Thoughts opinions... experiences? What do you guys got.

Well, you can eliminate a lot of shit right away by just crossing off options that you have no talent for or aren't interested in. I've seen any number of people go into I.T. because they thought it was a good career choice (this was before offshoring) but they turned out to have no talent for it, and they sucked. So, what are you good at? What types of training are transportable, i.e. you can get a job anywhere? With your outlook, probably stuff where you can be your own boss. For absolutely no reason that I can discern, 'veterinarian' just popped into my head. Stroke?

Anyway, nail down what you want to be first. Then figure out where you can go to get that. But yeah, stay within spitting distance of a hill, or what's the point?

 

A few questions for you: How old are you?
How likely is it that your priorities will change in a few years (family, house, etc)?
Can you be happy doing a job that you don't particularly enjoy just so you can snowboard?
Do you NEED to have a job that involves snowboarding/resort life in order to be able to snowboard regularly?

As a high school teacher, I am a strong proponent of college. In general, education opens a lot of doors, but it is also very expensive and should be regarded as an investment.

The list of jobs you presented is quite varied. If you want to go to college, choose a career that you'll be interested in, that will also allow you the time and freedom to do the activities you love outside of work.

For example: Would you really be happy as an accountant? To become an accountant, you have to study math and take accounting classes for several years. Lower level accounting is tedious and many upper level accountants work long hours in intense environments and travel extensively. People who are very detail oriented, math savvy, and logical make good accountants.

If you are unsure, start at a community college. Talk to a counselor and take a range of classes until you find something you like.

At some point, most people find the need to settle down. I left home at 18 and traveled extensively around the world (3 years of college in Boston, 1 year backpacking Europe, 2 years serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in West Africa, 3 years teaching in the South Pacific) - I loved the experience, but after nine years of being a nomad, I was ready to find a place to call home. I was smart enough to choose opportunities that would allow me to build skills and experience that would serve me well when I did decide to settle down. I think that's the key for a young person. If college isn't the best course of action, find a way to build your skills and interests so that when you are ready for a career, you have a strong base to build on.

Hope this helps! Happy holidays to you!

 

Sorry to hear about your accident. You sound like a brave girl. I hope you get well soon.

With regard to your question:

One option is to find a regular job on the mountain but not in the snowboarding industry itself. Last year I was staying in a big chalet in France and met a bunch of people who worked as seasonal staff on the mountain - drivers, handymen, kitchen staff, accountants, etc. A couple of those jobs also seem to me like regular career paths: chef and accountant.

If you enjoying making food then being a chef should be a no-brainer. Depending on how good you are you can make pretty decent bucks in it and it is definitely a career you can pursue anywhere you choose to, including the mountains.

Accountants have to go through tedious examinations and the job itself is not very interesting (unless you enjoy crunching numbers) but it also makes good money, it is a career path and again you can pursue it pretty much anywhere you want to.

I hope that helps somewhat...

 

There's western washington university, here-say its tough to get into...70 minutes to the hill, there's also lots of others outdoors stuff, e.g., sailing, kiteboarding, sea and white water kayaking, scuba, mt biking, climbing, packing, white water body surfing and etc. A fair amount of kids take winter qtr off.

My 24 yr old sounds a bit like you...he decided 3 yrs ago to do job corps in seamanship. In 18 months got certified for deck and engine room, no loans or debts...but ghetto life for 18 months. But now kind of works when he wants and has plenty of money to travel or do whatever he wants when he's off the boat. He's now talking about getting a degree; figures he could work summers and vacations and have enough cash to pay for school and living expenses.

 

You know most people in the snowboard industry don't have degrees and the ones that do it's in something that's completely unrelated to what they're doing. If you want to work for a resort check out CMC Steamboat/Leadville/Breckenridge one of those offers some program in resort management. Marketing is a job you can take with you anywhere and once you're in with a resort generally those people are there for life or till the resort gets sold.

I'll just be honest with you college is a crock of shit and a waste of time/money if you're serious about working in the snowboard industry. You should just go learn how to bar tend and then move to a real resort town and get in with a solid bar/club. I know the bar tenders here mid week during the season are pulling in about 300 a night in tips alone, from the 17th till the 3rd they'll be making between 500 and 1,500 a night.

 

Yes, but what do those same bartenders do when they are pushing 37 years old? Not to be crass, but I've seen middle aged men tend bar at a few more upscale/older joints (like hotels), but 97% of the female bartenders out there are young. Its almost like being an actress. 10 years out, she'll have big problems finding a job because they'll go to the younger, more nubile, college aged girls.

She might as well put in a good foundation now. You don't need a college degree to work in snowboarding, but industrial design, art, even management or accounting will make you more versatile and attractive a candidate. Instead of working on the promotions team for Mervin, or something... she might be able to swing a corporate position in sales or product development with Quicksilver or similar... you know, something that offers her an opportunity to get promoted.

Karasene, I would seriously contact the companies you would be interested in working for. Ask the HR (human resources) person if you could chat a few minutes with a few of the managers to find out what skill set and experience they look for in prospective employees. Everyone loves talking to young, hungry, energetic and motivated individuals.

Good luck

I'll just be honest with you college is a crock of shit and a waste of time/money if you're serious about working in the snowboard industry. You should just go learn how to bar tend and then move to a real resort town and get in with a solid bar/club. I know the bar tenders here mid week during the season are pulling in about 300 a night in tips alone, from the 17th till the 3rd they'll be making between 500 and 1,500 a night.

 

My opinion is stay where you are until you know for sure a career path you want. Nothing worse to go to school just to 'go to school'. Find people in different carrers and see what the choice is for you. Your needs/wants may change in a few years.

I suppose while you're recuperating from your injury you can start doing research. Being young is an advantage you can only have early in life so maybe once you recover live in that van, find odd jobs near the mountain until you find out the career path for you to sustain your interests and lifestyle.

 

I disagree. If she wants to go to school she should just go. There are tons of people who go "undecided" and just test the waters until they find something that really interests them. You can plan ahead all you want, but I feel like most of the planners outside of doctors/lawyers always end up hating what it was they were so intent to study.

In the end, it really doesn't matter what you major in. It matters to a certain degree, but most employers just want to see the piece of paper and know you are educated and capable of staying motivated/persistent with something. Really, it's becoming increasingly rare to find someone with a degree working in the field they majored in...

 

There is a school of thought that you should not fuck up something you love by turning it into a job...but then people like Snowwolf seem to be proof to the contrary.

Whatever you decide, education is never wasted. Many intelligent people go through life with a certain amount insecurity simply because they did not go to college. College should not be about just learning a particular skill set for work, but feeding your hunger for knowledge and furthering your understanding of the world around you.

Good luck!

 

If you're thinking about school to keep busy, find community college classes around where you are now that will be transferable to an array of schools.

Basing your school decision on proximity to the slopes is probably not the best idea. Think about it; if you're basing your decision on where to ride, you're not so much concerned with school, but with snowboarding. You won't get the most for your money if you're distracted like that. I live in CT, and I went to UConn, and during the winter of my sophomore year, I would go to a 9 AM class on Tuesdays and Thursdays, race back to my dorm, pack my car, zip to the nearest slope (2 hours away), ride for a couple of hours, zip back to campus, unload the car, change, and run to a 6 PM class. My GPA tanked. I didn't give two flying shits about school. I just wanted to be snowboarding.

After transferring schools and a whole mess of shit, I took a year off from school. I rode, relaxed, worked on some art and photography, fulfilled my mental and artistic needs, and then after a year went back to finish my degree. My GPA had never been higher. I found my courses to be more manageable, and more fulfilling. The material was easier to comprehend. My head was in the game.

I was able to pull my GPA up enough that I have some choices now for graduate school, should I ever choose to go that route.

I don't think that college should be the final decision on your career path. I don't think it can be. So many people have degrees now. To be set apart from that, you have to invest in even more schooling. I do feel that an education is valuable if, and only if, you have the thirst for the knowledge. If you are learning things you aren't interested in, you are wasting money. I know. I did it.

I learned more traveling and reading books than I did in college classrooms. But that's just what works better for me. I like to learn things. I get stuck on things and then try to find as much information as I can about that particular subject until I'm bored with it, and then I move on to something else. Some people find the structure of schooling is best for them. It's all preference.

If you want the education for yourself, and it's a goal you have, go for it. If you're not really into it and you're just looking for something to kill some down time, head to the library and educate yourself, or enroll in a few community college classes that interest you. Explore some things and get some knowledge before you commit yourself to something you might not enjoy in six months.

I would avoid online classes unless you're already enrolled in an accredited institution (like a state college) that offers online options. I took classes through UConn online, and they were OKAY. I didn't learn much. I just did what I had to in order to get by. But these schools like University of Pheonix, etc. are institution based on profit (check out PBS Frontline's episode College, Inc.). You might learn some stuff, and you'll end up with a degree, but you'll pay out the ass for it, and it's not going to guarantee you any kind of job placement.

Also, depending on your age, you could qualify for financial aid. I believe you have to be 24 to be considered an independent, so if you're under 24 and your parents make some loot, don't expect anything from the government. But, if you've got some kids, you can get a ton of money. Yea. Figure that shit out...

As far as fucking up things you love by turning them into a job... I don't think it's so much that. It's more along the lines of... You realize what the industry you want into is made of, and a lot of times it's a lot dirtier than you could have imagined. I transfered to a design school in NYC for a semester, and it disgusted me. I was studying photography and taking a real interest in darkroom techniques, and crafting great images, and my professors couldn't stand me. They loved the coked out gay kid who kept taking photos of him and his roommates, scantily clad in their bathtub because it was "edgy" and they liked his "aesthetic." Basically, they were trying to churn out fashion photographers because that's where the money is in that industry. Art is one of those industries that sucks the soul out of you as you get deeper into the commercial aspects of it.

My two cents...

 

^ You ever worked in the snowboard industry? Let me guess it's a resounding NO. I'm friends with TM, Marketing people, company owners, etc. etc. 90% or more no degrees in what they work in. Right place right time and above all else who you know.

 

For every 5 people that enjoy steady work in the snowboarding industry without college degrees, there are probably another 15 who would love to replace them. There is no shortage of unskilled labor in this country.

There are probably less than half of that number of people WITH college degrees looking to work in the industry. She'll be one step ahead and be able to rely on her skill set and smarts instead of kissing ass or putting out to get ahead (imagine that). College is only a waste of money and time if you waste your time just taking tests instead of learning as much outside the classroom and inside of it.

If you didn't have a habit of shooting your mouth all the time off and being wrong just as often as you are right, then I might put some stock in your opinion. A good judge of people you are not. Stick to snowboard equipment.

 

Easy way to settle this is for the OP to take my advice and call up a few companies and find out what they are looking for and who they tend to hire.

-EDIT-
As aside, I think that you guys are ignoring the OP's reality. She is a female. How many women do you see on snowboard company staffs? Its not going to work for her the same way it would work for you or I. She'll have to be better and stand out more than the men competing with her for a position. I think a degree (demonstrating she has skills in addition to just people skills) is a good way to stand out.

For Pete's sake, Hannah Teeter has a bronze medal and I don't see Flow, Lib Tech or Mt. Dew (extreme!) plastering her face on ads everywhere. If not for Snowblind and First Descent, I doubt anyone who isn't a hardcore snowboard aficionado would remember who she is.

 

This is a ton of valuable feed back. I have to say I think you are all right.

BA moving to a resort town to waitress/bartend was exactly my plan for next season. I've waitressed fine-dining in country clubs in FL batended the PGA tour, moved and waitress/cocktailed at 2 casinos in Vegas, come home then waitress more for the nearby ski resort for winters (free season pass is a :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup and a mainstream concert venue in the summer... I have a friend who bartended for 3 seasons @ Yellowstone and will help me get a job there this summer... then I was opting to move to a resort town for next coming winter. If the Yellowstone thing didn't work out I was interested in becoming a white water rafting quide in northern Maine then moving out west. So waitressing and bartending DOES have a lot of benefits and is decent money... but like stated above.. I'm afraid I have the security of being 24 young active and appealing to most employers. What happens when I'm hitting 40? ...will I still be so lucky? Checked out CMC sounds interesting..

I do agree that half the time college is a waste of time and money.. which is why I'm really trying to do my research here. I'm kinda thinking going to yellowstone.. moving to a mountain town is something I SHOULD be doing, but college could put an end to that. Ugh. I'm torn between the above lifestyle and making the right long term decisions.



Tarzanman I think calling some companies is an awesome idea! I would love to hear what they'd have to say. I have heard the industry is all about who you know tho.. luckily I've never found it hard to meet people with my out goingness. I think I can make things happen. I wonder how hard getting a sturdy job with burton, grenade, roxy, vail, four square, sessions.. any of that actually is. Hell I'd even be happy doing something on the women's end of snowboaring.. event planning I dunno.. whatever. Usasa hire for that at all lol. Starting research.. now! lol


If I do go to school I know I can stick to good grades. Snowboarding would be a distraction but that's why I'm here. To enjoy life. My biggest fear in this would be choosing to be "responsible" and getting no where in life.. that would not be cool. What so ever. Wondering if I should put college off till I'm 25, 26 and follow through with being a nomad for some more time? lol

Starcommand, Donutz, wrathfuldeity, lilfoot1598 and everyone else thanks also for writing me

and MERRY CHIRSTMAS YOU GUYS!


EDIT: Hannah Teter kicks ass IMO and true

 

I wouldn't say my "boredom" due to this injury is the sole reason I'm considering a college education... but the medical bills.. lack of health insurance and questionable unstable future in the long run is what's making me think harder about choices I should or should not be making. :dunno:

 

If you're a smart woman, and you can make money if you truly need to, then you don't need to worry so much about setting yourself up well for the long-term. If you were planning to be an astronaut, I would say differently. But I would agree that the snowboarding industry isn't something you break into with a college internship. I'm a strong believer in doing what feels right in your bones because it makes you happy. If draining your bank account on college isn't sitting well in your gut, it's probably not the best decision for you. The best thing you can do for yourself is do something you enjoy, and if you're worried about your long-term situation, invest some time and a little money in classes here and there to keep you fresh on subject matter that you enjoy and you feel would benefit you in your future endeavors. A degree isn't for everyone. And you sound like you have a good idea of what feels right to you. So go with it.

Some perspective for you...
I'm 24 in February. I graduated in August with a B.A. in English. If you and I moved to a mountain town, I would probably have more trouble finding jobs because I have no experience in anything besides photography and, uh, school, and my degree means I am already overqualified for a bunch of positions. I can't get any internships anymore because I can't get college credit for them. So if I want my foot in the door, I have to bust it down myself.

My degree would be helpful if I was looking for an entry-level office job, or if I wanted to teach at some point, but other than that, I'm no better off than you are; I just have a really expensive piece of paper.

Some of the most intelligent people I know finished school, and then deferred their graduate study, or just took off to do something enriching. College is always there. There are always community colleges. It is never too late. And if you educate yourself on the skills and knowledge you need for what you want to do, there's really no GOOD reason why you wouldn't get hired. If you want it bad enough, you'll find a way to make it happen.

If you're bored right now, go to the library, take out a few books on business, or sports management. Couldn't hurt.

 

Short and to the point, here is an option for you:

Edelweiss Lodge and Resort - Garmisch, Germany

 

How old are you (if you don't mind saying)? If you're still very young then I'd say live like a ski bum (snowboard bum?) until you get it out of your system. A lot of people have been returning to school the last few years due to unemployment and still can't get a job afterward. It's risky to go to school if your heart is elsewhere, because your grades will suffer. If you get to the point where you're very motivated to go to school, and you're a non-traditional student (>25 y/o) then you will be more likely to do well academically.

From what I've seen Baccalaureate degrees are a dime a dozen and barely get you anywhere career-wise. It's all about the grad school. I have a Doctorate degree and it has paid off very well, but anything short of that is risky. I think a college education should primarily be for the sake of education and enrichment rather than job training, but if you want higher education to be primarily for job training then I think you have to be prepared to go beyong undergrad. Some type of professional training pays off very well, for example nursing school, physicians assistant school, but there's no way you will get accepted to those types of programs if you half-ass it through undergrad.

Edit: I know a lady who spent her younger years living the ski bum lifestyle, is now in her 40's with kids and is kind of hurting financially. The fun done run out.

If you found a career not in the industry but with relatively high pay and variable hours you could still ride A LOT, have money to give you more options, and not be tied down to the one resort where you worked.

 

CMC it depends on what you go for I know kids that got shop jobs eventually from having the degree in ski/snowboard business but you can learn everything that course selection teaches you in a season working for a shop. I know some people that have gone on to work various marketing jobs or in lift maintenance or to become ski patrollers. It's a starting point that can get you internships in the town you're in or align you with companies that will let you intern there.

With any job in a resort town if you work days you just want a split shift and a powder clause. Last year I managed a ski shop and had a powder clause with the owner where we'd just call one of the lower guys to open the store and we'd go shred the pow, and then every day was split shift I was on the mountain by 10 and off by 2 or 3 so plenty of riding. I have a ton of friends with jobs like that up here from marketing people down to the kid folding the t shirt in the local t shirt shop it's just something you need to make sure the job offers.

Just a hint if you move west never ever ever live in staff housing and work for the resort unless you're in middle or upper management, the lower you are the less you get out of it.

 

Kara,

I am a new member and first of all I am very sorry about your present situation, it really sucks and I wish you a speedy recovery. I am currently a college student and a boarder from Colorado. I chose to go to Pittsburgh for school even though it takes me away from my amazing slopes back home. I only suggest this if you know what you want to do with yourself and can be better prepared for that job by going somewhere else. However, in this day and age (lovely economy), I highly recommend going back to school but make sure you go back for something you love. If you want to remain in the industry you could consider several different aspects to focus on. You can do the obvious and focus on teaching, selling, and designing the snowboards. You could also get a degree in something that you can apply to other industries/jobs in case it doesn't work out like marketing or something like that Anyway if you need specific college info I will try to help just ask , get better quickly!!

 

LOL. You practically majored in unemployment. :laugh: People who go to school for liberal arts degrees do so more for the love of the subject than for where it can get you in life. I should know: I hold a B.A. in French Literature. But I wouldn't trade it for anything, since the experience of college and a liberal arts education is what I was looking for. I knew the rest would eventually follow.

Karasene: Sounds like you're undecided. Find an entry-level industry job, get to know the people around you and the ins and outs of resort life, then make an educated decision. At some point you'll figure it out and the next step will be much more clear. You have the time.

 

LOL. You practically majored in unemployment. :laugh: People who go to school for liberal arts degrees do so more for the love of the subject than for where it can get you in life. I should know: I hold a B.A. in French Literature. But I wouldn't trade it for anything, since the experience of college and a liberal arts education is what I was looking for. I knew the rest would eventually follow.

My sister's is in Latin. Shes a supervisor in an insurance agency. :laugh:

 

I will give you another angle at this..... here is my road to boarding... I went to nursing school. got experience in a high demand specialty.... cath lab, ICU, ER, Surgery(my specialty)... Next summer after my oldest daughter graduates highschool I am leaving her in my house in TX. I plan to move up to vail or west denver, maybe even frisco, work 3 days a week and board 4 days a week with my son. My son is 11 and is going to be homeschooled, dunno if you have kids. My wife also boards but since I make plenty with my salary she doesnt really need to work, just work it.. She might pick up a couple of days working in a shop or in the hospital but who knows....

Nursing associates degree RN is about 3 years, BSN is 4 or 2 for either one if you have all pre-requisits. You will need 2 years of experience. Right now in vail there are 9 openings for my specialty, Frisco has about 7 openings, denver has 100s.... Aside from being on my feet all day it is not a very labor intensive job... I can work 3-4 days a week, have 3-4 days off and still make $100k+/year. I have learned to not turn my hobbies into my work, I wont love doing them any more....

The past 5 years I have been traveling to southern colorado to board for 3-5 weeks. I will be able to do alot more boarding if I can walk to the lift and hop on.... All in all I travel 6-8 weeks a year now to various places. 3-5 are for boarding(just boarded 13 days and will be in vail in 8 weeks for a couple more then spring break for 8 more..... the others are to go to the tropics.... although I did 2 weeks in Cali/Oregon/Washington last summer and only spent 1 week in cabo.....

The other bonus working as a travel nurse is I can move on after 3/6/9 months if I want or stay if I want.... There are travel nurse jobs that pay premium salary all over the country and give you a free place to stay while your there....

This is just an outside the industry point of view....

 

This sounds like the golden ticket. I have to say tho.. did you claim you're 33 and that your oldest daughter is graduating HS next summer? I'm guessing step-daughter? maybe?

Any way.. I think that you are on to something! This is a great perspective. I brought this post up to some family and someone recommended looking into respiratory therapy. Says if I can find a school with a 2 year program its the same certification as someone who goes for 4 years and that they earn 47k-57k a year... 3-4 days a week and could also take a travel position.

I'm stil checking out options. But if theres a field that doesnt hold you hostage to your job I'll take it. 2 years of school doesnt seem too bad. Thanks :thumbsup:

 

I will just add that I am 34 in a couple days so Im not young but I am also not old by any means.... I have 30 years ahead of me with a good career and income along with full benifits with any job I have ever seen.... If I started at 23 instead of 30 and didnt have kids, I could retire by 40 easily with the income I make and putting it in retirement funds.....

 

34 is pretty damn young dude.

 

:thumbsup: :laugh:

 

As of right now, my plan is to go to The University of Colorado at Boulder. It's an hour and a half away from summit county, and they have an awesome architecture program (for what I want to go into). It's a liberal arts school, so if I decide I want to change careers during school I can and stay there. The price for out of state residents is 27,000 but after a year of living there you become a Colorado state resident and it is only half. And last week I came across something saying that students that are attending school from out of state can have the state residency but can keep their old address for health insurance and stuff. I'm not sure that this is true, but I am really hoping that it is.

But some people on the forum have addressed a couple of the negatives to me, including that the town is super liberal (not negative by me since I am myself, but can be), it's expensive, and as one put it the place is full of d-bags.

 

U of U



I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the University of Utah...I applied to boulder but the 50 grand a year aint cuttin it for me. I officially committed to the U of U and will be attending fall 2011. It's in a great city, extremely close to the mountains, tuitions relatively cheap for out of staters and its really easy to get in state residency...look into it!

 

I'm pretty sure it's 2 years for residency.

 

It was one year when I checked at least for students, I'll look again...

 

That is true for respiratory therapists as well as radiological technologists and surgical technologists. They all make decent money with a 2 year degree. The difference with those and RNs is job availability and opportunities beyond just one area of practice. My wife went to Rad tech school and hated it. She wishes she'd done RN. She doesn't do it anymore after 18 months of it.... the benefit you get from just an extra year of school is amazing. I can literally walk out of my hospital and be working in a day making the same money.