Job Courses & Qualifications for Chamonix
also see Job Offers in Chamonix: Find a Ski Job

If you’re really keen to do a season but are either not sure exactly what you want to do or are unsure if you have the necessary skills and qualifications, then there are a number of different courses and training seminars available to help you on your way. Read on for more suggestions...

Cookery

If you like the idea of becoming a chalet host but are unsure if you have the culinary capabilities, why not enrol yourself on one of the many cookery courses that are available. A number of them are designed specifically with chalet hosting in mind and equip you with all the skills and knowledge necessary for you to become an Alpine Domestic Goddess!

These courses are generally hosted by current experienced chalet staff so you can be sure that all the advice and time saving tips they share, actually work! Apart from learning essential cooking skills and preparation techniques you will also learn about budgeting, portion sizing, and how to cope with the sort of challenges a season may throw at you. You will also get plenty practice cooking for large numbers prior to your first guests and come away with a repertoire of recipes that you are confident cooking.

Courses vary in price, but as a guideline you should expect to pay around £400 for a week’s residential training. Many tour operators run their own cookery courses over the summer and will guarantee all delegates a job on successful completion. Some may even refund some of the course fees at the end of season. Natives – The Season Workers Website also runs an excellent residential course in Somerset and more cookery schools can be found listed here

Natives Winter Workshops

The guys at Natives have put together a series of workshops that are specifically designed to lead you through the whole process of “doing a season”. From deciding what to do, who to apply to, and writing a killer application form or CV, to sound advice on interview techniques, finding accommodation and general mountain safety. Seminars are held at various times throughout the summer and mini-workshops will be run at the Ski Shows in the autumn. For full details see here

Tour Operator Training Course

So you’ve landed yourself a chalet/repping job, you’re all packed and ready to go; but before you are let loose on clients, most tour operators will put you through a training course prior to the start of season. In general, these courses last for around a week and are held either in the UK or out in the Alps. The aim of the course is to familiarise new staff with the company and its policies and ensure that you have been given all the necessary training required for you to do your job properly. A mixture of formal lectures and practical training sessions are the norm, not forgetting the oh so much fun role play scenarios where you get to practice tricky guest situations with your colleagues! On the whole the training course is generally quite good fun but it is hard work and there is a lot to learn in a short space of time. Some companies do not guarantee jobs until the training course is completed successfully, so it’s important to not get too carried away (especially in the evening!) and find yourself on the first flight home before you’ve even touched the snow!

Ski Instructor

If you have set your heart on being a ski instructor for the season then you are going to need a qualification first, so plan ahead! There are a number of organisations that offer ski and snowboard instructor courses, either for the budding teacher or for those who simply want to see a dramatic improvement in their own ski ability. A basic qualification will generally take 5 days but if you are planning on teaching professionally then ensure that your chosen course provides an internationally recognised qualification as what works in one country, may not in another.

The BASI Ski and Snowboard Teacher qualification is now internationally recognised and Brits have been using this qualification in France without any problem since 2008. Although the basic course which allows you to instruct in the rest of the world will only take three weeks the Teacher qualification take at least three years to attain and can be very expensive. Once you have it you'll be free to jump queues and take four hour lunches.

Ski Technician

With the majority of ski shops in the Alps looking for qualified and experienced ski technicians to maintain their equipment, you might want to consider doing a Ski Tech course prior to heading out. You can find details of one such course here. It will give you a comprehensive grounding in all aspects of ski and snowboard repair and maintenance as well as boot fitting. However, whilst the course is fully certified and recognised within the industry the certificate you receive at the end is confirmation of attendance rather than of competence, so to maximise your chances of employment overseas, you should try and get yourself some on-the-job experience before you go.