How to Write a Ski Season CV / Resume

Resort and chalet employers read hundreds of CVs that all look the same. The typical first-season applicant CV is two pages of unrelated work history with a note at the bottom saying "I have a real passion for skiing." That note doesn't help you. This guide explains what does.

The principles here apply whether you're writing a CV (the standard term in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and most of Europe) or a resume (the US and Canadian equivalent). The difference is mainly length convention — a resume is typically one page, a CV can run two — but the content rules are the same.

What Resort Employers Are Actually Looking For

Before writing anything, understand the hiring manager's problem. A ski resort is hiring seasonal workers in bulk, often under time pressure, for roles that have high turnover and require people who:

Will actually show up and stay the whole season. Attrition mid-season is an employer's biggest problem. They want evidence you're committed and reliable.
Can do the specific job competently. This is table stakes. Hospitality, childcare, customer service, ski instruction — the relevant skills need to be visible.
Will be easy to manage and work well with a team. Resort staff live and work together in close quarters. Character matters more than it does in most jobs.
Have the right to work in that country. Without this, you can't be hired. Make this visible upfront.

Everything on your CV is either addressing one of these four points or it's noise.

Structure and Length

One page or two pages — no more. Two pages maximum for a CV; one page for a North American resume. Anything longer signals poor editing rather than more impressive experience.

Structure:

Contact details + working rights status
Personal statement (3–5 sentences)
Relevant experience (most recent first)
Skills and qualifications
References or "available on request"

No photo (UK and North American standard; optional in some European countries). No "date of birth" or marital status (irrelevant and potentially discrimination-risking for the employer). No headings like "Curriculum Vitae" at the top — the employer knows what it is.

Contact Details and Working Rights

Put these at the top. Make the visa situation explicit: "UK national, IEC Working Holiday Visa (Canada, 2 years)" or "Australian national — eligible for Japan/NZ Working Holiday" or "EU citizen, right to work across EU/EEA." The hiring manager should not have to email you to find this out.

The Personal Statement

Three to five sentences. This is not a list of your qualities ("I am a hard-working team player") — it's a specific summary of why you're applying and what you bring.

Bad example:

"I am a motivated and enthusiastic individual with a passion for skiing and working in exciting environments. I love meeting new people and thrive in fast-paced team settings. I am looking for an opportunity to develop my skills in a ski resort environment."

This says nothing that differentiates you from anyone else. The words "passionate," "motivated," and "enthusiastic" appear in approximately 80% of ski season CVs.

Better example:

"BASI Level 2 ski instructor with one previous season at Morzine (chalet host, Crystal Ski). Returning for a second season to develop in a teaching role at a larger resort. Valid IEC visa for Canada, available from late November. Strong French — conversational. Comfortable with independent lesson planning and group management up to 8 guests."

This tells the employer immediately: what qualification you have, what experience you have, when you're available, what your language level is, and what you can do. It takes 10 seconds to read and answers the relevant questions.

Relevant Experience

If You Have No Prior Season Experience

Don't fabricate it. What you need to show is that you have the skills the role requires and evidence that you follow through on commitments.

For hospitality and food & beverage roles: any previous bar, restaurant, barista, or events work. If you have a food hygiene certificate, list it. The job is serving food and drinks to guests at altitude — the transferable skills from any hospitality work are real and relevant.

For chalet hosting: previous cooking or hosting experience. If you've catered events, run a supper club, or regularly cooked for large groups, say so specifically with numbers ("regularly cooked dinner for 6–10 people during family gatherings" is real evidence; "enjoy cooking" is not).

For childcare / creche roles: any formal childcare qualification (CACHE, NVQ, BTEC in Childcare), plus any relevant experience (babysitting, au pairing, summer camp work, teaching assistant roles).

For ski school assistants / resort staff: customer service background, any activity instruction background, and evidence of reliability. First aid certification is relevant for almost all mountain roles.

If You Have Prior Season Experience

Lead with it. Your previous season(s) should be the first entry in your experience section, formatted clearly:

Ski Instructor / Chalet Assistant | Val d'Isère, France | December 2023 – April 2024 Crystal Ski / Snow Academy instructor programme

BASI Level 2 certified. Delivered group lessons to beginners through intermediate level (up to 8 guests per group).

Covered chalet hosting duties during quiet lesson periods: breakfast, afternoon tea, dinner preparation for 8 guests.

Managed own lesson schedule, lesson reports, and direct guest feedback.

Three to five bullet points, each specific and active. Not "responsible for" but "delivered," "managed," "prepared." Not "helped with" but what you specifically did.

Skills and Qualifications

List these clearly in a separate section:

Skiing qualifications: BASI Level 1/2/3, CSIA Level 1/2, NZSIA, PSIA — include the awarding body and level.

Snowboard qualifications: BASI Snowboard, CASI (Canadian Association of Snowboard Instructors), SBINZ — same format.

First aid: Include the awarding body and whether it's current (e.g. "First Aid at Work — St John Ambulance, valid until 2026").

Food hygiene: Level 2 Award in Food Safety in Catering (or equivalent). Include the awarding body.

Languages: Be specific about level. "Conversational French" means something different to "business French." If you have a formal qualification (GCSE, A-Level, DELF, DALF), list it; if not, use a simple scale: basic / conversational / fluent / native.

Driving: Clean licence, category B, any additional categories. Driving is required for some resort roles (resort rep/driver, shuttle driving) and preferred for many others.

Covering Letter / Email

Always send one. It doesn't need to be long — three paragraphs is standard:

The specific role you're applying for, and why this employer in particular (not "I want to do a ski season" but specifically why this company, this resort, this role).
Your most relevant experience or qualification — one example that makes you suitable, briefly.
Practical logistics: available from [date], visa situation, and that you're happy to discuss further.

The covering email is where you demonstrate that you've read the job description and have a specific reason for applying. If the same email could be sent to any resort employer in the world, it's not doing its job.

Errors That Get CVs Rejected

Grammar and spelling errors. Have someone else read it before you send it. A typo in a customer-facing hospitality application undermines confidence in your attention to detail.
No mention of working rights. The employer has to know you can legally work in their country. Don't make them ask.
Using a personal email that looks unprofessional. If your email address is still from 2009 and contains a nickname, create a professional one for job applications.
Applying for the wrong season. If you're applying to a New Zealand resort with a December start, someone hasn't done their research. Their summer season runs June–October.
Attaching a CV as a multi-megabyte Word document. Send as PDF. It preserves formatting, opens on any device, and can be printed cleanly.

Translating Your CV for European Applications

If you're applying to French, Austrian, or Swiss employers directly (rather than through a UK operator), a translated CV helps. See translating your CV for ski season jobs for country-specific guidance.