Preparing for ski season interview

So you have worked hard on your CV, covering letter, finally found a half decent photo of yourself, applied to a number of roles and bagged yourself a couple of interviews for ski season jobs.

‘Lovely jubbley….the job is in the bag’ – you’re probably thinking….!

Think again. Without a successful interview it is definitely not in the bag. Yes there are a number of vacancies out there and lots of companies need to find lots of staff BUT they will still interview in a formal manner as if it was a permanent UK based job. So be prepared…..!

• Ensure you have thorough researched the company
• Be familiar with the resorts they operate in and perhaps choose your favorite chalet they have and why
• Understand the job description completely and what your role will entail
• And not only that – think of previous work experiences you can draw on which will complement that in the new role
• Think about interesting things about you which you can discuss that are outside of work
• Understand who their competitors are and why you have chosen to apply for their role rather than then that of the competing chalet company
• Have a number of questions prepared – relevant questions please! And NOT ‘how much time will I get off to ski and party’! Maybe think about how their training will be structured, if they’ll be any on the job training, how the management structure is formed, what is the occupancy levels currently like, do they have many repeat guests, do they have many staff returning….? You may want to find out what it is the interviewer likes about working for the company (providing they’re not the owners), what is it that keeps them returning year on year etc.
• Finally – be presented appropriately. Just because it is not a traditional office role doesn’t mean you can rock up in jeans. Dress smart still, be 5 minutes early and most importantly try and be yourself.

Personality is very important in these positions; they are looking for candidates who stand out, who have something about them who will be confident talking easily to their guests. They want happy, smiley and easygoing candidates so try not to be too nervous!

Good luck all – with the above preparation, the job should then be ‘in the bag’!.

If you are still on the job hunt come and check out our full vacancy listing on Silver Swan Recruitment's website.