The 2010 Winter Olympics will be held in Vancouver in British Colombia, Canada with a variety of events taking place in venues as far as Whistler, BC.

Both the Winter Games and the Winter Paralympic Games will be held in Vancouver and surrounding areas running from February 12 -28 and March 12 -21 respectively. Ticket sales for the event began on May 6, 2009 with thousands sold already.

For official information regarding the Winter Olympics including ticket sales, dates, travel information and scheduling please see the official 2010 Winter Olympic Games webpage.

The first Winter Olympic Games was held in Sweden in 1901. The Nordic games were meant to provide a winter alternative to the Summer Games, which now alternates every two years between the two events. Initially, the Winter Games was far less popular than the Summer Olympics mainly because of the cold weather and remote travel locations required to access the event. Now however, with better accommodations and televised coverage of the Games, the Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games are some of the most popular sporting events in the world. In this section find out how to work for the 2010 Winter Olympics in addition to the many volunteer opportunities available for the games. Employees and volunteers are needed for work not only in Vancouver but also in Whistler, Squamish, Calgary, Toronto, and Pemberton.

Winter Olympics Jobs

Preparation for an event of this kind, such as the Vancouver Winter Olympics, takes years of planning and the help of thousands of people. Accommodations for travelers, city infrastructure, venue construction, technology, press, scheduling, raising money for the event, event ceremonies, officiating, language services, medical staff and event administration are just to name a few of the areas where planning is underway and jobs are available for the Winter Games.

Event organization for the 2010 Winter Olympics is lead by the Vancouver Organizing Committee, or VANOC. VANOC has been charged with undergoing all of the preparatory measures in assuring that the Winter Games are executed flawlessly. This means employing thousands of people and training volunteers in all the necessary areas needed to execute event of this magnitude. While it would be impossible to outline every job title that is available in working for the Winter Olympics some of the areas where jobs are available include event administration, event security jobs, customer services, sponsorship, medical, construction and city planning, press operations, work force, transportation, venue management, venue construction, torch relay, sustainability, energy, logistics and internet management. The wide variety of jobs needed and the qualifications for each can be found on the VANOC hiring website under specific Olympics job headings.

How to Apply

To apply for a job, first visit the VANOC hiring website and search for available jobs. You can also upload your resume to the hiring database where you will be informed if a job that fits your qualifications and experience becomes available. For a general list of the types of jobs you can often find at events, check out our list of events jobs at the beginning of this section.

Access the VANOC Frequently Asked Questions page relating to jobs at the Winter Olympics for more information regarding the hiring process.

Winter Olympics Volunteering

Working for the Olympics is a great way to gain event experience and training.

However, if you cannot find employment through the games, consider acting as a Winter Olympics volunteer. Volunteers are a big reason behind why the Olympic Games are so successful. With volunteer opportunities in ceremonies, pre-games preparation, youth programs, home stay, sport event volunteers and games-time volunteers, there is a way for everyone who wants to help to get involved. Volunteers for the 2010 Olympics will largely be Vancouver area residents but will also come from all over the North Western United States and surrounding areas.

VANOC is currently accepting volunteer applications, representing an excellent way to contribute to this exciting event and gain event jobs experience.

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