When did you apply for your job?
I started applying around August time and knew I had a job waiting for me by Mid October.

Did you organise your own visa? If so, how much did it cost and how long did the application procedure take?
I got my own Visa through Bunac, however Mt. Washington will arrange Visa's for Instructors.

How much are you being paid?
I started on Can$9.50 hr but have raised to Can$12 hr after gaining my CASI 2 and Freestyle coach.

How much do you spend a week/month? Do you earn enough to live off?
This year has been pretty busy so as a board instructor I have gotten around 30-40 hours a week.

How much is your rent?
I am Paying Can$500 a month all in. However I have my own place, others that are sharing accommodation are paying anything from $200-$400 a month.

How many jobs did you apply for and where did you hear about them?
I applied to about 12 Ski hills and recieved 3 offers of employment. I was given all my contact details by NONSTOP Snowboard at the end of the Season which was a great help.

Do you feel you are a good instructor compared to your colleagues?
Definitely, I think doing the NONSTOP Snowboard course enabled me to be one of the better Instructors on the hill despite my inexperience as this is my first season.

Would you work in the resort you're in at the moment again?
For sure, I'll be back next season.

Is your ski school a good employer? What training do you get outside of lessons? Are you planning on taking any more qualifications?
As a whole the ski school is a good employer, we have ski-board clinics as often as our schedules allow us to. There are many level 3-4 ski and board Instructors here to give us training which helped me to gain my CASI 2 and freestyle coach as well as furthering my own improvement as a snowboarder and instructor.

If this is not your first instructing job where have you worked before?
June to Sept 2005 - The Remarkables, New Zealand

When did you apply for your job?
September 2005

Did you organise your own visa? If so, how much did it cost and how long did the application procedure take?
NZ - £50, 2 weeks to process (1 year working holiday visa)
Canada - £130, 6 weeks to process (1 year working holiday visa)

How much are you being paid?
CA$11.50 per hour

How much work do you get a day/week/month?
6 hrs per day 5 days per week

How much do you spend a week/month? Do you earn enough to live off?
I spend roughly $130 per week which is enough to live off.

How much is your rent?
$210 per month for on hill staff accommodation

How many jobs did you apply for and where did you hear about them?
3

Do you feel you are a good instructor compared to your colleagues?
Yes

Would you work in the resort you're in at the moment again?
Not sure yet.

Is your ski school a good employer? What training do you get outside of lessons? Are you planning on taking any more qualifications?
Yeah they're a good employer and offer lots of training. The sessions last an hour and are every morning. I will take my CASI level 3 in April

When did you apply for your job?
I applied in June but didn't hear back until September because that's when they started to hire new staff.

Did you organise your own visa? If so, how much did it cost and how long did the application procedure take?
I organised my own visa through BUNAC, it cost me £161 that was including membership. On top of that you have to buy their insurance which was approx. £256 for 5 months. I originally applied when I got home in April but I was too late, however I was lucky enough to get one when BUNAC got some more! So get in there early if you want a visa!!

How much are you being paid?
I'm being paid CA $11 an hour but that's only because I gained my level 2. For level 1 it's $9.50. You can also get commission on lessons you sell to clients, you get 15% of the price of the lesson, so if you sell a 6 hour private... that's a lot of money!!

How much work do you get a day/week/month?
Well its all depends if you get to work on the kids or adult programme. In kids it's a bit harder to get work just because of the lack of kids that want to learn snowboarding. When there's no one to teach you can either do ski school labour which you get paid for or you can check in every hour till 3 and get paid for 3 hours work but you could also get a lesson in the afternoon. It all really depends on the amount of kids that turn up!! I think in the adults programme is a bit more reliable on clients.

How much do you spend a week/month? Do you earn enough to live off?
Well, I spend a lot, but I have to cut down. I earn about $400 each 2 week pay period so I save half for my rent. It's quite expensive in Banff but if you have a car its probably cheaper to go to Calgery and buy stuff there!!!

How much is your rent?
My boyfriend and I pay $600 a month but $300 each is dead cheap especially as it includes bills.

How many jobs did you apply for and where did you hear about them?
I applied for Sunshine Village, Lake Louise, Norquay and Club Ski. I got interviews with the first three but not Club Ski because they had already got their instructors. I chose Lake Louise purely because of the amazing terrain!

Do you feel you are a good instructor compared to your colleagues?
I feel I'm getting there, it's hard work but good fun!

Would you work in the resort you're in at the moment again?
Probably yes, it's a really good resort - so much to play with!!

Is your ski school a good employer? What training do you get outside of lessons? Are you planning on taking any more qualifications?
It is, we have really sound boss' and get on well with them!!! We have training sessions every morning between 8.30 and 10 when we work on the stuff we need to if were going onto a higher level. I'm thinking about taking my level 3 but maybe not this season because I need more practise at teaching!

When did you apply for your job?
I applied in June but I would advise people to ensure its early June because Sunday River for example had made all their visa applications by the end of June.

Did you organise your own visa? If so, how much did it cost and how long did the application procedure take?
Yes I did organise my own visa and it ended up being a pretty lengthy process! I had to have a detailed offer letter (addressed to myself) from the Sunday River Snowboard School prior to starting the application procedure as it is a requirement.

The work visa you are issued with restricts you to carrying out that particular job. It is a pretty long task but in my case the resort was good at organising their paperwork and the HR department helped me along the way. I had to call the US consulate in September and book an interview at the American Embassy in London before I left for which all the H2b paperwork had to be completed.

How much are you being paid?
I started on USD$7 an hour which then increased to USD$8.50 following a good mid season review.

How much work do you get a day/week/month?
On average at least 4 hours a day, 6 days a week, until things slow down at the end of the season.

How much do you spend a week/month? Do you earn enough to live off?
It depends how much you drink! I find that my pay which is roughly USD$210 a week minus USD$85 for rent is just enough to live on.

How much is your rent?
As above USD$85 a week.

How many jobs did you apply for and where did you hear about them?
I applied to about 6 resorts after doing some research on the internet but I decided on Sunday River having heard good things about it from a friend.

Do you feel you are a good instructor compared to your colleagues?
To begin with I thought I was better than most of my colleagues but as the season has gone on I’d say I’m on a par with them. The shadowing experience that I had behind me before I started certainly helped but nothing beats having the hands on experience. Like with anything it gets easier once you’ve been doing it a while and when you start building your confidence.

Would you work in the resort you're in at the moment again?
Yes, I’m planning on returning next year!

Is your ski school a good employer? What training do you get outside of lessons? Are you planning on taking any more qualifications?
Yes, Sunday River provide a 1 hour session of voluntary training five days a week. The sessions are aimed at introducing you to new teaching techniques that you can use in lessons rather than improving your riding skills.