SnowSkool [SS]: Hi Pete, well done on passing your level 2 and on getting your first season as a qualified ski instructor under your belt!
Peter Allen [PA]: Cheers man, it's been so great learning to become a ski instructor and now getting paid to do something I love!
[SS]: So tell us a little bit about your first Instructor job.
[PA]: I have just finished my first season working as an instructor at Mt Seymour, Canada. It was great fun spending all my time on the mountain and getting paid to take people out skiing. I just heard back from Mt Lyford in New Zealand and so I'll be starting work over there in June.
[SS]: Wow, that sounds cool, so first off how easy is it to obtain a job in Canada?
[PA]: I found it relatively straight forward. I had applied to a few places, heard back from Mt Seymour within a few days, a couple of emails later I had a job!
[SS]: Awesome, how easy is it go get a VISA for Canada?
[PA]: I got a working holiday visa through the 'International Experience Canada' Scheme. There is a quota on the amount of IEC visas issued each year so you need to get in and apply as soon as each years quota is released! There were quite a few forms to complete and send off but it was well worth the effort!
[SS]: So getting the visa is the hard bit?
[PA]: Yeah, definitely, I found getting a job in Canada quite easy, the hardest part was getting the working holiday visa!
[SS]: What is your 'top tip' for applying for Canada?
[PA]: Get your working holiday visa and start applying early!
[SS]: So you're off to New Zealand this summer? How easy is it to obtain a job over there?
[PA]: As an instructor of only one season experience and needing sponsored for a visa I found it tough to get a job. I had applied everywhere and kept my fingers crossed! After a few disappointments I've just heard back from Mt Lyford and I'm really looking forward to it.
[SS]: So what's the visa situation like over in NZ?
[PA]: You get all your visas for NZ through the NZ Immigration website. As I needed a sponsored visa (as I used my working holiday visa a few years ago), I had to submit two forms, one completed by me and the other by my employer. Really straight forward! You can also get a working holiday visa through the website and it is super quick and easy process!
[SS]: So Pete, what was the most difficult part of applying for Ski instructor job in New Zealand?
[PA]: NZ is a really competitive place for instructor jobs at the moment, so fewer jobs in Southern Hemisphere compared to the North! So for me with only one seasons experience and needing sponsored, I found it really difficult to even get interviews! If you can definitely try and get a working holiday visa, should make getting an instructor job much easier!
[SS]: What is your 'top tip' for applying for New Zealand?
[PA]: Apply everywhere, and I mean everywhere and keep the faith!
[SS]: Thanks Pete, good luck in New Zealand!
[PA]: Cheers man, and thanks to SnowSkool!
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