Getting a Job at a resort.... Difficult?

[Ape_Natural]

Okay, so I am graduating from high school in about two weeks and I am planning on going to Montana State University in Bozeman. The problem is that I live out of state and so tuition is very expensive, so a friend and I decided to make it cheaper by moving there for a year and getting in state tuition before going back to school. I also decided that if I am going to be living for a year withou going to school, I want to go up and live in Big Sky while I am doing it. My question is, at a ski resort, Big Sky in particular if anyone has any experience with it, how difficult is it to get a job? When is the best time to head up there and start looking? What are some of the better resort jobs that will maximize my ski time? Keep in mind that I am only 18 so working as a bartender or something like that will not work. Thanks guys.

[nicolaib211v]

A. Big Sky is sweet.

B. There's an upside and downside to working at the resort. You get a free pass, but you also are working whenever the resort is open, so... if you going to get a job there, just get a part time one if you can (and can afford to). You'll still get a pass, and you'll get as much time off as possible. Nobody wants to work on a pow day, and it's even worse when you're watching everyone else ski and you're stuck working.
Restaurants or even cleaning jobs in the evening are ideal for the season. The work kind of sucks, but you'll have the days off to rip. The big downside is that you'll have to get your own pass.
Either way you go, look online for early discounted season pass deals. If you get a non-resort job you'll have gotten the discount, and if you get a resort job you'll most likely get reimbursed for the price of the pass. I'd probably check first, but most resorts do that for their employees.
Start looking online now for jobs, and apply as soon as they're posted.... or even before. Send emails, call and generally be annoying as shit to the hiring department. Make sure they know who you are and that you really want that job.
Personally, I'd try to get a lifty job... you'll get to know the regulars and you get a couple ride breaks during the day at most resorts.
I spent the last few seasons in Fernie and some of the lifties were telling me that on certain lifts if there's enough of them working they can be constantly rotating from top to bottom, so every half hour or so you get to ride down to the bottom until it's your turn to go back up. Not a bad gig if you ask me.
Anyways man, hope this helps!

[Ape_Natural]

Cool. I was thinking the same thing about working at the resort and the hours, but the season pass prices at Big Sky ar horrendous. ( I guess compared to alot of other places they are not that bad but compared to Skibowl where I ski now and their $350 season passes they are really spendy) But I was also thinking of working in a gear shop to get discounted gear too.

[SKIORFORGETIT]

bang milfs and get them to pay for your tuition

[DasBlunt]

get a night job at the resort and ski sleepy.

[huckster989]

It really depends what your priority is. if you want to make some cash and save a few bucks or if you just want to ski as much as you can. If you want cash you need to find a job with some degree of skill to it. have you worked in a ski shop before? cooked? any skills?

If you want to ski as much as you can and want a season pass you'll want to find a job at the resort ideally working nights, I don't know what big sky has but a lot of time you can do restaurant work (no bar for you if your under 21). If Big sky doesn't do night time food places get your self as small of a on mountain job as you can with minimum work days like 2-3 days a week, maybe liftie or ski school and than work nights to pay rent / food that way you will get your pass, days to ski and still pay the rent.

Or just work your ass off this summer spend as little cash as you can while living with your parents and ski bum it. and get a job in the spring time

[hitmanbob]

where are you coming from? if its anywhere in the west, make sure to check out the Western Undergraduate exchange. Usually instate X 1.5 but you may already know of this and it might not be applicable. Colleges are pretty adamant about not giving out in state tuition to newcomers to the state, especially if you're still getting money from your parents or they're paying for your tuition.

have fun at MSU, this was my friends first college project

[skifishbum]

lifty would be last on my list. Work nights or look for a gig w/ a more marketable skill, ski teching, food service, grooming, securerity, guest services conierge/bellman etc which milfbanging would fall under too

[butterscotch]

have fun at MSU, this was my friends first college project

you can't be serious.

[Long duc dong]

I'll echo some of what has already been said. When I lived in the mountains, it was not difficult to get a resort job. I was in Tahoe, so I don't know about Montana.

I would try to get a part time resort job, so as to get a pass, and get another job(restaurant, etc...) at night. This will allow you to get the pass, but still ski a lot. Working at night will probably mean better money too.

At Squaw, you used to be able to get a pass with only 25 days of ski instruction. I don't know if that is still the case. 15 of those days needed to be during peak weekends/holidays, but once you were done, you had the pass. I was never a fan of teaching 5 days and skiing 2. I would look into the ski school at Big Sky, and get a night job if you can.

[spaztwelve]

Pig Sty is often hard up for workers, so you should be able to find work...BUT the commute from the Bozone is a pain and chances are, you'll be working when the snow is good. I used to be a pool attendant at the Ramada Inn in Bozeman (indoor tiny pool with a 90' water slide). It was my job to make sure kids went up the stairs one at a time. Often there was nobody there. I read books for 6 hours a night (hours 4 - 10 except when I snuck out early which was pretty much every night). That was the best ski town job that ever existed. EVER EVER EVER!!!!!

I considered keeping that job for the rest of my life.

[Ape_Natural]

Well, I have worked for the past year at Burgerville so I think that skill will come in handy. I was thining about maybe getting a job at the cafeteria at the resort flippin burgers etc... Really all I care about is surviving. I don't need to really save any money while I am there so all I need to do is make enough to survive. I will be getting a place with two other guys so rent will be very manageable. I was talking to a guy while I was up there last year and he said he worked at the resort hotel serving breakfast. He worked every day from 6-11 am. I may try to find something like that also.

[Bunion 2020]

Skip being a lifty. Big Sky doesn't staff up enough to allow for much skiing on the clock.

Bellman is a great gig, difficult to get though. Time to apply would be now. If you can get your ass out here this summer you might MIGHT be able to score such a job.

Cooking or dish dog is a time tested way to ski and eat, most decent gigs come with a pass at a reduced rate.

At any rate, when I moved west, I ate lots of HH (Hamburger Helper) and didn't have a pot to piss in. Those were great days.

I was talking to a guy while I was up there last year and he said he worked at the resort hotel serving breakfast. He worked every day from 6-11 am. I may try to find something like that also.

Sounds like the Huntley Breakfast Buffet, good gig........

If you are interested in any info for work at Moonlight Basin, shoot me a PM.

[SuperDuperGaperWithaCherryOnTop]

Okay, so I am graduating from high school in about two weeks and I am planning on going to Montana State University in Bozeman. The problem is that I live out of state and so tuition is very expensive, so a friend and I decided to make it cheaper by moving there for a year and getting in state tuition before going back to school. I also decided that if I am going to be living for a year withou going to school, I want to go up and live in Big Sky while I am doing it. My question is, at a ski resort, Big Sky in particular if anyone has any experience with it, how difficult is it to get a job? When is the best time to head up there and start looking? What are some of the better resort jobs that will maximize my ski time? Keep in mind that I am only 18 so working as a bartender or something like that will not work. Thanks guys.

You are lucky Big Sky sounds like it is not too hard to get a job. I know several ski resorts that only hired 1 person in the last 2 years at ski school and they didnt even interview you unless you were a level 2, and jobs like cafeteria and lifty had 100 applicants for every job.

[DasBlunt]

bellman is about looks and service.


That 6-11AM shift sounds ideal.

[Ape_Natural]

If you are interested in any info for work at Moonlight Basin, shoot me a PM.

Yeah man, I would deffinately be interested there too. I just want to be near skiing, my only concern is housing at moonlight. How far is it from Big Sky? I know you can access it from challenger, but how far is it to drive or take a bus? Thanks for any info.

EDIT: Also, I will be in Helena in June to build a dock for my Grandpa and I will probably be able to go by Big Sky (hopefully get a few laps on the bike) and apply for jobs and such. I just was wondering if that would be too early to apply for the winter season or if they start looking whenever.

[mawree]

Yeah man, I would deffinately be interested there too. I just want to be near skiing, my only concern is housing at moonlight. How far is it from Big Sky? I know you can access it from challenger, but how far is it to drive or take a bus? Thanks for any info.

Moonlight's a better gig for working, in my (biased) opinion. Pay is better. Lifties for the most part work 4 days per week, so even if there isn't much for ride breaks, you still get 3 days off. You can also look at teaching at Moonlight or Big Sky... but that brings on other sets of issues. The people with seniority usually get all the good snow while you are stuck with beginners.

There is a free bus that runs around Big Sky, from Big Sky to Moonlight, and from Big Sky to Bozeman. So, if you don't have a car, that's not a big deal. Big Sky does employee housing, but you don't want to live it it. Moonlight doesn't offer employee housing to speak of. If you are looking for a really cheap place to live, check out the Big Sky Apartments. They are not super nice, and the management is kind of douchy at times, but they are CHEAP and reasonably roomy.

Look also at working at the Yellowstone Club and Spanish Peaks. They are both private clubs in Big Sky, and I know YC will buy most if not all of your pass. Things have changed for those places financially, but I have friends that work at both areas and like it well enough.

Of course the best gig would be an evening shift at a restaurant with good tips. Work 4 to midnight, ski all day. Rinse, repeat. Send a PM if you have any more questions. Bunion is a good resource too.

[Ape_Natural]

Yeah, I think I saw an ad on craigslist for the Big Sky apartments. I found a 1 bedroom apartment for $350 a month plus utilities. It looks like a pretty decent place too. Thanks for all the info.

[mawree]

Yeah man, I would deffinately be interested there too. I just want to be near skiing, my only concern is housing at moonlight. How far is it from Big Sky? I know you can access it from challenger, but how far is it to drive or take a bus? .

Forgot to say: Moonlight is just on the other side of the mountain from Big Sky. You can ride over from Big Sky from Swift Current (the quickest way from Big Sky base area), or you can drive. About 2 miles from Big Sky Village to the Moonlight Lodge or the Pony base area (where the liftie locker room is located), or about 4 miles to the Madison Base Area (the main skier base area, rentals, patrol, ski school, etc.) But again, there's a bus that leaves Big Sky on the half hour during the regular season.

[DHogg]

It's pretty easy to find a job, but finding a job that lets you make some money and ski a lot is the hard part. I got offered a job at Big Sky with very little effort, and i was on the other side of the world organising it all. I'd say it would be much easier when living there.

I worked in Tahoe this winter and there was a few days I had to work after 3 feet of fresh. That shit makes you die a little inside. Especially when you're teaching some retarded fat kid to ski who blatantly has no hope.

The best job, would be ski tech at night, but you have to have experience and qualifications to get one. Working at a shop from about 3pm is also a good option and easier to find than a tech job. Working nights at a bar/restaurant is probably next best, but the downside is you don't get a free pass and transport ect that you do being a resort employee.Resorts give you a lot of benefits so working for one is always nice.

[deliberate]

make sure you get an in state drivers license asap. And an in-state bank, set up a direct deposit. Make sure your parents dont claim you as a dependent. Make sure you file your taxes in state as well. I also had to register to vote in state, as that was supposed to help. Couldn't hurt. Minimum residency was like a year, so make sure you get that all started before the fall term begins, like mid-summer. Save all your paper work, like an adult would.

[hitmanbob]

you can't be serious.

dead serious. Don't know what class it was for but my guess is it was biology 101 or something of the sort explaining the seasons

[stalefish3169]

PSA

These guys will give you a free season pass!

http://mtmedicalmarijuana.com/specials.html

Talk about Rocky Mountain High.

[Shredhead]

The night audit isn't a bad gig and it's fairly easy to get because most people don't like the hours.

[Horu]

I had an odd but awesome ski job this winter: substitute teaching. I'm in AK, so there is a high demand for teachers and low minimum qualifications (fingerprint/background check, HS diploma), but it basically worked out to having optional work that was more rewarding than doing bitch labor and paid better. There was maybe one day per month that I wouldn't get called for work, and no penalty for being unavailable. I had a regular mon-fri schedule which was nice in some ways even if it's not as good for skiing. If you want to work every day, you need to be willing to work with all age groups. MT may have a different program than we do with regards to qualifications, but MT seems like the AK of the lower 48 in some ways so it might be worth checking out.

The downside to subbing is that you have to force yourself to go to work or you might not make rent, you don't get a free pass and you need to wake up early every day to be ready for work even if they don't call. Upshot of not getting called: go skiing. If working with kids seems like a downside of the job to you, probably find something else. If working with kids seems like such an upside that you start breathing hard, get help or just do the world a favor and weed yourself out of the gene pool.

Working evenings for the ski area is probably the most ideal job type for maximum ski time while still making consistent money, but this was somewhat of an outside-the-box ski job that worked out well for me.