 It
happens to all of us in the end - we have to leave the comfy
realm of academia and find something in 'the real world'.
And then what will you be doing in January? Commuting
to an office on a dark, wet miserable Monday, or instead
perhaps planning exactly which sunny mountain restaurant
to do lunch at?
We reckon the over-rated real world can wait. If the
world of the student is hedonism, working a ski season must
be paid hedonism. But hold on, were those fly-on-the-wall
documentaries really exaggerated?
Becky Saxby, Chalet Operations Manager from Thomson Ski
and Snowboarding explains: "It is fun, with plenty of time
to ski and party, but there is a lot of hard work in between.
On average, the working week is between 50-60 hours, with
just one day off."
The ski boom has certainly meant a huge number of jobs to
fill - but where do you go to find this lifestyle of luxury?
Like most things these days the Internet is the best place
to start.
www.natives.co.uk
specialises in the world of the season worker. We
asked Iain Martin, founder of Natives, how the site came
about. "When we set up Natives earlier last year,
the idea was to create a community for season workers -
whether they had done a season already or wanted to do one
in the future.
"The Club des Saisonniers (for people who have already worked
a winter) has been very successful and we are now starting
to agree deals and discounts for members. However
it soon became apparent that there was a massive demand
for information about ski jobs."
If
you're looking for a ski job, it certainly seems to have
all the information you will need. With links to
over 150 British tour operators you can see exactly who's
out there. And even better, to save you time, those
ski companies actively recruiting over the Internet are
highlighted.
It's probably no surprise to learn that recruitment is
becoming more and more an Internet activity.
Iain expects the trend toward recruiting on the Internet
to continue, pointing out that the cost savings for both
employer and job seeker make it inevitable.
Becky Saxby agrees: "As Britain's largest tour operator,
we need to fill over 300 vacancies each winter.
This winter is the first we have actively sourced staff
over the Internet, using sites like Natives.co.uk, and
by 2002 we expect to receive 40% of applications via the
Web."
So when should you apply for your winter in the Alps?
The time to start looking is from July onwards - any earlier
and tour operators will still be too busy with the current
season. If you want to be keen you can apply in
May, but most recruitment staff take a month's holiday
after the winter and work only starts in earnest in June.
Of course, if your studies are coming to an end (whether
by choice or not!), you can still get a job for this winter.
Don't worry about it being too late, because according
to Iain Martin, there are always some jobs out there.
"Staff accept jobs and then drop out because they get
offered something in the UK or get into a new relationship,"
says Iain. "I'd say that's their loss, but it does
mean that ski companies are usually looking for staff
right up until the season starts."
It's also not unknown for some staff not to make the grade.
If your alarm clock won't wake you up in the morning,
it won't be long before you're back in the UK with nothing
to get up for. These early season departures mean
though that most companies have to recruit staff throughout
the winter as well.
Take a look at Natives' Job Search page. There are
always vacancies for the winter, sometimes through to
March. So if the course work does get a bit too
much or you fancy an extra holiday how about a sabbatical?
And if you do, one final word of advice - Iain Martin
again: "It's not a stroll by any means, but a season in
the Alps is a great feeling. The only problem
is that they can they can be very addictive and once you've
done one it's hard not to do one more - and one can become
two can become six!"
As
well as info about who to apply to for a ski job, www.natives.co.uk
offers a few insights into what it's really like to work
a ski season, including what to and what not to expect.
Here's a selection:
Do Expect To
Need
lots patience to answer the same questions each week
Become
an expert in Jenga and Trivial Pursuit
Need
hands resistant to Brillo pads and Vim
Don't
Expect To
Enjoy
the pub-crawl so much when you're working on it
Enjoy
cleaning toilets six days a week
Enjoy
an 18-hour transfer day
Further
Information
Natives.co.uk
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