Luxury chalet blog - Recruitment Top Tips

Our recruitment team has been sending seasonnaires to the Alps since before many of this year’s hopefuls were born. We managed to drag them away from sampling yet another selection of cakes and canapés just long enough for them to fill us in on what makes a potential candidate stand out in the hundreds of applications we receive for our coveted ski season jobs. Read on to find out what they said:

Do's

1) Relax! We have all worked several winter seasons, been in the same position as you and really aren’t trying to scare you. We are simply looking for people to be authentic and honest, and to be in it for the right reasons. If you know this is you, then just be yourself and the rest will follow!

2) Be open-minded about your resort. By all means come fully clued up with research about which resorts you think might suit you – and by all means state your preference if you have a favourite. However, to get the most out of the process and to improve your chances, please also come along with an open mind. We may not have suitable openings in the resort you’ve set your heart on, and also remember that the recruitment team know our resorts better than anyone and may have more of an idea than you as to where you’d fit in.

3) If you are particularly interested in a certain type of food, or have experience catering for varying diets, then emphasise this. Vegan, dairy free and vegetarian guests are absolutely commonplace - we can guarantee that you will encounter several variations over the winter season - and if you have experience in cooking for a variation of dietary requirements, then this may give you an edge over other applicants.

4) Draw parallels from prior experiences, even if they are not directly linked to a ski season job. Check out the requirements of the role(s) you are interested in; be clear about the sorts of skills and qualities you think we are looking for in each role; and make the connections, before you come and see us. If you have held responsibility at school, university or through your travels then we want to hear about it!

5) Make sure you are as organised as possible. Bring exactly what we ask for - clearly presented – and double check your travel arrangements prior to the day of your interview. If you’re coming from outside London then give yourself extra time in case of delays or confusion over travel. A flustered interviewee does not make that all-important good first impression.

Young man pushing luggage trolly outside ski hotel — Making things stress-free for our guests when they arrive and depart

Don'ts

1) Send a cover letter which references, or (mistakenly?) includes, names of other companies you have applied to. We know that in all likelihood you will be playing the field and applying for a variety of ski jobs, but we can afford to be picky and will immediately discount anyone who hasn’t spent some time on tailoring their application to our values. On that note, some time should also be spent checking out our VIP SKI-specific job roles and stating which one(s) you are interested in applying for. Blanket applications don’t come across as well thought-out (and they are also ten-a-penny, so are unlikely to be considered further)!

2) Play it too cool. It might work in other situations, but we are looking for people who brim with enthusiasm and personality. We are considering you for a front-line role where you will be the primary interface between the Company and our guests. Therefore, we need to be convinced that you can hold court with poise and confidence – the interview is the first chance for us to test this. Don’t hold back, let your personality shine!

3) Feel like you need to hide any bad experiences from us. We can usually tell if people are dodging a subject and we are more interested in what you have learnt from a challenging situation, and how you will apply this knowledge to your winter job, than in what actually happened. Honesty is always the best policy.

4) Let yourself be talked into something you aren’t comfortable with. For example, if you’re not confident around crowds then let us know. We aim to place people where they will be happiest and find that this outlook tends to mean that we assemble complementary teams in our resorts. Treat it as an honest discussion and ask as many questions as you need. This shows us you are thinking intelligently and meaningfully about the role and your winter season.

5) Be a no-show for interview. Things come up, plans change, stuff happens – we get it. But, as in any other industry / line of work, we expect potential candidates to act with courtesy and professionalism at all times when they have a commitment / a booked appointment to attend. Even if you’ve changed your mind and you don’t end up working with us this season, you never know what the future might hold – and a quick call / email to say: “thanks but I’m no longer available / my plans have changed for this season” will go an awfully long way.

Woman wearing black VIP SKI polo shirt laying fresh towels on a bed in ski hotel — Getting ready for new guests

What now?

Now you’ve taken these tips onboard the next thing to do is get your application to us; schedule an interview; knock our socks off with a killer combination of charm, wit and personality (and relevant skills!); and spend the next five months counting down the days until you’re in the mountains. Simple as that!

We offer a great employment package which reflects the high quality of our staff, including: