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.
And once again I'll mention this to you, you do not work in the snowboard industry or know how it works. Those 15 people are nobodies those 5 people are somebody's. Somebody's will always get the job, nobodies won't. Rarely and I can't stress this enough is there ever someone hired from outside the industry that's looking to break in without paying their dues.
You can think what you want about me and my opinions but the snowboard industry is one thing I know better than you. Don't get so butt hurt that someone has stronger opinions than you and knows something more than you.
I don't think arguing is helping the OP but I think it is helpful to clarify what the snowboarding industry is like.
I have to agree with BA. Pure and simple, snowboarding is an industry where people skills are by far the most important thing and then you need some luck, too. There is an abundance of people (sufficient amount of them are also talented) trying to get into every type of job in the industry and it is not the ones with college degrees that are making the cut. It is the ones who forge good relationships with the people who work in the industry and when I say good relationships I don't mean ass-kissing or putting out.
Nailed it!
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.
You can cold call a company all you want and if you can get past the secretary you might actually get 5 minutes with someone, but doing that right now I can guarantee you will be shoved to the bottom of the stack. It's Tradeshow season no one wants to bother talking to anyone that isn't going to either be booking a sales or media appointment. That's just something that comes with knowledge.
Oh no she has a vagina she won't get ahead in snowboarding. What the hell is wrong with you? Here's a list of women for you Sarah Cameron owner Magical GoGo/PomPom Wax, Kristin Cusic Marketing Director 686/Westlife Distribution, Lisa Branner owner Venture Snowboards, Tanya Otero Marketing/Sales/Jack of all trades Omatic Snowboards, Amber Stackhouse Roxy Team Manager, Mia Troy Marketing/P.R. Burton Snowboards, Donna Carpenter Half owner of Burton and marketing something or other, that's just a handful of women working behind the scenes that I deal with. The break down from what I've seen in the U.S. market alone is about 60% male and 40% female with industry jobs. Oh and let me guess you'll throw out there that women don't make as much as men, well the Dragon rep for UT/CO lives in town here she's the number 1 highest grossing sales rep for Dragon in all their territories.
Hannah Teeters biggest issue is she's dumb as fuck. Go talk to her in person and you'll instantly see she ripped one too many bong hits. Plus she rides for Burton not Flow or Libtech. She gets the exposure she gets because her agent doesn't do as good of a job as she could. Although the Sports Illustrated with her not too bad. Plus pipe riding is one step cooler than Boarder Cross it's not what drives sales anymore. Why do you think so many companies cut back on the pipe jocks on their team?
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.
Bartending pays the bills and it's good money nothing wrong with making that right now while you try to make connections. Half the bar tenders in this town are working on side projects like media companies, athlete management, etc. etc. Whenever I need to turn a quick buck in the fall I go work a few festival weekends slinging drinks and I'm set for a couple months.
Remember this about the lifestyle you're only young once you'll be old the rest of your life. Also your insurance issue was your choice there's affordable options out there I use xsi-now.com for a supplemental coverage incase of getting broken like what happened to you. I railed my hand off a rock last February and it covered over half the cost which was pretty good for 29 bucks a month. Something to consider down the road.
No reason to ever go into debt if your hearts not in it. Quitting college and going back to work full time in a shop was the best thing I could have done when I was 19, almost 10 years later everything I've learned, done, and people I've met have paved the way to what I have going on next. 2 years from now I should be set for life. Just remember the people with degrees always want to tell you that they have that degree as if it validates them more. Those of us with life experience we like to share that.
