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Job Opportunities
at the Adventure Ski & Snowboard School
IMPORTANT: We are looking for people who will definately be available to work a regular and consistent part-time (15+ hours per week) or full-time schedule through March 31. If you will be available to work throughout the entire season until the end of March, please read all of the information below and then submit your employment application.
The following information should help answer most general questions about employment qualifications, requirements, schedules, and benefits. This information will be covered in more detail at the employment information meeting at Adventure Ski & Snowboard Schools on Saturday, September 27, 2008 at 10:00 am., which you should plan to attend.
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If
you are reading this after the date of the
above meeting, AND you have the qualifications
listed, please submit an application anyway,
as we always need good people.
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NOTE: While all of the details that follow are important, it is crucial to understand that we hire people who have excellent, refined and detailed communicative skills (similar to the detailed info below), and are able to patiently describe and instruct in clear detail the fine points of skiing and snowboarding in a variety of learning styles, and like to work with all ages. Often racers and the best experts at performing a sport forget what it is like to learn, and find it challenging to clearly describe and empathize with a first time beginner.
Approximately 5-10 part and full-time
positions are available from late-October through March for ski & snowboard
instructors who will also assist with most aspects of ski & snowboard lessons, sales,
maintaining and running the school, and occasional special promotions, sometimes using our
portable Mini-Deck. We prefer our staff to be experienced in, and able to teach BOTH
skiing AND snowboarding. Those who are qualified in both, will earn more by having the
opportunity to teach more lesson hours. If you have some teaching experience and/or
certification to teach either skiing or snowboarding (not both) please continue to read
the info below and complete our application form.
Many applicants have an interest in teaching SNOWBOARDING only , which is at least half of our business, however, I really need/prefer people that can also (or at least used to) SKI, and teach BOTH sports. An exception is if you are currently PSIA /AASI certified level 2/3. Keep that in mind if you do apply. Thank you.
We want
positive thinking people
who are always wanting to, and working on how
to teach a better lesson, no matter how much experience
they have, and how effectively they can already
teach!
You will need to have or quickly develop
good movement analysis skills relative to skiing &
snowboarding, including error recognition, diagnosis
and correction. Salesperson skills and ability are
almost as important as teaching skill. Strong interpersonal
skills, presentation and public speaking ability,
along with enthusiasm, articulation, etiquette, and
communication skills are very important. You must
excel in politely, yet positively and confidently
expressing yourself "loud and clear" in
a variety of ways. You also need a great deal of self-confidence
and patience; you must be safety oriented, very observant,
aware of your surroundings and good at remembering
names; you need some ability in math, along with superior time management, organizational skills, and the ability to plan ahead; you need to be able
to maintain your composure while performing two or
more tasks at the same time; and you must enjoy working
with people of all ages, personalities, and ability
levels (mostly beginner) - including some with physical
& / or mental disabilities. You must have strength,
flexibility, quick reflexes, and the ability to make
appropriate spontaneous decisions based on sound,
solid knowledge supplemented by lots of regular reading.
Drinking alcohol and smoking are not allowed at anytime
prior to and during the workday. AND You must be able
to wear your ski boots all day while working!!! (and
snowboard instructors must be able to quickly change
from ski to snowboard boots, and back to ski boots
again as often as our daily lesson schedule requires.)
Normally,
busiest hours of operation are
on weekdays from 3 to 9 p.m. and on weekends from
9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
We appreciate people who can flexible enough to be
"on-call" so to speak, to be available to
come in an hour or two earlier and/ or stay an hour
or two later sometimes, especially during peak season
when regular hours are all booked up and we have the
opportunity to add new customers to our appt schedule.
Early and late season (October and March) hours are
sparse! Yours first paycheck will be after November
first. Consideration is being given to opening earlier
on weekdays on a trial basis this season. As this
is a seasonal business, you must be available a minimum
of 15 hours per week on a consistent and regular basis
throughout the ski season. Vacations, ski trips, family
reunions, etc. are not often or easily approved from
November through mid-March. Weekends and holiday periods
are some of our busiest times and all staff must be
available to work! We will close on Thanksgiving Day,
Christmas Day, and New Years Day. Unless it is noted
on your application and discussed and approved at
the information meeting, everyone will be expected
to be available on weekends and holiday periods.
After approval
to teach at Adventure Ski & Snowboard School by the school director, a first year instructor's pay can range from $8.00 - $16.00 per hour, and can include many fringe benefits. For those who qualify to earn them, these fringe benefits can include cash bonuses, weekday lift tickets at Mountain High, equipment pro forms, discounts on some purchases at Hansen's, and possibly more.
Required P.S.I.A. Affiliation And Ski & Snowboard Instruction
Employment at Adventure Ski & Snowboard Schools makes you eligible
for membership in the Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA) and the American
Association of Snowboard Instructors (AASI), the organization dedicated to training and
certifying instructors. This association, and your membership in it, represents the
highest level of dedication, training, performance, and professionalism to serve the
skiing & snowboarding public in the best way possible. Benefits of membership are
numerous, and include access to clinics, video-tapes and other PSIA / AASI publications,
and instructor courtesy discounts on lift tickets at many PSIA / ASSI resorts. Your
membership in the PSIA is encouraged, as is your participation in a
minimum of one PSIA / ASSI on-snow clinic this season.
Additionally, your attendance at Adventure Ski & Snowboard Schools'
staff clinics scheduled each month throughout the
season is mandatory to remain employed. A lot of outside reading is required during the clinic and throughout the season. During the first week of the clinic, required reading includes Adventure Ski & Snowboard Schools' instructors
manual and related handouts, AND the PSIA Alpine & AASI Snowboard Manuals, along with
any other PSIA / ASSI instruction manuals, books, and videos you can locate in order to
become familiar with the American Teaching System (ATS) as taught at Adventure Ski &
Snowboard Schools and most mountain resort schools in this country. While the clinics will
cover most aspects of the job, some advance knowledge of the ATS progression of skill
development will be to your advantage. Suggested PSIA / ASSI publications and membership
information will also be available at the clinic.
After reading this information and attending the meeting, if you are still interested in the job and selected to take our training clinic, you must dedicate most October weeknight evenings (5-9:00p.m.) and weekend days (10-5) to the mandatory instructor's training clinic starting Saturday, October 4, 2008.
The clinic will familiarize you with the similarities and differences between the revolving carpet and real snow, cover P.S.I.A. - A.T.S. teaching guidelines and progressions for skill development for the beginning and intermediate levels of ski and snowboard instruction, review the various learning and teaching styles, and will help to condition your leg muscles for the often lengthy sessions on the revolving carpet required of instructors. The revolving carpet is a great workout for instructors, as we must often ski & snowboard for several hours at a time. Please be prepared for good leg strengthening workouts in order to get the most out of the clinic. Rollerblading, cycling, and aerobics are examples of good preparation for clinic workouts, and the coming season. In addition, the clinic will cover many of the unique aspects of working at a dry-land ski & snowboard school, including skiing backwards, forward, sideways, and skiing on one ski; adjusting and maintaining our ski bindings; snowboarding, maintaining and adjusting the revolving carpet & machine; and sales, reservation procedures, record keeping, and telephone techniques. An employee of Adventure Ski & Snowboard Schools is much more than an instructor!
The clinic is open to selected applicants who as a minimum
are advanced snowboarders (teaching experience preferred) with
previous experience as recreational parallel skiers (advanced
intermediate and above); current advanced skiers (teaching
experience preferred); and also for those who have previous ski and
snowboard instructing experience, who would like to become ski &
snowboard instructors at Adventure Ski & Snowboard School.
For those with no verifiable PSIA alpine certified level 2 or above teaching
experience, there is a minimal $175 fee charged for the clinic, $100 of which will be
returned to those who are hired, join P.S.I.A., AND remain employed working a minimum of
15+ hours per week continuously throughout the entire season (until March 31).
Last, and not least, I want you to know that since 1977 most of the clinic
participants, even those with previous teaching experience, have felt that they got a lot
of value out of the clinic, and the instructors who have taught here agree it can be a fun
and enjoyable job with many intrinsic benefits, great exercise, and the chance to work
outdoors with people. If the time commitment or fee to the clinic is discouraging you from
applying for employment, please come to the meeting and feel free to speak with me before
making your final decision. The previous information is meant to impress upon you the high
quality, dedicated, positive thinking person Adventure Ski & Snowboard School desires
to have as part of our team.
If you have some other unique situation that merits discussion prior to the meeting, and are seriously interested in the position, submit your application and then call asap and at least before 5.00 p.m., Thur., Sept. 25, leave a message on the answering machine at (760) 942-2188. I will return your call after I have reviewed your online application. Thank you.
Please read the following in order to
be more familiar with our programs and with the
concept of the revolving carpet ski machine (articles
available at Ski & Snowboard School OR click
on the NEWS
page of our website):
Adventure Ski & Snowboard Schools, Inc. entire website
and be sure to watch our streaming video.
SKI MAGAZINE, "Deck the Malls", by Stu Campbell, PSIA veteran director,
clinician, author;
U.S.A. TODAY, Sports Section: "Tone Up For Downhill";
North County Time Health & Fitness Section: "Preparing Your Body For... Downhill
Adventure";
San Diego Family Press: "Kids Learn On 'Magic Carpet' Before Hitting The
Slopes";
SO YOU WANT TO BE A SKI & SNOWBOARD INSTRUCTOR?!?
The following are some thoughts you might find helpful in determining a realistic
perception of what teaching entails, and what it takes to be eligible for the job.
WHEN I BEGIN TO INSTRUCT, I GET TO SKI & SNOWBOARD A
LOT!
As an instructor, you spend most every working day of your season with your customers on
the hill / carpet. You get to ski & snowboard...at the level of your students. It is
important to realize that you spend relatively little of your teaching time at your level
of competence. If you have a genuine interest in teaching, this will not be a
de-motivator.
AM I TOO YOUNG, OR TOO OLD, TO TEACH
From 18 years of age on, you can expect to become responsible for conducting your own
classes, provided you have satisfactorily completed the training program we provide in
preparation for teaching at our school. Our oldest instructor has been near 50 years old
and has done a fine job with all skiers, especially appreciated by older students who
would often much rather be with someone closer to their own age.
WHAT
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR WHEN YOU SELECT INSTRUCTORS?
There are a number of qualities necessary
to be an instructor. None of them alone will do
the trick; a combination will generate the "magic"
we are looking for:
You need to be a "POSITIVE"
thinking and speaking person, always talking about
and teaching people "what to do" without
saying / showing what they did wrong. You need
to be able to paint a picture with the words you
use to describe a movement or action.
You need to have a GENUINE LIKING of people. That
means that you must be a CONTACT HAPPY person,
who LISTENS very well. You should be able to become
enthusiastic with what is happening on the STUDENT'S
LEVEL, and generously PARTAKE in the ups and downs
of the student's experience. You must have the
capacity to "step off the pedestal"
and be a helper, rather than an authoritative
teacher, or a showoff.
You must also be able to accept CHANGING
YOURSELF, as insights generated through experience,
reading, and training will allow you to see things
in new perspectives. You must let yourself grow
and change, much as you expect your students to
do the same. Beyond the basic happiness you bring
to the job, you must be well organized and plan
your days and lessons. You must have the ability
to be in control of a situation without dominating
it. You must keep in mind that you are responsible
for the safety, as well as the quality of your
students experience. YOU WILL DETERMINE whether
our guests think of skiing & snowboarding,
and Adventure Ski & Snowboard School negatively,
indifferently, or POSITIVELY, AND with ENTHUSIASM!
Though it is difficult at times, instructors
must be able to work with EACH NEW STUDENT AS
IF HE / SHE WERE THE FIRST and only one. This
can be achieved through genuine interest in the
student and his or her well-being, and not if
he teacher is preoccupied with his or her own
skiing or snowboarding.
Last, but not least, it is very important
that you be able to model skills to students;
that means that we expect as a skier, that you
are a sound parallel skier or better with good
fundamental skills, and snowboard instructors
must have previously achieved a similar skiing
ability, while currently snowboarding at an advanced
intermediate level with good fundamental skills
and the ability to link both skidded AND carved
turns. Often it's the better skiers & snowboarders
who do not stand out looking "flashy"
or "hot". Much of our business is made
up of new skiers & snowboarders, and children.
Many new instructors find the BASIC fundamental
skills quite challenging. Demonstrating to students
is merely one of the forms of communication that
we are looking for. Your ability to complete the
package with a positive mental attitude and personality,
charisma, and salesmanship are further qualifications
that we are looking for. Please read the below
pages for additional criteria.
The following information represents
the hiring criteria that must be demonstrated
in the Adventure Ski & Snowboard School Instructor
Training Course and Hiring Clinic.
SKIING & SNOWBOARDING:
Free Skiing-Level F (Dynamic parallel turns)
Free Boarding-Smooth, linked turns without bar
Backwards skiing, and riding switch stance
Turning around 180 and 360 degrees
Adaptability
Safety
Trainability
TEACHING DESIRE:
Expressed desire to teach
BEHAVIOR & PERSONALITY:
On time
Dress/Grooming
Maturity
Manners
Charisma
Articulate-Easy to understand
P.M.A.=Positive Mental Attitude
Positive instructions of what & how "to
do"
Sense of humor
Leads when appropriate
Follows when appropriate
Gets along-warm and friendly
Enthusiastic
Participation-into what's happening
Positive attitude towards others
Empathy-understanding others feelings
Establishes rapport quickly
Listens and understands
Eye contact-listening AND speaking
Voice-warm and clear enough
Presentation
AVAILABILITY: THROUGH MARCH 31st
Full Time: 5-7 days per week
Part Time: 3+days (15+ hours) per week
ALL: Holiday Periods, weekends
If interested in a position with the Ski and Snowboard School in Encinitas, please fill out our Online Application Form, and then plan to attend the employment information meeting and interview on Saturday, September 27, 2008 at 10:00 am.
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If
you are reading this after the date of the
above meeting, AND you have the qualifications
listed, please submit an application anyway,
as we always need good people.
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