Are you in the market for a ski resort job? You’re in luck! This week, the focus is on ski resort jobs, of which there are still plenty to be had. But don’t let your applications wait a moment longer, as the season is starting and these few last jobs will surely be filled quick! (Visit the JobMonkey to learn more about ski resort jobs.)

1. Ski and Snowboard Instructors, Brundage Mountain Resort , McCall, ID

Idaho’s Brundage Mountain Resort is seeking full-time and part-time ski and snowboard instructors. As the job ad says, “Live the dream! On-snow work with on-snow benefits.” Past experience is necessary, but being a friendly, outgoing team player is. At a minimum, applicants must be able to ski or ride gentle blue terrain. Salary is commensurate with experience; benefits include season pass and discounts on gear.

2. Ski Patrol Director, Tahoe Donner Association , Truckee, CA

The Tahoe Donner Association is seeking a full-time ski patrol director. This seasonal job runs from the 1st of December through the 15th of April. No word in the ad on minimum job requirements, although I’m guessing past experience and emergency certification are likely. Click the link above for information on how to apply.

3. Lift Operator, Eaglecrest Ski Area , Juneau, AK

Alaska’s Eaglecrest Ski Resort is seeking a lift hour, paying $9 – $10/hour. Past experience is not necessary, although desirable. The resort does provide a training level class, in which participants learn to perform line, tower and/or terminal maintenance while maintaining a safe and fun work environment. On-the-job duties will include opening and shutting the lifts daily, maintaining the ramp by shoveling, loading guests and gear onto the lift and instructing guests in safe use of the lift.

If you didn’t find the job of your dreams on our hot jobs list today, be sure to check out the JobMonkey Job Center for hundreds of other listings in every imaginable field.

Good luck with your job search this week!

There are thousands of positions in Colorado and the western states, ranging from instructors and ski patrol to lift operators and maintenance crews. Most resorts are also looking to beef up their year-round hospitality staff.

Channel 9 News in Denver is reporting that winter employment in Breckenridge will swell to 2,000 employees from just 300 over the summer.

Due to the record high unemployment levels in America, most resorts will not follow their typical pattern of hiring international workers on part-time visas, reports Channel 9. Instead, they expect to fill these positions domestically.

The positions are filling up quickly, with more demand than supply this year. If you want to set yourself apart from the crowd, be sure to visit JobMonkey’s section on Ski Resort Jobs. Learn how to apply for ski jobs and make the most of ski resort job fairs.

1. Mountain Safety Attendant Job, Breckenridge Resort, Breckenridge, CO

Salary: $8.78/hr

Employment Dates: NOV 25, 2009 – APR 18, 2010

Breckenridge Resorts is seeking a Mountain Safety Attendant to enforce and promote Vail Resorts Safety initiatives. The attendant will be responsible for educating skiers/riders on safety awareness procedures. The ideal candidate will have advanced skiing or riding experience, previous guest service experience, English fluency, and the ability to work outside in adverse conditions.

2. Day Care Positions, Heavenly Mountain Resort , South Lake Tahoe, CA

Heavenly Mountain Resort is currently recruiting Day Care positions for the resort’s winter 2009/2010 staff, including:

• Day Care Aide/Coach

• Day Care Assistant Manager

• Day Care Cleaning Attendant – Prep Cook

• Day Care Coordinator

• Day Care Lead Teacher

• Day Care Receptionist/Cashier

• Day Care Teacher – Group Leader

Learn more about job requirements from the Heavenly Mountain Resort employment website. The resort advertises “great pay and good employee benefits.”

3. Ski & Ride School Support Staff, Keystone Resort, Keystone, CO

Salary: $8.75/hour

Position Dates: NOV 1, 2009 – APR 11, 2010

Keystone Resort is seeking support staff to prepare and maintain rental equipment for youth skiers/snowboarders according to manufacturer’s specifications. The staff members will be responsible for coordinating indoor and outdoor activities for students, assisting with the Children’s Ski School facility, handling early drop offs, rentals, lunch preparation and cleanup, and keeping accurate records and accounting of youth guests. The ideal candidate will have at least a high school diploma, excellent guest service skills, and intermediate+ skiing/snowboarding skills. Past professional experience with children is a plus.

Good luck with your job search this week!

Sincerely yours,
H from Austria

Dear H,

Thank you for your letter. Your timing is perfect. While we are still in the middle of the summer here in the United States, ski resorts are already starting to hire staff for the upcoming ski season.

You mentioned being an experienced skier, which is a plus. Let me run down some of the most popular types of jobs that you can find in a ski resort community.

Support & Operations jobs include ticket sales, housekeeping, life operation and restaurant staff. Jobs pay typically low salaries, but the benefits are plentiful — including a season pass to ski on-site and free housing.

Ski Shops offer a variety of retail positions selling all sorts of ski and snowboarding gear. Pay is minimum wage, but without the benefits of a resort job. I, therefore, don’t recommend a ski shop job as your full-time line of work; if you need to supplement your income, however, this could be a great part-time gig.

Ski Instructor jobs are the most prestigious and typically the best paid of the resort jobs. Resorts prefer to hire high school graduates with skiing expertise, and fluent English. While not required, most resorts also prefer instructors with certification.

Ski Patrol positions are great if you love to ski, but don’t want to teach others. Patrollers are the first line of help in the event of an emergency on the slopes — which can include anything from an injury or medical situation to a skier getting lost or snowed in. Most resorts require that their patrollers have first aid certification, while some will allow you to get certified during your training.

For more information on these, and other ski jobs, be sure to check out the JobMonkey’s Guide to Ski Resort Jobs.

Also keep in mind that as a non-American, you will need a work permit to be legally employed at a ski resort (or anywhere in the U.S. for that matter). Here are a few more resources that might help you figure out the paperwork:

>> Information on foreign worker visas from JobMonkey

>> An article from CNN Money about foreign worker visa applications

>> Explanation on how to petition for the HB-1 Visa from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website

Finally, be sure to check with your future employer about obtaining a visa, as the resort may be able to facilitate or at least expedite the process for you.

Good luck with your ski job search. I hope you find just the right job!

As you probably know by now, Wednesday at the JobMonkey is Hot Jobs day.

That’s when I spotlight three of the hottest new job leads posted at the JobMonkey Job Center. If you are looking for a new job, the Job Center is a great first stop. We have hundreds of job openings around the country and the world, in every imaginable field. Pus, the service is completely free to job seekers, so check the Job Center early — and often!

This week, in honor of the heat wave we are having this week, I am spotlighting ski jobs. I figured it might help to “think cool”. I also got the idea to focus on jobs at ski resorts from our Reader Mailbag last Thursday. An Austrian reader wrote in to ask about finding employment at a ski lodge as a foreign worker. There is a ton of great information in that post that pertains both to potential foreign workers and to would-be ski resort employees, so be sure to check it out. And, if you want to learn more about working at a ski lodge, be sure to visit JobMonkey’s extensive section on Ski Resort Jobs.

1. Adult Snowboard Instructor, The Canyons Ski Area, Park City, UT
The Canyons Ski Area is seeking a full and part-time instructor for adult snowboarders. Both full and part-time employees must be willing to work on Sundays. Instructors will provide fun and informative instruction to guests of all ages, in both group and private lesson environments. The instructor must be able to explain programs, services, policies, schedules and rates to customers, while maintaining positive public relations at all times. Candidates must be physically able to work in inclement weather and have at least one year of snowboard instructing experience, or advanced riding ability combined with the willingness and demonstrated aptitude to learn snowboarding instructing. Also required are AASI Level I Certification with ACE Level I Certification, or equivalent international certification.

2. Children’s Instructor, Beaver Creek Resort, Beaver Creek, CO
The Beaver Creek Resort is looking for ski and snowboard instructors to provide safe and fun instruction for groups and individual children and their families. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age or older and have a high school diploma or the equivilant. PSIA/AASI certification is preferred, but not required. Applicants must also have experience working with pre-school aged children and advanced skiing or riding ability, including the ability to ski parallel turns with speed control on groomed black terrain. International applicants are welcome to apply, but all must have the ability to communicate well in English.

3. Various Mountain Operations Jobs, Heavenly Mountain Resort, South Lake Tahoe, CA
Heavenly Mountain Resort is currently recruiting its Mountain Operations positions for winter 2009/2010 staff. Positions include:

• Life operators for the chair lift and surface lift. These positions require attentive teamwork to load and unload passengers safely and prevent damage to the equipment. Applicants must be able and willing to work outdoors in inclement weather and extremely cold temperatures. Mechanical experience is preferred.

• Aerial Tram operators to operate and attend the tram cars, and to answer guest questions about the Lake Tahoe area. Lift attendant experience or mechanical background is helpful. Applicants must have good people skills and be committed to machinery safety.

Good luck with your job applications!

You can run your own search by topic or location any time, day or night.  But on Wednesdays, I make your search even easier by bringing you the three hottest jobs on our recent listings.

This Wednesday, I am changing things up just a bit because I wanted to point out a special feature on the JobMonkey that you may not have known about. On the JobMonkey home page, we have links to featured employees. These companies and organizations offer special opportunities posted exclusively on the JobMonkey for our readers. If you have not clicked those links yet, take a look today. When you do, you will notice three premier ski resorts — two of which are still hiring workers for the 2008-2009 season, even this late in the game.

>> Deer Valley in Park City, Utah hires seasonal workers for winter employment and also has year-round staffers. If you are living outside of the United States but would like to work at Deer Valley, they begin accepting applications in March for the following ski season.

>> Winter Park Resort in Winter Park, Colorado (an hour outside of Denver) is currently hiring experienced instructors with upper level certification for full-time Ski and Snowboard Instructors jobs.

Like Deer Valley, Winter Park also hires foreign nationals for peak season. If you are interested in an international position for the ‘09-’10 season, contact the park in April 2009.

>> Breckenridge Ski & Ride in Breckenridge, Colorado is currently filled, but will begin hiring international instructors for the 2009-2010 season starting in March, 2009.  American seasonal workers are encouraged to apply beginning in the summer.

To learn more about ski jobs, training, benefits and other perks, check out JobMonkey’s section on Ski Resort Jobs.

So to celebrate good health, I’ve got three great new opportunities posted this week to the JobMonkey job data base.

And if your dream job doesn’t happen to be here, don’t despair: You can search for it whenever you want, for free. 

#1. Customer Marketing Manager Job, National Broadcasting Company (NBC), Rogers, AR
Earlier this week I mentioned JobMonkey’s newest section on TV and radio broadcasting jobs.  Here’s a great opportunity in that very field, with the prestigious National Broadcasting Company (AKA NBC).  The channel is looking for a college graduate to work with its Arkansas field based Customer Marketing Managers to develop specific programs for Catalog and TV. Minimum experience includes 3 years with consumer packaged goods, retail planning or video industry and a high degree of computer proficiency.  Other qualities NBC is looking for include strong qualitative and quantitative analytical capability, excellent project management skills, creativity and innovation, and excellent written, verbal and presentation skills. The person offered the job must be willing to take a drug test and submit to a background investigation. To apply for this position, visit the NBC Careers site.

#2. Deputy Director Acquisition and Grants Office, National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, Montgomery County, MD
Here’s an exciting opportunity for the right candidate looking to earn that coveted six figure salary. The National Oceanic & Atmospheric is looking for a Deputy Director (or, as they say, an "alter ego to the Director") to oversee all matters relating to acquisition and grants administration. Together with the Director, the Deputy Director will be responsible for setting the future course for NOAA programs and setting priorities for current and future activities. If you are interested, you may apply directly through the company’s website at NOAA Employment Opportunities.

#3. Full-Time & Part-Time Adult Ski School Instructor Jobs, Vail Resort, Vail, CO
It’s ski season time, which means jobs for skiers are abundant on the JobMonkey website right now.  Here’s one of them: The Vail Resort in Vail, Colorado is looking for full-time and part-time ski instructors.  This seasonal job, which runs from November 29, 2008 until April 15, 2009, is for experienced instructors only. The ideal candidate will be able to provide quality ski/snowboard instruction and guest relations in a safe and professional manner. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age with a high school diploma, although higher education is preferred. To qualify, you must also have at least 2 years of teaching and/or coaching experience and be a minimum of a level 7 skiing ability. All instructors must successfully complete the resort’s instructor training program. If you are interested, you can apply directly through the SKI JOB website.

The summer is barely over, but if you are a skier, the season is already upon us. The season for finding a ski job, that is. Before the first flake has even fallen, many ski resort employers host fall job fairs. Whether you are a seasoned ski patroller, or a ski bum who wants to make some money while hitting the slopes, these job fairs are a great chance to learn more about the different companies, meet the year-round staff and schedule an interview.  Some employers even make job offers on the spot! Here’s what you can expect from a resort job fair:

* Usually held on-site about 2-3 weeks before the start of the season
* Typically a multi-day event, with the fair starting on Saturday and then interviews being scheduled during the following week
* Drug testing is now common practice
* Fair dates change from year to year, so call ahead before showing up, ski boots in hand

As for what kind of jobs these resorts are looking to fill, the possibilities are vast. Ski instructors and patrol jobs are plentiful, but there are dozens of different positions a ski resort needs to fill before it can open for the season. Here’s a rundown on the big ones:

Ski Area Support & Operations Jobs
These jobs may not be glamorous (or high-paying), but support and operations are the backbone of any resort. Jobs include ticket sales, housekeeping, life operation and restaurant staff. Many resorts give employees a season pass and on-site housing, making the job a great way to live and work at a ski resort.  Little experience is required for most of these positions, so don’t worry about beefing up your resume.

Retail Ski Sales Jobs
While lots of ski shops are open year-round, the big push is during ski season. Even year-round shops need to bring on extra staff once the resorts are open, which makes ski shop jobs perfect for college students and others looking for seasonal work. While you don’t need a lot of retail experience to land a ski shop job, you do need a good understanding of the ski and board gear. In fact, with the boom in snowboarding, many ski shops are looking for personnel who can specialize in this niche.

Ski Instructor Jobs
Did you know that there are more than 23,000 full- and part-time certified ski instructors in the US?

Many of them are college students looking to earn some extra cash and a ski pass while they are on semester break; others are full-time professionals for whom ski instruction is a lifelong calling. Instructors need to possess just the right combination of natural teaching ability, patience, and, of course, skills on the slope. While certification isn’t necessarily required for resort positions, it has become increasingly common. To learn more about certification, see the Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA) site.

Ski Coaches
Coaching is truly for the elite, with only 3,000 member coaches of the US Ski Coaches Association. Plus, given the rarefied status of the coach, you might be surprised to learn that they earn comparably little for their time and efforts. Most coaching programs are for junior, ages 6-18.  A number of colleges have ski racing programs, and there are a very small handful of coaches working at the Olympic level.

Ski Patrol
If skiing is your thing, but teaching isn’t, you should consider a job in the ski patrol.  There are more than 27,000 patrollers, helping skiers and snowboarders in emergency situations and by providing educational services. Ski patrollers do everything from give directions to treat medical emergencies to provide search and rescue support.

In addition to these ski jobs, you can also learn on more JobMonkey about being a sales rep for ski manufacturers and even being a journalist who covers skiing (I’m thinking you would need to write about a summer sport, too, to keep busy year-round).

So, do you ski? Ever thought about making it into a job … or even a full-time career?