Become a Ski Instructor

Fancy spending every day outdoors, under blue skies, with the mountain as your office?  Being a ski instructor is one of the best jobs in the world. The aim of this page is to give you some helpful advice if you're planning to become a ski instructor; from the pro's of taking an instructors course, to advice on obtaining a visa.

Becoming A Ski Instructor

There are two routes which you can take to becoming an instructor:

  1. If you feel that you already ski to a high enough standard, you can enter yourself for one of the instructor exams directly. Generally, these exams are made up of two parts; skiing and teaching, which you will need to pass in order to qualify. Once you have passed, you can go on to apply for a job as an instructor.
  2. The other alternative is to take an instructors course, such as the ones we offer. This course provides you with instruction from top instructors, who will not only help you to improve your skiing beyond your wildest dreams, but are also able to impart some valuable teaching knowledge. Skiing with a group of like minded people is sociable, and creates a fun and relaxed learning atmosphere. The instructors will give you ideas for lesson plans and you will have the opportunity to practice your teaching skills on friends well in advance of the Level 1 exam. Doing a course with NONSTOP is also a great way to Fast Track into the industry. The NONSTOP courses are well recognised by many ski resorts worldwide and as a result, past seasonnaires have not found it difficult to find work and have also received fantastic feedback from the ski schools they work in.

Top tips on how to become an instructor

Wendy Lemoine explains the best way to get a job as a ski instructor.

Wendy lemoine - Fernie Snow School Director

Work Experience

Despite what some companies might claim, it is not possible to guarantee you a ski instructor job before you have gained a ski instructor qualification. What we guarantee you is work experience which is extremely beneficial when you are applying for a ski instructor job.

You will be able to do work experience at the local ski school where you will learn new teaching techniques as you shadow instructors working for the resort. When you come to apply for ski instructor jobs these hours of experience will allow you to stand out from the competition as ski school directors will look favourably on the effort you have made and you are more likely to get a job.

Become an instructor...

Become an instructor...

...just like these guys

...just like these guys

NONSTOP Community days

At NONSTOP we believe in giving as much back to the communities that we operate in as possible. Therefore we have developed our Community Days project in Fernie. Our Community Days project is designed to get local residents who don't usually get skiing onto the slopes. These residents live in the mountains but can't afford to ski because of the costs associated with skiing. Therefore we have teamed up with local resorts so that they offer free lift passes and equipment and we provide our newly qualified instructors, that's you, for free.

The project has been a massive success in the past and has allowed us to offer skiing to the local community. On top of this our newly qualified instructors, that will be you! are able to get a huge benefit from the day as you are able to teach people without supervision for the first time. You will really enjoy the day and the experience that you are able to gain in terms of how best to teach people. All in all it is a fantastic day and scheme.

To read about last years Community Day click here

“I just wanted to let you know that I am extremely impressed with the quality of instructors that the NONSTOP program has produced. The ski pros that I have been able to recruit from your program have delivered exceptional customer service, demonstrated a solid technical and teaching background and most importantly have shown what great people skills they have. I would strongly recommend other Ski School Directors to look at the NONSTOP program for recruiting efforts and would be more then happy to review applications from graduates of your program.”

Mike Manara, Mt. Washington Ski School Director, BC.

Qualifications

NONSTOP Ski provides the opportunity to gain a wide range of Canadian Ski Instructors Alliance (CSIA) qualifications and New Zealand Ski Instructor Alliance (NZSIA) qualifications. Each qualification is divided into two parts - your teaching and your skiing. You need to pass both parts of the exam to gain full certification. All participants on the 3-week ski instructor course and 11-week ski instructor courses take the Level 1 exams. On the 11-week course, there is then the option to go further and take the Level 2 exam. There is also the opportunity to take a Park Course or a Race Coach course. It is more difficult to access such a wide range of courses and have them so readily available if you are not on an instructor course such as ours.

Frequently Asked Questions

How hard is it to get a job?

Getting a job as a ski instructor is relatively straightforward, as long as you apply well in advance of the start of the season; have a good CV; and are flexible as to which resort your are based at. The key to getting a job is to be persistent – try and get your name known by sending off as many CV’s as possible, and by following up applications with emails and phone calls. Often people find it harder to find accommodation in a resort, rather than work!

Where can I work with my qualifications?

You aren’t just restricted to working in Canada, the US or New Zealand with the CSIA/NZSIA qualifications. They are also recognised in the following places:

  • Andorra
  • Australia
  • Italy
  • Japan
  • South Africa
  • Spain
  • Switzerland

Do I need a Visa?

You will need to obtain a visa in order to work in a foreign country, but not to take the NONSTOP course.

How do I get a Visa?

The most important thing to remember when applying for a Visa is to apply early! For Canadian Visas, the allocated amount for British citizens often run out by February or March, and you won't be heading out to your job until November. It pays to plan well in advance if you are thinking of working for a season. If you are under 30, BUNAC offer a Visa application service which is the easiest way of securing yourself a visa. For more details on the application process, see below.  If you are over 30 you will need to be sponsored by the ski school you wish to work for in order to work out in Canada.  For more information about this please contact the office.

Adams speaks about his time with NONSTOP

Now a Level 2 ski & snowboard instructor

Adam Hillier, Fernie 05/06 11-week course

My name is Adam Hillier. I completed the 11 week ski improvement course in Fernie in the 05/06 season. I found NONSTOP whilst in the process of researching for a uni project. The website and the testimonials were all I needed to convince me that NONSTOP were the guys I wanted to train with and I have never looked back. From start to finish NONSTOP were excellent. Their client care and organisation is second to none, and there was always someone on hand to answer any questions and offer sound advice. The main reason I wanted to become a skiing instructor is because I tried skiing and fell in love instantly, and whilst at uni I was not enjoying my course so I wanted to train in a career that more suited my personality and lifestyle as I am also an experienced traveller.

I started the course with a mere three weeks experience on snow and by the end I had successfully passed both my level 1 and level 2 ski instructors plus my level 1 race coach qualification (which in itself is an excellent qualification to gain as it makes you even more adaptable and employable. Racing and coaching is also an excellent way to develop personal skiing). I also completed a comprehensive winter first aid course which is a very handy thing to have, especially for those wanting to ride deep untouched pow in the vast backcountry of the Rockies. Since leaving Fernie, I have worked three ski seasons at Sun Peaks resort in the BC interior. I have since gained my level 1 and 2 snowboard instructors so now I teach both disciplines on a day to day basis which in itself is both rewarding and challenging. I am also half way to my level 3 ski instructors.

Through my experience since leaving NONSTOP and continual training, I can vouch that the level of training recieved on the courses is the absolute best available in Canada. Most of my trainers were level 4. These guys are amazing and level 4 for a reason. The level 3 standard trainers were also superb. After questing after level 3 for two seasons I can tell you it is a high standard to reach and a great goal to aim for.

I can't praise the guys at NONSTOP enough and I would recommend anyone to take a course with them, even if you don't intend on teaching skiing or boarding. The course is well worth the time and money- not to mention you'll come away ripping powder and tree lines like you'd never imagine!!

Careers Advice

NONSTOP Careers Advice

As part of the course, at NONSTOP we offer a careers seminar to all participants whilst they are on the course. These are given by the Technical Director in your resort and often the local Ski School Director and past NONSTOP clients come along to give their advice on how they got their jobs.

It is insightful to get a first hand and realistic view of working as an instructor. You will learn how to apply for an instructor job and the importance of shadowing ski school and getting as much work experience as possible in order to get yourself known. You'll also get advice on visa applications, especially for those over 30, who need to be sponsored by a ski school.

NONSTOP Careers Manual

NONSTOP provide a useful manual which is a great introduction for anyone thinking of working in the ski industry. It includes:

  • Where to work | Where are CSIA/CASI qualifications recognised?
  • Your dream job | Advice on applying for instructor positions
  • Visas, costs & pay | Advice on securing visas, securing work and rates of pay
  • Case studies | Ex-seasonaires give advice on working as an instructor
  • Winter sports schools | Contact details of over 60 ski schools in 8 different countries
  • Sample C.V. | Preparing an effective curriculum vitae

Visa Advice

British Passport Holders

To apply for a Visa to work in Canada, you must be a British citizen under 30, you can only apply via the Bunac Work Canada scheme. A limited number of visas are available so early application is essential, and places are given on a first come basis.  They release new visas in December each year so it may even be necessary to think a year in advance.  Start by applying to Work Canada via the BUNAC website, which if successful, will reserve you a visa. The cost varies so please check their website. 

Once Bunac has confirmed your place on the programme, and “reserved” you a Visa, they will send through an information pack which will include a Visa Application Form. You will then need to complete this form, and also submit a Police Background check, along with the Visa fee. Once this has been sent back to BUNAC, they will apply for the Visa on your behalf. BUNAC will let you know when your Work Authorisation Letter has been issued.  The Visa application process takes a minimum of 30 days so please ensure you have left enough time before heading out to work.

If you're an Australian, New Zealand or Irish passport holder, click on the links below to find out more about the Working Holiday Visas on offer to you.

Read the NONSTOP blog