Every year, once their hangovers have subsided, thousands of jubilant A Level students turn their attentions to the all important job of choosing how to spend their gap year.

Taking a gap year out before heading off to college or university is no longer considered unusual with 1 in 5 students opting to defer their courses for 12 months.

Most choose to travel or work abroad, but many who have dreamt of spending a season working in a ski resort don't realise that their dream job could be within their grasp - despite their tender years.

Now Europe's No 1 website for finding ski or snowboard jobs is urging students not to follow the herd but fill the "gap" by going Natives.

Natives [http://www.natives.co.uk] already has a proven track record of matching gap year students and other younger applicants with suitable resort jobs.

But Iain Martin, Natives' managing director, believes there are many more snowsport mad 18-year-olds planning their year out who simply aren't aware of the opportunities available to them.

"We are definitely getting more and more inquiries from younger people who are desperate to work a season before they start university or college. There is still a perception that at 18 or 19 they are too young to find a decent resort job, but although there are fewer jobs out there at that age, we can still help them find work. As well as job listings, the website gives advice on what to take with you, what to expect and how to make the most of your season," said Iain.

Ben Hicks, now studying for a degree in Management at Hull University, found his ski resort job last autumn through Natives just as he and his two friends began to lose hope of tracking down work before the start of the ski season.

Ben, aged 20, of Beverley, Yorkshire, said: "I started snowboarding when I was 14 and have always wanted to spend a season working in a ski resort. To be honest, we'd almost given up on the idea when we found the Natives website via a web search. We spotted a job listing for a hotel in Arosa, Switzerland that wanted kitchen staff, logged our details and within a day or so the owner had telephoned us! We couldn't believe just how easy it was once we discovered Natives."

The teenagers, who had restaurant work experience, flew out in mid-December and spent the next four-and-a-half months living their gap year dream in the small Swiss resort.

"It was fantastic and it's made me really want to work another season after I graduate and before I start my career. We were among just a handful of Brits working in the resort, but we met brilliant people of all nationalities and found plenty of time for snowboarding," said Ben.

Ben added: "When I got to university, lots of people had taken a year out, but very few who are in to skiing or snowboarding realised that they could have spent it on the slopes. I'll definitely be using Natives again to find seasonal work and can recommend the site to anyone who's looking for a resort job."

Natives.co.uk
Natives was launched in April 1999 and is used by more people to find a ski job than any other source.

More than 100 companies will be using Natives this season to find staff for this winter with thousands of job seekers using the site to help fulfil their dreams

http://www.natives.co.uk