Still Hiring
The Banff & Lake Louise employment market is still hiring in the service sector; the town needs people in every restaurant, shop, hotel and ski hill to welcome the visitors who come here from all over the world. Even though most employers prefer face-to-face interviews, you can get started before you arrive as many are now hiring with telephone interviews, so send your resume around in advance. However, before you say yes to your first job offer - before you even start going to interviews - there are several things to consider before deciding what to do and who to work for.
First, decide what's important to you in order to have a good Banff experience:
- Are you looking to ski / ride a lot this winter, or will a couple of days per week suffice? Is it important to ride at many hills or will one do? Can you afford to buy your own hill pass up front?
- Do you want a job that will enhance your resume, or will you do anything that will facilitate your mountain activities?
- What mountain activities are important to you? Ie are you the type who will be happy completely isolated from the conveniences of town (like movies, shopping, bars etc) as long as you can ski / ride every day? Do you really need that city fix?
- Accommodation is hard to find, and not all jobs come with staff accommodation. Furthermore, all staff accommodations aren't create equal. How important is the quality of your accommodation to you? How much are you willing to pay? What restrictions to your freedoms are you willing to accept? How many people do you want to live with, share a kitchen?
You'll find a lot of information on all of these topics below that will help you refine your decision in terms of who you want to work for in Banff this season. A word of advice, though ? don't rush into a job! You're best to have $500 - $1000 when you arrive in Banff & Lake Louise, so you can afford to spend 1-2 weeks finding the ideal job for you.
1. Want to Ski / Snowboard Every Day?
2. Want to Ski/Snowboard All Day but Can't Afford a Pass?
3. Want a Job that Looks Good on a Resume?
Ski/snowboard every day
A night job would suit you best if this is want you want for the winter, obviously. Bartending, dining room server, cook or dishwasher jobs will often suit this but so will night auditor and night cleaner positions , both of which pay quite well and are in high demand. If accommodation is something you want included, start your search with restaurants in the hotels as most stand-alone restaurants have relatively limited staff accommodation.
Ski/snowboard all day and afford a pass
This is a common problem and employers often use this to tip the scales in their balance. For example, we (HI-Banff Alpine Centre) have two corporate passes that our staff can sign out for $10 ? so if you're good with a day or two of skiing/riding per week, a job with this option is a good one (a day pass at the hill will cost $75 this year). If you want more than that, many employers are now offering the Business-to-Business pass, which they will sell to their employees giving them mid-week or all-week riding at all three of the local hills for a substantial discount , you'll still need $650 or so, though. However, some businesses will allow you to pay for the pass over your first few pay cheques, make sure you ask!
Obviously, though, for the die-hard rider who wants to break 100 days on their board this winter and wants to ride a lot of terrain and is willing to sacrifice rate of pay and quality in their accommodation experience, there's no better option than working at one of the ski hills, you'll have free riding at 13 mountains! Many of these hills have guaranteed ski breaks daily for many of the jobs, so make sure you ask.
Some of the hills have accommodation on-hill, some in the town, if you like the idea of jumping into your boards and getting three runs of the fresh in before you have to go to work every time it snows, live on hill, but be prepared to give up a lot in terms of your ability to get into town, the quality of accommodation and your entertainment options. If you can swing it and you're ok with skiing at only one hill, a part-time job at a ski hill gets you a free pass to that hill only. Not a bad way to go, if you want the best of both worlds and have another job that comes with accommodation. Be aware, though, that employers providing accommodation expect that you will consider your responsibilities to their business a priority.
Get a job that looks good on your resume
Banff has so much to offer when it comes to looking for work that you can still ski/snowboard for the winter but have a job that looks good on your resume when you are leaving too.
The Banff Springs Hotel and the Rim Rock Hotel are the two biggest hotels in town, both 4 star/diamond rated properties, with worldwide recognition and lots of opportunity to advance. They both have great professional development programs for their staff, so if you'll be around for a few years, getting in here is a good option.
Similarly, the ski hills are large employers and it's easy to move up fast , if you're back for a second season, there's a good chance you'll be supervising and with the right experience you'll likely get hired on as a supervisor/manager.
Job types and pay rates
Night Jobs
Bar Tending
$8 - $10 per hour plus tips. This is a great job if you want to work hard but also play hard for the winter. The tips are good and you get to meet heaps of backpackers / travelers. You would be required to work weekends and on occasions some days.
Night Auditor
$11 - $15 per hour. You get to work nights but ski every day too. Night Auditors are in high demand in Banff and many hostels and hotels can offer you good rates of pay.
Serving
$8 - $10 per hour plus tips. Many restaurants and hotels hire servers for evening shifts as long as you are willing to work some days you will get to ski/snowboard a lot over the winter.
Day Jobs
Serving
$8 - $10 per hour plus tips. There are many restaurants and hotels who are hiring servers for day shifts as well as nights.
Front Desk Agent / Reservations Agents
$10 - $13 per hour, depending on experience. This is a great job if you would like to work in one of Banff's renowned hotels / hostels or resorts. There would be staff benefits and also likely to be staff accommodation provided.
Chef
Salaries for chefs vary a lot depending on experience and the size of the establishment. You can work as a chef in one of Banff's hotels / restaurants or on the mountain working for a hotel for the winter season.
Retail
$10 - $14 per hour. If you have experience you may be lucky to secure a management position in retail. There are various stores in Banff that hire retail assistants and managers. You will be required to work days and weekends.
Food Services Supervisors
$11 - $14 per hour, depending on experience. There are a lot of restaurants / hotels who look for good supervisors for the season. There are also supervisor positions on hill.
Administration
$11 - $15 per hour. As Banff is a mostly hospitality driven town, administration positions can be quite scarce. Although, as there are hundreds of people working on hill and in Banff for the winter there are a need for HR assistants / Accounts Assistants and general administration staff although you will need to send your resume as soon as possible.
Outdoor Positions
There are many outdoor positions available on hill for the winter season. Depending on which company you are hired with, most positions come with staff accommodation and discounted meals. The most important thing to remember when taking an outdoor position on hill is you work on the hill you will likely LIVE on hill for the season.
- Lift attendants: $8.50 +
- Ski & Snowboarding positions: $8.50+
- Gondola Attendants: $8.50+