Help me get back to the sport I love...

aoe

aoe

Active member
So this will be my fourth winter away from skiing... and I just don't think I can hack it. I need to get away from the rat race. I graduated from university last April, where I have been for 5 years (the last 3 with no skiing). I had a depressing summer of job hunting and finally settled on a retail management job at home. It's decent pay ($40g) but it's sucking the life out of me and I hate it. I thought at least I will get to ski this winter to balance me out... I later found out that I will be transfered after christmas to somewhere where I can't ski. I can't take this rat race shit anymore. I'm putting in my notice on tuesday, i'll work my 2 weeks and then be gone. I have a friend that will hire me until xmas and then lay me off so I can get EI. But after xmas I need to get away from this shit and get somewhere that I can ski. I'd love to get into the industry or at least get a decent job at a resort. I can't afford to take the ski bum dishwasher route though, I have bills: student loans, down payment for a apartment building I bought, credit card, etc. Therefore I need a decent paying job ($35k +). I have a Bachelor of commerce and a BSc in Economics and a lot of retail sales and management experience as well as a lot of ski / bike industry and product knowledge. Where should I begin my search? I'm only 23 but I feel my life is passing me by as I build my resume and assets. I don't want to wait another 3 years to get back to skiing, I don't know if my body will be able to take it by then.
Where do I start?
 
dude just do what makes you happy I'm sure with your degrees you could find a job working for some mega resort that would pay you well, but the first thing you need to do is believe that you have the skills ti be doing something that you want cause you do...I mean you survived university and passed so you obviously know how to work...if you push hard you can get a job that will let you ski for sure
 
Okay so you're in Canada, but where in Canada? If you are collecting EI, you can't leave the country. However, you can go anywhere in Canada as long as you are "looking for a job". So where are you right now, and where do you want to go?
 
First off, welcome back as an active member of the community. It's good to see an old familiar name around here.

Secondly, the most important part of life, is to find something you enjoy doing, and making it work into everything. No one looks back on their life and says, "I wish I had worked more."

Huge props to you though for taking that big jump, realizing what you were doing was not right for you, even though to most, it would be great, and following your passion.
 
First off, thanks for the welcome back guys! I've been kicking around from time to time, but do you know how depressing it is to be on here, surrounded by skiing when you can't ski?..yeah, depressing.
Secondly, to Answer your question Kev, I'm in Newfoundland, but I'm literally mobile anywhere I can ski. To this point I have semi-actively been looking for jobs online in Vancouver. Haven't found anything industry related though and I haven't kicked my search into high gear. I am perfectly willing to move to the US (although i'd love to stay in Canada). But yes you're right I can't leave while getting EI so I will need to have at least some very good prospects lined up before hand. I did apply for a job with Amer Sports in UTAH (Thanks TWoods!), so yeah like I said, I'm mobile.
 
For sure man, SO many outdoor companies are based here. like I said, try black diamond too, but also ogio, and maybe even the backcoutry.com stuff. I can't remember all the companies that are based here, but if you go into regionals, I know that other people can fill it in.
 
wait, why dont you keep your job until xmas and then quit before you are transfered?

that will give you time to find another high paying job while still getting paid your 40k, im assuming the job your friend is giving you will be paying less.
 
Well, If I took the job with my friend I would only be giving up about 3 weeks at my current job. Plus, I could get a lay off with him, which I may need for a bit of security if I need to get EI. Also I can earn commission with him (virgin mobile) and I'm a pretty decent salesman so i could make about the same I believe.
 
well. i don't know if it's your style - but have you considered treeplanting? your first year you most likely won't make the 35K you're looking for - but after that first year it is possible. Last year I made somewhere around 30K working 5 months of the year. You can start earlier and work 7 months+ but that involves starting in february - which takes time away from skiing so that's lame.
but yea - May - October (with most of Aug off) with a layoff at the end, go on EI for the winter (well my claim takes me from mid-october to early march) and start back up treeplanting in late april/may.
just something to think about. i had a friend pay off a 20K debt to the bank in one summer and still had some coin to travel down the coast to mexico for the winter but she works the whole 7 months.
 
Darryl, do you know for any 'tree planting companies' that are hiring? Not exactly my style (Trying to build a good resume) but definitely worth a look...
 
yea, i figured with all your education going into planting would feel like a digression. but - it gives you full freedom to ski in the winter while making enough coin to pay off debt as well. the only think that could fuck you over is: say you plant for two or three years and ski the winter away. when you've got your skiing fix and want to go back to the "real world", would your education still be valid, or would the couple years off make you behind the times and have to go back to school to renew your... whatever it is you have.

as far as companies: green peaks is a good kootenay company that pays well (they're planning on getting into costal work as well I heard). zanzibar has good prices, but i hear they are very very anal about quality - and their revelstoke contract is supposed to be good.brinkman is the largest and probably the easiest to get on with. i've been working with brinkman over the past couple years and they're the best i've been with so far. their pay isn't as high as the other guys (and that is why i am switching companies this upcoming year) but they are reliable. you get paid regularly - at the price you were quoted - without any unnecessary stress... which means a lot in this industry.
other then that you got summit, folklore, spectrum, e.l.f., and many many others, but i just don't know very much about those companies.
 
o that makes since, but i dont know about canada but here in the U.S. ive heard that when you collect unemployment you have to pay it back later on. not sure if its the same in canada or if its even true here in the U.S.
 
Employment Insurance is the same as any other type of insurance, auto for example. You pay a premium (off each paycheck) and you are insured in the event that you are layed off. You are insured against the risk of unemployment. You don't pay it back per se.
 
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