How to bag the best ski job going

Becoming a ski instructor or snowboard instructor is one of the best ski jobs going. Getting paid to teach skiing and snowboarding is without doubt the best of both worlds and many are turning to the snowsports industry to offer a vocational career with long term prospects, which is well remunerated, and gives an incredible lifestyle! Here are are 5 steps showing you how:

Step 1-  Build up your ski or snowboarding ability
It may sound obvious, but you must be a proficient skier or snowboarder in order to become a ski instructor or snowboard instructor in just one season. As a rough guideline you should be competent on red runs before joining a full ski instructor training course and the sames goes when joining a full snowboard instructor course.

If you feel you are short on this ability you might want to head out to the resort early and take part in some additional training. This is a great chance to help iron out any faults or bad habits, build up fitness, or simply spend some much needed time on the mountain, and will help make sure you start your instructor training at the highest possible level.

Step 2 – Determination
Real dreams are not made overnight! Becoming a ski instructor of snowboard instructor takes commitment, skill and determination. Rest assured the end result is well worth it!

Step 3 – Training Courses
Don’t be under any illusions, the training is technical, intensive, and not to mention exhausting. Rest assured, it is all of these things that make becoming a qualified ski instructor or qualifying as a snowboard instructor so worthwhile!

Picking the right course for you is key to elevating yourself onto the next level. Make no mistake, there is an enormous difference in ability when comparing a good ‘holiday skier/snowboarder’ with a fully trained and qualified ski/snowboard instructor.

With so many options out there, we suggest you narrow your options down to 3 organisations with whom to potentially carry out your training with. Arranging a meeting with the organisations at their head offices, or meeting members of their team out in resort is also a fantastic way to get a good understanding of what each course offers.

Tip: Watch out for hidden costs, be wary of what’s not included and at the end of the day when you’ve carried out all your nerdy research and it still leaves you in a dilemma, go with your gut instinct and you’ll never look back.

If you are sure that becoming a ski instructor or snowboard instructor is your calling, choose a course that includes both the Level 1 and Level 2 Qualifications. Be wary of any course that offer the Level 2 as an optional extra. Level 2 is globally acknowledged as the minimum requirement  when it comes to working as a ski instructor or snowboard instructor in the mountains.

If you’re not quite sure about going all the way as either a ski or snowboard instructor in just one season, but still want to come away from your season with a recognised qualification then check out our All Mountain Courses. They combine the Level 1 instructor award with focused performance instruction from the resorts best local instructors. You won’t be surprised to know that best skiers and snowboard in the world’s leading resorts are very rarely British.

Step 4 – Choose the right qualification system for you.
Like so many sports and global industries, there is more than one governing body. Basecamp courses give you the choice between either the British system or the Canadian system. In an effort to keep this short, here is a simple rule: if you are hoping to teach in Europe, go for BASI and if you are looking to work in North and South American resorts go for the Canadian system.

Stage 5 – Networking in resort – stay connected.
Whilst you may not be staying in top end luxurious chalets, every season you do there is the opportunity to meet amazing people from all over the world, as well as those living in the resort itself. Depending on the organisation you decide to go with you should expect to be introduced to as many experienced industry experts as possible, especially in French catered chalet resorts such as Montriond in Morzine. The wintersports industry is smaller than you think, and at the end of the day you never know who you could share a chairlift with next. The world of ski and snowboard instructing is just as much about who you know rather than what you know. It is for this reason that Basecamp courses spread coaching between a mixture of British and local instructors and trainers. Basecamp courses are designed to give you a broad spectrum of the industry and by choosing to outsource coaching to the best instructors in each Basecamp resort, Basecamp skiers and snowboarders avoid the stigma of being attached to a competitive ski or snowboard school.

Here at Basecamp we also understand that in resort the lifts close by 5pm, and back in resort the lights often stay on well past the mid-night hour. Whilst out resort managers are all qualified instructors they are not employed as instructors, because if they were they would be as knackered out as you are. Time spent in resort on a Basecamp course has a Basecamp resort manager at at the helm, whether it is securing group discounts, organising group activities, helping you recover from an injury or making introductions for you in resort, Basecamp resort managers are there to make things happen off the mountain as well as on it.

If you are looking for the ultimate instructor course, our repuation, our commitment to customer service, and our constant course innovation mean that Basecamp Ski and Snowboard is where you’ll find it.

If you do decide to join us – follow  3 Easy Steps to Booking a Basecamp Course