It’s a fast-paced week: you’re on the go from the moment your alarm goes off until the moment you fall into bed. It really is a case of ‘the more you put in, the more you get out of it.’ If you want to go away for a relaxing week then book a holiday – this isn’t for you!
The difference between being a Peak Season Rep and being in resort all season is that you have to hit the ground running! You arrive at the hotel at the same time as your group, often in a resort you don’t know – plus your teachers may have been on a preview visit. This means the ability to run the week smoothly, regardless of where you are based, is vital.
This role suits someone who is passionate about helping young people to have a fantastic time in the resort – anything can be made fun with a couple of songs or games, even walking over to the boot room, or waiting for instructors before lesson time. You need to make sure they don’t get bored, have boundless enthusiasm yet remain diplomatic and aware that you’re in a position of responsibility, representing the company.
Being a Peak Season Ski Rep is great for anyone who thrives on a challenge and who isn’t easily fazed. The key to your success comes in research before you go. PGL provide an intensive weekend training course for new reps in the autumn and all previous reps must attend a refresher weekend too. These give you the chance to find out about resorts from other reps who have worked there before. You’re supplied with an ‘insider guide’ from the Head Office team which is packed with useful information, maps, contact names and numbers. If the hotel you find yourself in is located in the resort or a short walk away, it’s worth walking round to familiarise yourself as early into the trip as possible.
Acting as the link between local suppliers in resort and the company’s UK Head Office, you’ll ensure that the ski equipment fit, hotel, ski school and evening entertainment venues all run smoothly and are offering the products and standard PGL expect. During the week you will collect lift passes, monitor ski school lessons, update the Rep’s insider guide and book anything the group want to do.
You will prevent any potential issues before they arise and ensure any that appear are dealt with swiftly and efficiently. This could be as simple as changing a ski boot that’s rubbing a guests’ foot to being the Head Office point of contact for a medical repatriation.
A big part of the role is to run a programme of fun evening entertainments for your group. Some of these could be pre-booked and require you to get the group from ‘a’ to ‘b’ at the right time, help with the language barrier, make sure that the group pay and all have a great time.
However some groups will want you to run ‘in-house’ entertainment (ents) for several nights or even for the whole week. This is where your previous experience, training, ingenuity and resourcefulness come to the fore!
You could run a games evening, treasure hunt, dance off competition, film night, quiz – even a disco or karaoke night if your hotel has the facilities. These are lots of fun to run, and, with a bit of preparation and thought, the possibilities are endless!
I usually go to the local Tourist Info office to get freebies as prizes (stickers, posters etc): the school is also usually willing to provide prizes. I mention this in the pre-travel phone call I make to the teacher the week before the trip.
You can ask other members of the party to help you e.g. older guests are likely to have DVDs and iPods/speakers and love to put a playlist together and act as DJs. Teachers could write a round of the quiz or act as your ‘glamorous’ assistants for games.
You will have a Head Office contact for advice or anything you can’t deal with yourself but you will need to be resilient, calm and level-headed – and always on the ball!
Busy! You hit the ground running but soon get into the routine after a couple of days. You will be tired, you may eat lunch on the run and you will make several visits to the ski hire... but hopefully won’t make lots of trips to the medical centre! You will also get plenty of time on the slopes, have all transport, insurance, accommodation, meals and insurance provided, a lift pass paid for and free equipment hire if you need it. You’ll learn new words in the local language and have several new skills to add to your CV for the future.
Of course you’ll also get to sit at the top of a chairlift, looking at that cloudless royal blue sky and un-conquered velvet pistes as your group have fun on the nursery slopes down the mountain – and you’ll be getting paid for the pleasure!
Applications are usually online and tend to open in July. You will normally be required to work for at least the February Half Term week as this is when the majority of school groups travel.
It’s a good idea to find out as much as you can about the company and role before you apply so you can tailor your application. It’s extremely competitive to get a job as a Peak Season Rep so don’t forget to include the transferable skills you’ve gained in other job roles. Language skills are an asset but aren’t always vital. Previous experience of working or volunteering with school groups in a residential environment is vital for the company I work for.
Personally, I’ve made great friends with fellow Peak Season Ski Reps and Teachers over the years as you may find yourself in the same resort with different schools, or with the same school in a different resort. If you do a good job and have a rapport with a particular school, the party leader may request you to rep them the following season.
It’s a great way to still get some piste-time in during hard economic times, keep your language skills ticking over and can only ever be a positive addition to your CV. I have been lucky enough to visit lots of different resorts all over Europe and now prefer to rep than go on a holiday!
"It’s a great way to still get some piste-time... and can only ever be a positive addition to your CV"
Written by Jem Pearce, Peak Season Ski Rep for PGL Travel (2004 – present).