Winter jobs abroad can be both fun and rewarding – as well as being great for your CV and your future career path. Indeed, those who take on Mark Warner ski jobs are given ‘priority placing’ to work the following season as well as the scope to step up to a hotel manager position or to take on a role in our London head office. We talked to Charlotte Winteringham about her experience of working in a Mark Warner ski resort.
• Hi Charlotte. When did you first do a Mark Warner ski season, and what had you been doing before that?
In 2011/12, in Tignes in the French Alps. I enjoyed it so much that I went on to do three more winter seasons. Before that, I worked in a gym as a personal trainer.
• How do you hear about Mark Warner’s ski season opportunities?
Friends had recommended the company to me. I looked it up online and liked what it had to offer.
• What was it that appealed to you about working a Mark Warner ski season?
The company looked great. The professional but friendly atmosphere and the opportunity to meet new people and to ski were a big draw.
• Where did you work, and did you like the resort?
At the Chalet Hotel l'Ecrin. It’s a great place – a beautiful cosy hotel with an alpine interior in Tignes. There are some amazing après bars locally and nightclubs on the other side of the lake. The hotel itself is well located for ski-school runs and the staff all live close-by.
• What was your role at the resort?
I was Head of Childcare. I continued with two more seasons as Head of Childcare and did a fourth as Hotel Manager.
• Did the job live up to expectations?
I had a great time working in the Alps. The role is so varied and lively, especially at the hotel’s busy periods before ski school and around après-ski. It’s great being able to talk to all the guests and look after their children. There are lots of activities to do in resort and in the hotel childcare rooms. There’s never a dull moment, as there is plenty going on both at work and out in resort.
• What did you do afterwards?
I now work in the recruitment department of Mark Warner, taking on the childcare staff. I really enjoy being able to tell potential staff how amazing doing a ski season is.
• Would you recommend working a ski season?
I would! It’s a great opportunity to understand the inner workings of a hotel operation and to expand one’s knowledge and experience of particular roles in a busy environment. And of course, the mountains are right on your doorstep…
See Mark Warner’s ski season jobs 2016–17.
