Become a Snowboard Instructor

Fancy spending every day outdoors, under blue skies, with the mountain as your office?  Being a snowboard instructor is one of the best jobs in the world. The aim of this page is to give you some helpful advice if you're planning to become a snowboard instructor; from the pro's of taking an instructors course, to advice on obtaining a visa.

Becoming A Snowboard Instructor

There are two routes which you can take to becoming an instructor:

  1. If you feel that you already ride to a high enough standard, you can enter yourself for one of the instructor exams directly. Generally, these exams are made up of two parts - riding and teaching - which you will need to pass in order to qualify. Once you have passed, you can go on to apply for a job as an instructor.
  2. The other alternative is to take an instructors course, such as the ones NONSTOP offer. These courses will give you an unrivalled amount of time with top instructors, who will not only help you to improve your riding beyond your wildest dreams, but will also impart some valuable teaching knowledge. This experience can be a fast track into the industry. Our courses are very well respected by many ski resorts around the world and, as a result, our past seasonnaires have easily found work and have received fantastic feedback from the ski schools they work in.

Top tips on how to become an instructor

Wendy Lemoine explains the best way to get a job as a ski instructor.

Wendy lemoine - Fernie Snow School Director

Work Experience

Despite the misleading claims from some companies, it isn't possible to guarantee you a snowboard instructor job before you have gained your qualification. However we do guarantee work experience, which is extremely beneficial when you are applying for a snowboard instructor job.

On our courses you'll have the opportunity to shadow instructors at a local ski school and learn new teaching techniques. When you come to apply for snowboard instructor jobs these hours of experience will allow you to stand out from the competition as ski school directors will look favourably on the effort you have made and you'll more likely to get a job.

Become an instructor...

Become an instructor...

...just like these guys

...just like these guys

NONSTOP Community Days

At NONSTOP we believe in giving as much back to the communities that we operate in as possible. Therefore we have developed our Community Days project in Fernie, which is designed to get local residents, who can't usually afford to ski or snowboard, onto the slopes. By teaming up with local resorts, we offer free lift passes and equipment and we provide our newly qualified instructors for free.

Our newly qualified instructors, are able to get a huge benefit from the day, while teaching people without supervision for the first time.

To read about last years Community Day click here

“I just wanted to let you know that I am extremely impressed with the quality of instructors that the NONSTOP program has produced. The pros that I have been able to recruit from your program have delivered exceptional customer service, demonstrated a solid technical and teaching background and most importantly have shown what great people skills they have. I would strongly recommend other Ski School Directors to look at the NONSTOP program for recruiting efforts and would be more than happy to review applications from graduates of your program.”

Mike Manara, Mt. Washington Ski School Director, BC.

Mike Manara, Mt. Washington Ski School Director, BC.

Qualifications

NONSTOP Snowboard provides the opportunity to gain a wide range of Canadian Assiciation of Snowboard Instructors (CASI) qualifications. Each qualification is divided into two parts - your teaching and your snowboarding. You need to pass both parts of the exam to gain full certification. All participants on the 3-week snowboard instructor course and 11-week snowboard instructor courses take the Level 1 exams. On the 11-week course, there is then the option to go further and take the Level 2 exam. There is also the opportunity to take a Park Course.

Frequently Asked Questions

How hard is it to get a job?

Getting a job as a snowboard instructor is relatively straightforward, as long as you apply well in advance of the start of the season; have a good CV; and are flexible as to which resort your are based at. The key to getting a job is to be persistent – try and get your name known by sending off as many CV’s as possible, and by following up applications with emails and phone calls.

Where can I work with my qualifications?

You aren’t just restricted to working in Canada, the US or New Zealand with the CASI qualifications. They are also recognised in the following places:

  • Andorra
  • Australia
  • Italy
  • Japan
  • South Africa
  • Spain
  • Switzerland

Do I need a Visa?

You will need to obtain a visa in order to work in a foreign country, but not to take the NONSTOP course.

How do I get a Visa?

The most important thing to remember when applying for a Visa is to apply early! For Canadian Visas, the allocated amount for British citizens often run out by February or March, and you won't be heading out to your job until November. It pays to plan well in advance if you are thinking of working for a season. If you are under 30, BUNAC offer a Visa application service which is the easiest way of securing yourself a visa. For more details on the application process, see below.  If you are over 30 you will need to be sponsored by the ski school you wish to work for in order to work out in Canada.  For more information about this please contact the office.

Careers Advice

NONSTOP Careers Advice

As part of our NONSTOP course, we offer a careers seminar to all participants. These are given by the Technical Director in your resort and often the local Ski School Director, as well as past NONSTOP clients who come along to talk about how they got their jobs.

It is insightful to get a first hand and realistic view of working as an instructor. You'll find out how best to apply and see how important experience is. You'll also get advice on visa applications, especially for those over 30, who need to be sponsored by a ski school.

NONSTOP Careers Manual

NONSTOP provide a useful manual which is a great introduction for anyone thinking of working in the snowboard industry. It includes:

  • Where to work | Where are CASI qualifications recognised?
  • Your dream job | Advice on applying for instructor positions
  • Visas, costs & pay | Advice on securing visas, securing work and rates of pay
  • Case studies | Ex-seasonaires give advice on working as an instructor
  • Winter sports schools | Contact details of over 60 ski schools in 8 different countries
  • Sample C.V. | Preparing an effective curriculum vitae

Visa Advice

British Passport Holders

To apply for a Visa to work in Canada, you must be a British citizen under 30, and you can only apply via the Bunac Work Canada scheme. A limited number of visas are available, so early application is essential, and places are given on a first come basis.  New visas are released in December each year, so it may even be necessary to think a year in advance.  Start by applying to Work Canada via the BUNAC website, which if successful, will reserve you a visa. The cost varies so please check their website. 

Once Bunac has confirmed your place on the programme, and "reserved” you a Visa, they will send through an information pack, which will include a Visa Application Form. You will then need to complete this form and also submit a Police Background check, along with the Visa fee. Once this has been sent back to BUNAC, they will apply for the Visa on your behalf. BUNAC will let you know when your Work Authorisation Letter has been issued.  The Visa application process takes a minimum of 30 days, so please ensure you have left enough time before heading out to work.

If you're an Australian, New Zealand or Irish passport holder, click on the links below to find out more about the Working Holiday Visas on offer to you.

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