though. Good luck.

theabortionator

Great info! Thanks for sharing!

I worked in Whistler last season. If you like to shed all day and party all night, it is the place for you. The resort and town are all built at the base of the mountain and it is tough to beat that.

Like others have said, it is super pricey. Especially for housing. If you are working for WB/Vail staff housing exists but it is not a guarantee. if you want to get on the housing list, you should think about applying for a job this week. I recommend working in a rental shop. Personally the smaller stores were better for me. Larger stores like GLC, Fairmont, and Daylodge are super busy and stressful. You don't need that in your life. But if you do work for WB/Vail just know you are only making enough money to pay for a few groceries and big nights out. Not sure how you like to live, but if you go out lots, be prepared to budget the rest of your cash really well.

Other options are working in a hotel, bar, or restaurant. Lots of companies also have staff housing available and pay a slightly more competitive wage. Some even offer deals on lift pass. Getting in the restaurant/bar scene can be good because that is a community that sticks together. If you are friendly and well liked, you should have so advantage cutting lines and skipping cover charge on nights out. Only disadvantage is that you don't get to be apart of the WB/Vail employee community. Lot of amazing people there.

Overall, i would recommend Whistler. As long as you are planning ahead and prepared before you arrive. Apply for a few different jobs so that you don't limit yourself and you can end up getting what works best for you and what you want out of your mountain experience.