Just want to share my experience, maybe some of you guys out there can use it.

I've reading a lot of the topics in here and all the courses that are mentioned seems VERY expensive and long.

I'm from denmark and got my skiing instructor certificate in Austria.

The course in Austria is not made for anyone to make money of it but is owned by the ski schools them selves to provide the resorts with educated ski instructors. 

The way the system works is that you find ski schools (on line) and apply for a job, if you get it the ski school signs a piece of paper saying that you have a job in a ski school when you pass you course. This is the only way to get in to the course, (but it's usually not that hard to get a job aa this is the way everyone does it.)  

The course is called the Antwärter and is a lever 1 course, it takes 10 days and I think it costs about 800-900 pounds by now inkl. liftpass and a place to stay , but that still seems to be far from the prices everyone is on about in this forum.

When you have Antwärter (level 1) you have to work in a ski school 25 days (I think it is) before you can do the next level - Landes 1, and then landes 2.

The course is in german but the written test can be done in english. We had people on our course that have never done any german but it does help a lot to know a bit.

About skiing ability, if you can do red slopes it's fine... 

Any way... hope some of you can use this tip... brilliant for people that are in this for the job and not just to get a holiday and improve you skiing...

xxx