How To Find Ski Season Jobs As A Couple
Are you wondering how to find a ski season job as a couple and don’t know where to begin? You’ve come to the right place.
Thankfully, you have plenty of options when it comes to applying for winter seasonal roles with your partner.
Finding 2 jobs isn’t as daunting as it may seem, and throughout our guide, we will arm you with the tools and resources you need to find a ski season job.
We will outline the two main options you have for securing a ski season job as a couple before providing you with top tips for finding that dream job on the slopes.
We finish the article by providing links to the best places to begin to find a ski season job for you both.
Spoiler alert: if you’re looking for the easiest, most stress-free and cost-effective way of finding ski season jobs as a couple, then you should check out Global Work & Travel. They can assist with visas, flights and jobs before you arrive at the slopes and can even help you to find accommodation together
Disclaimer - this blog post contains affiliate links where we can earn a commission if you make a purchase through them (at no extra cost to you).
How to find ski season jobs as a couple?
So, you and your partner have chosen to work a ski season and you’ve settled on the ski resort where you want to live. Now you have the unenviable task of finding not one job but TWO.
We have good news: finding a seasonal job is very straightforward… if you know where to look.
Working a ski season in Canada or the Alps is one of our best gap year ideas for couples, so don’t worry about the stress of finding a ski season job as a couple because it will all be worth it in the end!
When you think of ski season jobs, most people immediately think about working directly with the ski hills themselves. You can be a ski/snowboard instructor, a lifty (Ski Lift Attendant, to give them their official titles), work on the front desk or in a sales team.
Yes, these are all great options but don’t feel as though they are the limit to the jobs available to you. After all, not all of us can be blessed with being unphased by working outside for 8 hours a day in —30-degree temperatures.
Thankfully, all ski hills will be built near a town full of infrastructure that needs to be manned. Ski resort towns are perfectly catered to hiring seasonal workers. You can take advantage of this.
Our tip: make sure you know what you need to buy before your first ski season , that way you will know what kind of wage you will need to be looking for to pay for everything.
A Ski Lift is soon to be your commute to work
We worked our Ski Season in Lake Louise, and although we didn’t work at the Lake Louise Ski Resort itself, we found a job at the Fairmont Hotel nearby at Lake Louise.
You essentially have two options when it comes to finding your job - you can either find a job before you head out, or you can fly out and find a job once you’re on the ground. Both are very viable options, and we will explore the pros and cons of each approach.
If you’re still unsure whether a Ski Season is suitable for the two of you, then you may need 7 reasons why you and your partner should work a ski season - you’ll definitely be convinced after reading that!
Note - neither option is going to be perfect for every couple; you have to decide between yourselves and go with whichever approach best suits the two of you.
Option 1 - Finding a ski season job as a couple before you fly
Once you know exactly where you want to do a ski season, you can get onto the internet and start searching for jobs in the area. As an easy starter, first try searching for jobs at the ski hill directly. Once you have explored this option, you can move on to finding jobs in the local town.
Remember that you are trying to find two jobs, one for you and one for your partner. Some couples, like us, love working together and find it easy and natural. Some couples prefer to work in different jobs during the day so they can reconvene in the evenings.
Don’t force yourself to get a job together just because you will be working abroad and you think it’s the safest option. If you don’t work well together in a professional setting, it’s best to find two different jobs.
The reality is, when you work apart, you will both make plenty of friends, and you’ll have the added benefit of introducing each other to your colleagues.
Advice: if it’s going to be the first time you are both travelling together long-term, then maybe a guide on how to survive your next trip as a couple will help you on your way.
Ticket 4 Two Please during their winter-season in Lake Louise
Finding a job before you fly is best suited to those couples that like to have everything planned before travelling. It gives you the security of knowing where you will be working and affords you the time to research the place before you arrive. It certainly adds a level of comfort.
It also means you will know your accommodation situation before arriving in the country, which is a huge plus. If staff housing is provided for couples, you are sorted. If there isn’t staff housing available with the job, then you know you can start researching housing in the area and prices for renting.
If it is a specific job you know you both want, like working with kids, for example, then this is probably the best option for you too. Finding more niche jobs is more challenging when you’re already at the resort.
The downside to this tactic is that you will be tied down to an area before you get there. You may arrive, meet a few people from a different ski resort or people who work in the local town, and regret not having worked there instead.
However, this can happen in any part of life, whether at home or on the road, so it’s not worth worrying about too much. At the end of the day, if you don’t enjoy your job, you can always leave and find a new one.
Something else to consider is that many seasonal jobs hire because you already have your working holiday visa. They may ask for evidence of this before hiring you. There are those, however, that will be willing to hire you before you get your visa and will then assist you with the visa application process.
Top hiring tip: many private chalet owners will look for a duo to run their chalet for the season, which is why they love hiring couples because they know you already get along. Typically they require at least one of the two of you to have some experience with cooking meals, but as long as you’re a proficient cook you should be fine.
Lake Louise Ski Resort
Option 2 - Finding a ski season job as a couple once you arrive
Once you arrive in the town that you will be working in, you’ll want to book yourselves into a hostel or hotel, and get out and start looking for jobs.
The easiest and most popular way of doing this is to print off lots of CVs, walk around the town, and start handing them out to every business that is advertising jobs (Most hostels and hotels let you print on-site for a small charge. Alternatively, try going to the local library and printing from there).
Finding a job once you arrive gives you the flexibility of being able to explore the resort and the town and choose the best option for you as a couple.
Many seasonal jobs only hire using in-person interviews, so already being at the resort will mean that you can arrange these interviews straight away.
The downside to this approach, of course, is that you don’t have the luxury of already having secured a job before you arrive, so money will be a concern. When budgeting for your season, if this is the approach you will go for, make sure you factor in the hostel/hotel costs for the first few weeks while searching for a job.
Finding a job can take days for some couples, and it’s no problem. For others, it may take up to a month to find the job you’ve both been looking for. Be patient; there are many seasonal jobs out there, so you have to keep looking.
Remember: ski seasons are a great long-term travel option for couples so you don’t need to worry about finding a job as soon as you arrive - you will have plenty of time to find the right job for you and your partner.
Early mornings waiting for the first chair at Lake Louise Ski Resort
Top tips for finding a ski season job as a couple
Don’t just settle for the first job you are offered
Yes, you are going to be conscious about money; it’s only natural, but if the job you’re being offered isn’t something that you can see yourself enduring for the whole season, then don’t rush into anything.
Seasonal employers love hiring couples!
They know that if two people come together, they are more likely to be committed to staying in that role for the whole season. Sell yourself as a couple, and more often than not, it will help you find a seasonal job quicker. Even if that means you may be working in slightly different roles or departments.
Come to the resort prepared
If you’re going to find a job once you arrive in the country, print out some copies of your CVs before you fly. You will already be one step ahead of all the other seasonal workers vying for those best positions.
Search for job hiring fairs at the resort or town you want to work at
Most ski towns run these fairs in January and September (May-June in the Southern Hemisphere), giving you access to hundreds of jobs all in one place. The best thing is that most of the companies will hire you right there, on the spot, at the fair itself.
Join the Ski Resort Jobs Facebook Page
There are regular posts from chalet owners looking for couples to run their chalet for the season and other jobs at Ski Resorts themselves. You can join the Facebook group here.
Ticket 4 Two Please on the gondola at Lake Louise Ski Hill
Great resources for finding a ski season job as a couple
Global Work & Travel (Our Top Recommendation - fees apply but it includes visas, flights, job offers etc.)
Ski Jobs (Worldwide)
Workaseason (Worldwide - costs to go with them, but they organise everything for you in advance)
BestSkiJobs (Worldwide)
SkiWorld (Europe and North America)
SkiJapan (Japan)
SnowJapan (Japan)
SnowSeasonCentral (Worldwide)
WeAreSno (Worldwide Ski/Snowboard Instructor Internships)
EASkiandSnowboard (Worldwide Ski/Snowboard Instructor Internships)
Best Ski Resorts in Europe for Couples - you’ve got to decide where you want to work first, right?
Now that you’ve been convinced to try a ski season for yourself, our beginner’s guide to working a ski season in Canada will give you a good sense of the following steps. Spoiler - there is no better place in the world to work a ski season as a couple than Canada!
In this article, we outline exactly how to become a ski instructor this winter season courtesy of The Winter Sports Company.