Find a Job This Winter Working at a Beautiful Ski Resort

For the outdoor enthusiast, seasonal employment is a great opportunity to work in some of the country's most beautiful tourist destinations, earn money while receiving plenty of perks and meet new people from all over the country.

With winter just around the corner, many ski resorts are now accepting applications for all positions. Many resorts have job fairs during the month of October, giving applicants a chance to get more information about each job, check out the resort and submit an application. Upcoming fairs include Colorado's Crested Butte (Oct. 25 and Oct. 28), Durango Mountain Resort (Oct. 29), Aspen Snowmass (Oct. 27), and the Heavenly Mountain Resort near Lake Tahoe (Oct. 21 and Oct. 24). (See contact information at the end of this article for more information.)

Applicants have a multitude of jobs to choose from including retail, food service, child care, fitness instruction, lift operators, bus drivers, housekeepers and more. Starting wage is usually between $7 and $8/hour. Ski resorts also offer plenty of perks including free lift tickets, discounts on food and ski gear, and employee housing at discounted rates. Some even offer health benefits and a 401(k) plan.

Texas native Laura Buchanan, 28, spent two years in Durango, Colo., a popular destination for winter sports. Because of the low starting wages, she said the resort depends heavily on high school and college students. The jobs appeal to younger people who do not yet have a lot of commitments. She said the best part of working at a ski resort is definitely the free skiing. Another perk is always getting the most up-to-date information on the snow situation before driving all the way to the mountain. But don't expect to make a ton of money.

"It's a job you do for fun, not to make a healthy living," she said.

One downside to working at a ski resort is that transportation can sometimes be difficult.

"A lot of people in town that worked at the mountain didn't have cars and so they would hitchhike or car pool, but your friends' schedules there weren't always in sync with yours," Laura said. "Plus gas is really expensive there so you would spend half of your paycheck trying to get to work."

She noted that Durango also had a vibrant summer season as well. With the Animas River flowing through town, many winter employees were able to get summer jobs as rafting guides. For the most part though, once the winter ski season ends, so do many of the jobs.

"Life could be tough in a job that relied heavily on tips because for some months they were very scarce," she said. "And because the town was so dependent on the tourist buck, it was difficult for me to find a cool job that would utilize my college education. Aside from doctors and lawyers, there were not many options for young professionals. It was fun for a little break from life, but not what I wanted for a long-term career."

Though it probably won't lead to a permanent career path, a seasonal job might be the perfect opportunity for someone looking to spend a few months in a new and exciting location, make some new friends and spend plenty of time on the slopes.

The following resorts are all hiring for the upcoming winter season:

Aspen Snowmass
Aspen, Colorado
Operates four ski resorts: Snowmass, Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk
(970) 925-1220
http://www.aspensnowmass.com/companyinfo/employment/

Ski Heavenly Resort
Lake Tahoe, Nevada
(530) 542-5180
http://www.skiheavenly.com/employment/current_employment/

Big Mountain
Whitefish, Montana
(406)862-2900
https://www.bigmtn.com/index.php?a=hr/index

Stratton Mountain Resort
Stratton, Vermont
1.800.STRATTON
http://www.stratton.com/jobs/index.htm

Crested Butte
Crested Butte, Colorado
(970) 349-4050
http://winter.skicb.com/page.php?pname=jobs

Durango Mountain Resort
Durango, Colorado
970-247-9000
http://winter.skicb.com/page.php?pname=jobs