I want to to work in the ski intustry when im older what should i be doing now so i can?

Question

What should i be doing now to ge tin the "biz" im 13

Answer 1

Start with an education that teaches you to use spell check if you can not spell correctly on your own. Also learn proper English/American, no one at the upper levels in the industry will employ you if you are unable to present yourself as competent  at communication.

  Go to school and learn how to manage yourself and to present yourself as a professional. I have hired many ski and snowboard instructors over the past 3 decades, all had a pleasing and competent demeanor to the public. They could speak plainly and concisely in front of a group, or one on one. They could also present a good public persona and knew how to present a topic to an audience that may be young children or old fogies.

Learn how to teach something to a group of your peers, then how to teach the same thing to your elders.

As to a college major, business administration is a good base with computer skills and leadership ability. Volunteer during the summer as a camp counselor, show initiative and reliability. These volunteer positions will start you building a resume that will benefit you throughout your career.

Answer 2

Narrow your focus down.  The ski industry could be anything from Resort management, to product engineering to a lift operator to a professional skier.

Answer 3

Depending on what route you want to take in the biz, what you do to get there is very important.

Sales, Marketing, and Business Management are very stable areas of the industry to work in, but they can be very competitive fields to break in to. When it comes to working for the big-boys in these fields, usually some prior work for another outdoor company is needed. You'll also need a strong background or degree in those fields. Not only are sales and marketing jobs available at the ski companies, but also at resorts and at the organizatons that promote ski-tourism.

The technical aspects of the industry have a wide array of jobs. Graphic design, product design, engineering, and manufacturing usually require some schooling and experience in the field. However, bootfitters and ski techs can usually start out with little formal training provided they get a job working for a shop that has experienced people who will teach the new employees. There are many clinics and certification courses that are offered in the off-season and many employers usually pay for thier employees to attend these courses. Get a job at a ski shop when you are 16 and maybe they'll take you under their wings.

Pro Instructors and Patrollers follow different routes. They generally take clinics and classes to achieve certain levels needed for the jobs they want.

Athletes are just that...athletes. They train, practice, and compete. It takes a huge commitment to do well. Some attend formal schools dedicated to skiing, and some are home-schooled at night and spend all day training. Formal schools and private coaching is usually expensive. If a skiier is good enough to get sponsored or make a National team, then a lot of opportunities can be ahead, but few people who  finish these formal schools or spend a lot of $$$ on private training ever get to reap the rewards.

Going to college in Utah, Vermont, or Colorado won't help you much. I know lots of people who "majored in skiing" and are working in construction or waiting tables. They dropped out or graduated with a useless degree and have college loan payments up the wazoo. If you are going to go to college, major in something you can apply to skiing...like Physical Education, Sports Medicine, Hospitality Management, or Business Administration.

Answer 4

u so u wanna ski?

ive been workin all my life im bout ur age just get ur *** to a mauntain and first learn how to skii then grind on some minor rails then hit soem jumps then half pipe

any terriean park will do for a noob

hope dis helped

Answer 5

Based on my experience, which has always been tangential to the ski biz (brothers and sisters are all in it, more or less successfully enough to provide me with free gear and skiing anyway), the best way to get a "real" job in the ski biz is to know people. Having some business experience/education is great, but it is a good ol' boy network. And it's a hard one to crack into at that. But you are young, you have that on your side. So, if you really want to break in to this glamorous and low paying field ... here is what I would suggest.

1) Go to college somewhere close to skiing. Vermont, Utah,  Reno/Tahoe,  Boulder ... you get the idea.  

2) Ski your brains out while you are there, and get some kind of business degree in the process. Nobody cares about your pre med or biology degree in skiing. They want you to make money.

3) Schmooze schmooze schmooze. Skiing is a social sport, you meet people on chairlifts, in the park, in the backcountry, in the bar, and in town. Any one of these people could represent an opportunity. If they like you, that leads to things. This kind of networking is arguably more important than a college education. So ski bumming can pay off, as long as you are smart about it.

4) Move to a ski town, ski and schmooze some more. Don't dig yourself too deep into debt in the process. Learn the system, work with it where you must, and around it where you can. Be prepared to sleep cold and eat little.

5) Have a backup plan. You may not fit in with the beautiful people of the ski industry, you may break your leg and never be able to ski again, or you may burn out on skiing. Don't hang all your hopes on being the next Warren Miller super hero, because that is a fantasy, even for the people in those movies. They live it for a few years, and move on, or desperately cling to a lifestyle their pocketbooks and bodies can no longer afford.

Good luck.

Answer 6

just be a good skier

Answer 7

Ski as often as you can.

Answer 8

knowing how to ski or snowboard and being able to do some tricks would help a lot.

Answer 9

I would say the first step is to learn how to ski and ski very well. If you can't arc it on the mountain your nothing in the skiing world. Also learn the history of the sport in all varieties, freeride, racing, moguls all of it all that info will come in handy. Work in skiing such as a lift op, rental tech, or ski instructor whatever you can do. Then go to a college for skiing, their are degrees in skiing in colleges such as sierra nevada college in Tahoe or some in colorado.