Aaraas made his debut in the Continental Cup, the second highest level of international ski jumping, with a fourteenth place in Seefeld on 1 January 2003. Around that time he was considered among the best junior ski jumpers in Norway, However, three days after Seefeld he only managed to finish 50th in Bischofshofen. He did not return to the Continental Cup until August the same year, and though his talent was lauded by coach Mika Kojonkoski, a series of mid-level results followed, never reaching the top ten except for a sixth place in Sapporo in January 2004. Nonetheless, he was included as a part of the national B team. In late 2004, he recorded a sixth place in Rovaniemi in December. This was followed by seven results among the top ten before the end of the 2004–05 season. He also made his debut in the World Cup with a 26th place in Pragelato in February, and later recorded a 48th place in Lillehammer in March. He was considered for a spot in the Norwegian 2005 World Ski Championships squad, but was not actually picked.