Newsgroups: rec.skiing

            The rec.skiing Frequently Asked Questions List
                              -or-
   Everything you always wanted to know about skiing and were *just* about
   to ask by posting.

   The rec.skiing FAQ is a work in progress and is maintained by glen
   baker (glenb@sr.hp.com) Additions and corrections to the FAQ are 
   welcome. If you have an addition or correction to make please take the
   time to write it out in the format of the FAQ so that I don't have
   to try to figure out how to say what you're trying to say!


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   Index:
       1) Welcome, Disclaimers, etc
       2) Alpine Equipment
       3) XC equipment/Info
       4) Clothing
       5) Technique
       6) Transportation
       7) Lodging
       8) Phone Numbers
       9) Miscellaneous
      10) Jobs
      11) Summit County
      12) Southern California
      13) Exercises
      14) National Ski Patrol
      15) Europe
      16) Lest we become too serious

 ------------- Section 10: Jobs -------------

The following information is courtesy of jason ehrhart (jason@dsd.es.com).

You asked about being a ski instructor. I can't give you the exact
details of what it takes to be an Instructor in Europe, but I do
have experience in the US. Perhaps it will give you a perspective.

10.01) "Do i need any qualifications to instruct?"

   Well, (remember all answers are relative to the US) yes, you ought
   to be a _decent_ skier (you don't have to be an expert, but if you
   want to teach more than just children or beginners, you'll need to 
   learn how to be a better skier. It helps to be a very very patient
   person. Often you'll be dealing with people who are on a holiday and
   are not always in great physical shape, patience with these folks helps
   out alot. While you ought to be a good skier, you are also a person who
   should be able to lead a group of people and teach them, strong 
   leadership traits are helpful. First aid and CPR are good things to
   know before you begin to teach, because remember, skiing _is_ a
   dangerous sport, unpredictable things can and do happen.

   The PSIA (Professional Ski Instructors of America) has a
   certification process in which you may be in one of seven different
   levels of instructor, ranging from apprentice instructor, through
   ski school supervisor. To find out abotu the current requirements
   needed to get to a particular level ask your local chapter of the 
   PSIA, or at your local ski school.

10.02) "How do I get started?"

   Well, there are a number of ways you can get started. If you've
   never skied before, it would be a good idea to get some miles under
   your belt before you try to take on teaching others to ski. :)

   I've seen people show up to teach with only one year of skiing, but
   often it is tough to help folks until you've had about 3-4 years of
   skiing. Many ski schools will only take instructors with prior
   experience. This often involves having a letter of recommendation
   from your old ski school. There are also a _few_ ski schools who
   will take first year instructors. I know of a few in the the
   Intermountain West which do this, they include, Park City, Park West, 
   Brighton, Elk Meadows. I'm sure there are more and instructors who
   read this can perhaps add to the list.

   US Ski instructors can read the Professional Ski Instructors of
   America's ATM (American Teaching Method) which is put out by the
   PSIA. The book goes over the basic "approved" technique surrounding
   a ski school lesson as prescribed by the PSIA. It include the
   teaching progression, teach philosophy, training, and the
   certification process.

10.03) "Do you teach all the year, and if not, what do you do for the 
        rest of the year?"

   Well, I taught from 8am to 5pm then I drove to a real job as a
   computer consultant. During the summer I did contruction during the
   days. Teaching skiing takes a few years to develop clients, until
   then the pay is awful. Be prepared to have another job during the
   first few years. I also know instructors who travel to the "other"
   hemisphere to teach during the off-season. Boy, talk about a die
   hard life style.

10.04) "How much could I expect to get paid?"

   In the US a starting instructor without a PSIA certification can 
   expect to get about 45% of what they take in, figure a single 
   lesson at about $15. Once you are certified you can get up to 60% 
   of what you take in (depending on your current level of
   certification). We had 140 instructors on our ski school, 
   if everybody takes ten people we'd need to have 1400 lessons a 
   day for us all to make money. We are all sub-contractors which means 
   that you don't get paid unless you teach. Our ski school had about 
   350 lessons a day on good days, so lots of us had weeks where we 
   only taught once or twice. Like I said up earlier, be prepared for 
   a second job for survival money.

10.05) "Can I teach all my life, or is it a job which you do for only
        a few years?"

   If you stay healthy, all your life. I have a friend who is 85 and he
   still teaches!

10.06) "How old must I be to start teaching?"

   Old enough to have the patience, strength, and knowledge. Our youngest 
   was 17 years old. But, I don't see why a mature person couldn't start
   earlier if they had the drive and the desire. It does require inter-
   personal interaction, so often younger people can lack the people 
   skills needed to be an effective instructor. You also have to 
   remember, many ski instructors are expected to do more around the 
   mountains than just teach skiing, if you witness an accident, you 
   should know enough first aid to be able to help in a responsible manner.