3 Things to Consider When You Want to Become a Ski Instructor

If you are an avid skier, the natural progression is to consider some form of training towards becoming a ski instructor. Whether you want a complete career change or you are simply looking to improve your skills past what a regular lesson can teach you, a ski instructor course can bring you some opportunities you never expected to see before. Here are 3 things to consider when you are thinking about a ski instructor course.

Which Qualification Do You Want?

There are a whole host of different qualifications and levels within those qualifications. The most common are the British Association of Snowsports Instructors (the BASI) or the Canadian Ski Instructors Alliance (the CSIA).

Each qualification allows you to work in different locations around the world and with different groups of people. For example, the BASI Level 1 allows you to work with beginner and intermediate skiers but only in indoor ski centres and dry slopes while the BASI Level 4 would qualify you to work for any international ski school in the Alps.

Where would you like to work as a ski instructor? It may be worth looking for become a ski instructor courses at your favourite resort if you ideally want to be teaching there.

Do You Want an Off-Season?

An important consideration as a ski instructor will be whether or not you want an off-season. Taking a break or following the winter for another season are both perfectly valid options.

If you opt for a break, you may find yourself working extra hard while the snow is down to make sure you are earning enough to keep yourself well-fed in the summer. You may also like the idea of the off-season as a chance to pick up some seasonal work elsewhere. Got a passion for water-sports? Why not combine it with skiing and spend your winter at the mountain resorts and the summers by the sea.

If you want to keep working throughout the year then you will need the necessary qualifications and work visas that will allow you to travel wherever the snow is. It is a great way to spend your year, however. You could spend half in the Alps and half in New Zealand, all while meeting great people and doing what you love best. There also won’t be quite so much pressure on your shoulders to make sure you have savings for downtime.

Will You Make a Good Teacher?

One of the most important considerations is will you be a good teacher. The best ski instructors can’t just nail any slope and any drill thrown their way, they are also able to communicate that information in a fun and memorable manner. As a rookie, you might be teaching children a lot and if that isn’t doable then this may not be the best career choice for you. However, a ski instructor course may set you up to be a better skier overall and therefore able to help your friends whenever you go skiing in the future.

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