Working a ski season at Panorama Mountain Resort
First things first - why did you want to travel to good 'ol Canada?
I love to travel and had wanted to go to Canada for as long as I can remember. After taking a short career break in 2015, for Summer Camp in America, I decided I wanted to get a working holiday visa. I did some research on the BUNAC website and found out about the IEC visa. Two years in Canada, my first real winter season and a job at a ski resort - I was sold!
What was your job at Panorama Mountain Resort? Describe your typical day.
I worked as part of the Housekeeping team as a Quality Control Attendant (QC). I was responsible for checking rooms after they had been cleaned to ensure that they were perfect and ready for the guest. Every morning the team would meet in the housekeeping office at 9am and receive updates from the supervisors. As a QC my days were often varied; if all the checks were up to date I helped room attendants clear rooms, start a departure clean, touch up rooms after maintenance or dust down! No two days were the same. During the busy periods we worked long hours and our days were pretty tiring, but we made up for this by finishing early on the quieter days and making the most of the fresh snow powder!
What activities, travelling and socialising did you get up to on your days off? Were there opportunities to use the facilities at the resort?
I always spent a least one of my days off skiing and enjoying the resort. A group of us would take the last morning bus up the mountain and hit the slopes, have lunch and enjoy a soak in the hot pools. This routine NEVER got old and I always looked forward to getting back out there! I lived in town so I loved exploring and checking out local events or catching a ride with others heading out of town for the day. A group of us from Housekeeping also arranged a weekly dinner and movie/game night. There was always something being planned amongst the Pano staff so days off were never boring.
Would you say you’ve grown as a person since working at Panorama, and if so, how?
Panorama has definitely helped me grow as a person. I used to be quiet and lacked confidence and, at 28, I worried I'd be the oldest one in housekeeping and if I'd struggle to connect with people. As soon as I started work I was able to adapt to new situations much easier than I thought. Being surrounded by a great bunch of like minded people, of all ages, has taught me to stop taking life so seriously and to stop over thinking every decision. It's given me a new outlook on life. Instead of worrying about where I'll end up next or not having an exact plan, I'm excited for the future!
The classic words of wisdom question, but it’s important! What words of advice would you give to someone who was thinking about working in Canada?
Be open minded and willing to step out of your comfort zone to try new things. Also, don't be disappointed if you don't get your first choice job. I originally applied for customer service and admin jobs. When I was offered the job at Panorama in housekeeping, I had mixed feelings to begin with. I reminded myself that the whole point of this experience was to get away from the routine of my 9 - 5 desk job and try something totally different!
And finally, give us a classic travel quote that completely sums up your experience of Panorama!
I recently read the quote 'A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step'. This completely sums up my Canadian experience so far and my time working at Panorama.
Has Charlotte's experience convinced YOU to work a wonderful ski season at Panorama Mountain resort this year? Luckily for you for the FIRST YEAR EVER representatives from Panorama are flying over to London to recruit international seasonal staff in a variety of job roles at our big Work Canada Ultimate Job Fair on 11th and 12th August 2017!