Choosing a Ski Instructor Training Course – Part 2

Here is the second part of the article: Choosing a Ski Instructor Training Course. Written by Katherine Dunn, ski instructor in Zermatt with seasons experience in Japan and Australia.
To read the first part please click here!

4 (continued). Advice for the future

Being given advice for your future, whether that be what exams to take and when, or longer-term career goals, its vital to know whats up. Especially if your a goal driven person like myself, heading up the lift to training, in a negative 20C white-out, will seem all the less traumatic if you’re motivated by your targets. If you find a knowledgeable coach, they should naturally want to pass over their industry knowledge and set you on the correct pathway for you. If they’re not doing this, what are they doing? It should be a collaborative discussion between coach and trainee to establish personal goals and create a plan for success.

 

5. A Personable Company

The size of the company does not measure the size of its success. Really.

I completed my gap course with a company that sends people all over the globe for training (5 major countries and over 30+ resorts). Admittedly they were the ones that kept popping up on my web adverts and persistently bombard me with computer generated emails, and I let them win. Although the majority of people on the course enjoyed their time training, we didn’t know what we were missing. I never met anybody directly from the company and there was a general feeling of mystery, to this day, about ‘who these people were’ that organised our training and this was shown in the success of the group.

Therefore, I will forever be the advocate of a smaller more personable company that has a direct approach to their business. You are guaranteed a more tailored experience, with a small group of professional coaches who are genuine and approachable people. If they run the business, they will care, and they will provide a good service.

5b. Credentials and research

This will be shown obviously in the credentials and amount of the coaches employed to perform training.

However, it will also shine through on the social side of the company. Social media, such as Facebook and Instagram, are a great way to see what the coaches and trainees actually get up to throughout their season together… use it! Do they organise trips, go out for dinner, celebrate birthdays and explore the local area? Are they contactable people who promote a community feel within the group? Why not find people who want you to be apart of something and belong to a group bigger than just achieving your instructor levels. This can be something as small as providing you with team clothing to wear when you want… It all adds to the sense of community that this industry is all about.

Choosing a Ski Instructor Course

That is the end of what I believe are my top 5 keys to success in finding a respectable training programme. It is an achievable challenge!
Be clear about what you want out of your experience. Don’t be naive to the company’s who just have the most money to chuck at Google advertising. Be a bit internet savvy and use all the resource we now have available to us. Social media is an amazing tool to use!
Most of all, do not forget there are real people behind these websites. They are waiting for proactive, and driven people to get in contact. Surprise them and secure your place towards success.

“Your mentors in life are important, so choose them wisely.”
Robert Kiyosaki
(This guy summed up everything I’ve written in just 10 words…great)

Katherine Dunn

 

Choosing a Ski Instructor Training Course – Subzero Coaching – Zermatt, Switzerland

Find out more about ski instructor courses visiting the dedicated page.

Ski Instructor training course – Subzero Coaching