Jobs in ski industry

I feel like brussel and butter are the first people to define as what is the ski industry. Brussel is completely right in saying that there is every type of job in the industry.

In life after skiing, schmuck says something on the lines "everyone in the ski industry is like this close little family." He is referring to pros, production companies, Team managers, photographers, writers, (etc) and the others that deal with pros on a day to day basis. There is no money here for 95+% for those who are here.

Then there are the jobs that can be filled by people who love skiing or not. These jobs can sometimes be industry depending on the person who fill these shoes like josh from line. jobs on the edge of industry status like this where knowledge of skiing can help you probably has the highest median salaries and still the most industry.

As cool as being a lift engineer would be, I really wouldn't consider it an industry job. Sure, it pertains to skiing but there aren't any ski related benefits.




There is no right way to make it in the "ski industry." Everyone takes a different path in and there are so many different jobs in it. If you want to get in, BP and Josh from line hit the nail on the head.



I recommend this as further reading:

https://www.newschoolers.com/web/content/news/news_id/1754/

 

yes! Work for free gets you props for sure, an internship is really an invaluable expierence especially at a small company. at Bern I was tecnically a Web Intern but ended up working in Sales, Marketing, and Production, learned more in one summer than I've learned in the classroom.

Never burn bridges, companies may be competitive but when it comes down to it, everyone knows each other, and talks. I learned this the hard way!

Luck is also part of it for sure. I emailed half the companies I worked with a complete shot in the dark. Even if they respond to you, they may forget about you. Don't be afraid to follow up, and remind them. Sell yourself. it shows you really want it and thats important.

sorry to be a noob here but what does burning bridges mean?

eliminating the possibility of getting another job with who you are working for.

So if you hate who you are working for, do not retaliate on them. Stay cool and in good terms with who you are working for.

Ruining a relationship, or creating a negative relationship, where they dislike you and you dislike them.  It destroys your reputation with that person and eliminates any possibility of them recommending you/ hiring you

a career in the ski industry may be apealing but do what i plan to do ... finish college and get a job that pays well ... then you can work less and ski more while still making enough to get by.

bp i would love to have a talk with you sometime about getting started in the industry

id for sure be willing to sit down and talk to you sometime Jimmy. Come out to Illwaukee and we will have a nice talk.

My thoughts exactly.

sounds like a plan brian, we can ill around illwaukee?

i didn't really read any of the replys to this except for the first few but i dont think that the courses you should take in college should really be your main concern. obviously take things that are related to what you think you wanna do but i think its smart to take somewhat broad courses because i hear a lot of stories of people going to school for one thing and then getting a career in something totally different that they didn't study for. When you try to get a job at a company i think they're usually more concerned with how your attitude and work ethic towards the job that you'll be doing there is than what classes youv'e taken to learn about it.  If you show some skill at marketing or even just a good idea or two to the people you wanna work for i think that is more impressing to them than all the right courses. 

Sounds like it might be a job you'd want to look into later in life, when you get old and injured after many years of skiing. (like like mid 40's-50's) where you really aren't skiing that much anyway, then go into the industry with tons of experience with skiing and people who ski.

I am thinking about a big decision that I might have to make soon and I thought about this thread as well as a few others like steezyjibber's thread and mike rogge's life after college. There is a lot of good information in this thread. maybe some more people will add to this thread or maybe stoke or inspire some kid.


Bump.

good luck, I tried to get work in the ski industry, and O learned its all about who you know. Your background your education and all the hard work you have done to get a job in it doesnt mean shit unless you know some one. so start ass kissing now.

my advice would be to finish your degree and get a good paying job with benifits somewhere close to skiing, every aspect of the ski industry has no money involved and very little time to ski what you want. instructors are teaching on a pow day, shop workers are selling puffies to texans on pow days.

if you really want to get into engineering in the ski biz have your engineering job fund your hobby and start making your own stuff that can maybe grow with luck. this way you will have something to fall back on

i've been ski teching for awhile now during my winters, i start work from 4-6 pm and stay till i'm done everything for the next morning. my last 3 years i have skied 156 days-121 days-137 days. i worked on a ski hill before and reliezed i really didn't get to ski the terrain i wanted to ski as much as i thought i'd be able. I have been an avid skier and golfer my whole life and really wanted to encorporate my job and skiing thinkiing i'd get to ski more. after a few years i realized the key is to make as much money as you can during the summer so you can ski/and not have to work long hours to have a good winter. so instead of getting a job with skiing, i worked really hard and got my pro card for golf. i teach lessons all summer for golf and ski anyday i want all winter. you don't allways have to put all your eggs in one basket, solid seasonal work is awesome. for what your saying you want to do go to school. alot of other kids that want to be able to ski everyday and not be eating mr.noodles everyday all winter. specialize in something during the summer months, get into a trade, try to find something that pays decent, budget during the summer, and tried to get laid off for the winter. then your on the goverment funded ski team for the winter and you don't have to work..... as long as you budgeted during the summer. disclaimer this works in canada for the E.I ski team(if your on it you know what i'm talking about)i'm not sure how the american un employment system works. just my two sense. year round jobs are often to seriose and boring...

awesome thread and I really agree with the poster ^above^ me, It's all about the seasonal work.

my threads and defently lots of good info in here

Running events/marketing at a resort is really fun- i highly recommend it....