13428528:R-ED said:
This entirely depends on what area you want to work in, ski school, operations, customer service etc. and how much you want to work/ski
This.
Also what kind of mountain you're looking for, what kind of community do you want. For the most part, all medium and up mountains have something going on but there are mountain towns and then there are mountains in the middle of nowhere where youll meet a few people to kick it with.
What job
State/region preferences
Nightlife
Expenses
Close to other things you like
Size of the town
Idk. It really depends on the person. You could ask the same question and get a ton of different answers. Part of that is that most people haven't lived everywhere obviously so they'll say what they know but you could ask different people about the same mountain and get completely different answers.
You could work in 2 different departments at a ski resort and have completely different experiences.
That said I would encourage it. It can be a great experience. I love mountain life. I just finished my 13 season working at ski areas.
It makes you feel kind of like a battered wife though. You get beat up, you don't make shit, but you keep coming back because for some reason you love it. Then maybe you leave and go somewhere else only for the same thing.
But really it's rad. Some of the best people out there. Even at the shittiest mountains I've worked at I've made some amazing friends.
Most mountain jobs go up early. The bigger the area the earlier. Jobs start getting posted in august and many close october/november. If you don't care where you're going or have a few options I'd recommend applying for multiple jobs, evenn at different areas. You have a much better shot at getting the job you want. That said some jobs aren't TOO hard to pull off. If you plan to work at a ski area again, do good job. Even if the place sucks try and make the best of it. Then at least you'll have a decent reference for the future if you want to part time while in school
Best of luck OP.
