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UK couple seeking work in NZ snow resort
Hi, I'm looking for advice and thought this might a good place to find it.
Here's the situation:
My partner and I are from the UK. We are hoping to obtain working holiday visas for NZ and work at a snowboarding resort together. Where accommodation is provided for and we get to ride. Even if we're cleaning toilets, that would be fine as long as we can ride and we are together.
The advice I'm seeking is what is the best way to go about this and when should we start applying for jobs? Are there any resorts that keenly take on seasonal foreign staff? And so on.
We're doing a lot of research but would be handy to get some first hand advice. Cheers.
do start applying for any jobs available now, though if you want to snowboard all day it is a better bet to get a nighttime job to free up your days..or try to get weekend work as that is when the resorts are usually busy...accommodation is not automatically provided with your job but you shld be able to find a place..good luck
Most jobs seem to open for applications around April time but we have found a few. The only thing we're worried about is getting a job together. One of us may get a job but the other may not, this is our dilemma.
And many of the resorts seem very strict on their "one application, per position, per person" so it could be far more difficult than we initially predicted. They're also saying they need face-to-face interviews, which may be hard to do as we are 10000 miles away in the UK!
Although night time bar jobs or something would be awesome, but where are these available to apply for?
it will be difficult to get a job for both of you at the same resort but it is possible..you will need to get there before the snow falls so you can do face to face interviews...if you have bar skills etc then send your cv to as many bars/restaurants as possible (just check out local info sites for addresses) do not expect a job offer until the season starts but sending your info now will show you are keen to work and may put you on top of the list..
That's another issue. We don't want to go there for face-to-face interviews because we would need somewhere to stay and we may be travelling all of the South Island for an interview only to be told that we do not have jobs. And we do not have a lot of money so I can't see that being possible.
I think our best bet is to get bar jobs in a big town (Queenstown or Christchurch) and go snowboarding in our days off.
Thank you for your help. You got any other advice? And also, when does the snow fall?
June is usually pretty sketchy coverage, July to October is best.
Do you have any particular skills like bus driving, cooking, mechanic?
christchurch may be a good bet esp if you have construction skills..rebuilding the city after big earthquake but accom may be tricky..queenstown (coronet and remarkables ski fields) it is hard to find accom that is cheap..wanaka has 3 commercial fields (treble cone..cardrona and snowpark) and some better accom options..methven town services mt hutt ski field....have you thought about working as a ski lodge custodian or even better working on a club field..accom is usually included..craiegeburn, templebasin?
Even though your concentrating on the South Island Ruapehu is the largest employer of winter ski area staff. So you have a good chance of employment there as a couple! Failing the ski areas the support towns their usually is a few seasonal jobs available Queenstown its a case of getting in early and accomodation is expensive.
Originally posted by: skea 457
Do you have any particular skills like bus driving, cooking, mechanic?
Doctors are in short supply as well, chefs good chance there as well although mechanics and trades tend to be full-time roles (not seasonal).
Bus Driving would be out unless you have held for at least two years, a full New Zealand driver licence. Holding an equivalent overseas licence will not meet this requirement.
Besides that it takes up to 90 days to process that paperwork!
Its possible that I may know of somewhere looking for a couple over the winter, close to a ski area.
My girlfriend and I are having the same issues. Currently we're backpacking and wwoofing around New Zealand but for the winter we'd love to work on a ski resort.
We both don't feel we have any relevant experience that we could use to get our feet in the door so we're looking for advice on getting some.
Through wwoofing there's lots of hands on experience to be gained but I can't imagine it will be much help getting in winter work.
Any advice on getting some work experience and in what? I was thinking some bar work in a city would be useful? Does anyone know where I might be able to pick up some work? Even if it's in return for accommodation.
Originally posted by: gavspad
Even though your concentrating on the South Island Ruapehu is the largest employer of winter ski area staff.
unfortunatly after subtracting the closed days a paer run pays more
When you're looking for work at a ski field, the most important thing to remember, is the person in front of you at your interview actually takes what they do pretty seriously. Many people take a year or two out of their normal career in which they might have a lot of responsibility and quite possibly be paid significantly more than a ski area will offer for seasonal work. Going in with the mentaility that it's just a holiday job or a means to an end won't get you very far. If time on snow is your priority you should definitely look elsewhere such as evening bar/restaurant or hotel work.
Actually being interested in the job you're applying for will go a lot further than any relevant experience (although some ski area jobs obviously require significant experience such as patrol or grooming).
Like any other job interview in any other industry, it's about how you come across to the interviewer. Heads of department, operations managers etc get more application forms than they know what to do with so just make sure your attitude stands out as someone who is going to work hard with a smile in all weather and be an asset to the team.
Jobs in Queenstown tend to come when the snow and the visitors arrive. Unless you have a skill or experience that people are specifically looking for you will join the very many people doing exactly the same thing. I live in Qtn and every winter we get at least 30 CVs a day from potential staff walking the streets and looking for work.
My best advise is to come down, and then apply and talk to people as employers have so many to choose from they won't interview from afar. Be creative and try places out of town and off the main streets, car rental companies at the airport, the industrial area, Arrowtown, Gibbston Valley or check out the local rag on line www.lwb.co.nz. Try seek.co.nz and trademe.co.nz too.
NZski start recruiting in Feb/March and with regards everyone else with a ski season last year quieter than usual due to resessions, earthquakes, dust clouds etc, I bet most employers will be dubious to take on staff in advance and just wait till the rush begins which is start of Australian school hols in July.
Accommodation and places to live are hard to get around that time so be prepared to apply for rooms on the day the advert comes out or look at www.trademe.co.nz but if you do flatshare, flatmates or others at a hostel are a great source of information on jobs etc. It's not just about what you know, it's who you know and word of mouth is huge.
BUT - It's not all doom and gloom, its a beautiful, friendly place and there are the jobs - you just have to be prepared to shine in an interview and think outside the box. It's a great place and full of people that came for a ski season years ago and have never left.
besides getting bottomless pow all day at coronet more than makes it worthwhile
Yeah don't forget the bottomless pow at coronet!
Questionable snowfall record and mediocre terrain aside, I can see why people want to go to Queenstown. I did for my first season and I had a lot of fun but I remember the hassles everyone had finding work and accommodation. Like KiwiDee says the jobs and flats are there but it's a sh*t fight during May and early June getting yourself sorted so you need to make sure you've got some money in the bank to keep you going until your first pay.