Imagine: Every morning you wake up, check the snow report and ask yourself: How many new people am I going to share my passion for skiing with today? Tough life, right? Well, somebody’s gotta do it!
Becoming a ski instructor as a ski beginner? For starters, you definitely do not need to be a ski expert to become a ski instructor in Austria. Like many things in life, it’s all about motivation and dedication. That’s why Snowminds offers you this special 5-week beginner course so with careful personalized instruction from our experienced coaches, you can quickly achieve your dream of becoming a paid ski instructor in Austria with a job guarantee for your winter season.
It’s off to Austria in early November! With your 5-week training course beginning in early November, our highly-talented and experienced coaches will start from scratch with the very basics of skiing so you build a solid foundation of proper ski technique. From there you will train steadily each day, moving from the basics to more refined and challenging movements. The road from beginner to ski instructor is shorter than you`d think!
With good vibes and proper dedication, you will see your ski abilities soar and learn a lot about how to teach these techniques to others. Once your 5-week course ends, you will be ready to crush your Level 1 exam and then immediately begin working as a paid ski instructor in Austria at your designated ski school for your winter season. Since 2012, we are proud that 100% of our instructors got a job after completing their 5-week beginner course with Snowminds.
Recommendation: Check out our 5 Star Facebook reviews and learn more about Snowminds from our ski and snowboard instructors!
When you travel with Snowminds we take care of all the practicalities. That way you can pack your bags and good vibes and focus on preparing for your next adventure.
With this course package you can look forward to the following benefits:
What is not included?
*Snowminds purchase a Salzburger Super Ski season lift pass in collaboration with your ski school as a service if you need to work within the area it covers beyond the Ski Alpin area. If you need to work outside the Salzburger Super Ski area or within the Ski Alpin area, we will instead buy a lift pass for the Ski Alpin area, which includes Kaprun, Zell am See, and Saalbach/Leogang. If you are older than 25 years or turn 25 in the same year your course starts, there is an additional fee of min. 150 euros for the Salzburger Super Ski lift pass and min. 100 euros for the Ski Alpin lift pass, depending on year of booking. If you need to work at a ski school that is not covered by the Salzburger Super Ski or Ski Alpin lift pass, there may be a deductible for a season lift pass to your destination, which you pay directly to the ski school.
** We are happy to assist with booking flight tickets and airport transfer recommendations. Please reach out to us anytime if you are interested.
- Nicklas, Snowminds Instructor
At Snowminds we pride ourselves in selecting the right people for our team of ski- and snowboard instructors. We are renowned amongst the ski schools for educating competent, energetic and top motivated ski- and snowboard instructors. You don’t have to be an expert on the snow, and no matter what your level is – we have a course that is tailor made just for you. SO even as a beginner you can become a ski instructor with this course. We will make sure you receive the necessary training before your exam so you’re ensured to live out your winter dream as an instructor in Austria. The most important thing for you is to be positive, outgoing, adventurous and ready to work hard to get the memory of a lifetime as a part of the Snowminds team.
What we expect from you:
When you have sent your application we will give you a call to discuss your course choice and then invite you to an online interview. During the interview will evaluate your candidacy while you have the opportunity to get more information about our courses and the experience as an instructor in Austria. After the interview, we will call you and let you know whether or not we can offer you a spot on our team.
We have a lot of interest in our courses and the spots fill up quickly. Therefore we have a “first come, first serve” principle with an application deadline each month. This means that the earlier you send in your application, the greater your chances are of joining the team and getting your dream destination.
* Want to learn German before your winter season? We have a tailor-made German course which prepares you step-by-step for a season as ski or snowboard instructor in the Austrian Alps – no matter what you level you are at!
The Snowminds job guarantee and how it works
We strive to be straight with you. The job guarantee is naturally conditional on your ski and snowboard teacher training, which over 90% of our students successfully pass. Even in the event you do not receive your certification, we still do everything we can to ensure you a job. That way you enjoy your season as an instructor like everyone else and then simply retake your certification in either January or March. With six years of experience to date, we are proud to say we have always been able to find a job for 100% of our instructors after graduation from our training course.
Training Course Housing
You will live in a hotel with Wifi and all the basic necessities. You can expect to live with 2-5 people per room or apartment. While this may not sound fancy, that’s “mountain luxury” for you.
At Snowminds, “we take care of our own”. That’s why we specifically only work with hotels that make healthy and nutritious food. Breakfast typically consists of a large, nutritious buffet. Dinner will either be a 3-course meal or a buffet with soup, salad, main course and dessert.
Ski Season Housing
Wherever you go, Snowminds guarantees you arranged housing at your local ski school for your season. The precise details of your housing vary quite a bit, ski school to ski school and country to country. That’s because everybody does things differently. Regardless, you can expect to either live in ski school housing or affordable housing arranged by Snowminds, which is easily accessible to a nearby lift.
Salary
An average salary for a starting instructor in Austria is around €800-€1.000 per month. In addition to this there are often opportunities for bonuses, for example a guest may wish to extend their lesson with you as an instructor. The job as an instructor won’t get you rich money wise, but definitely rich with experiences. We recommend bringing pocket money which will allow you to have the freedom to fully enjoy your season. The pay also depends on your own motivation, your working ethics and your previous working experience.
Lift Pass
In cooperation with your ski school, we will buy a Salzburg Super Ski Seasonal Lift Card as a key benefit for you. This will give you plenty of options, with access to a total of 2550 km. of slopes, divided into 22 ski areas in Salzburger Land, as well as a number of adjacent ski areas. We also want to make it easier to visit your friends at other ski areas and generally explore more of Austria on skis.
NOTE! If you work in Kaprun, Zell am See or Tirol, the Salzburger Super Ski card is NOT included in the price.
Instructor Certification
To offer a high-quality education, we work together with the Salzburger Berufskilehrer & Snowboardlehrer Verband, one of the world’s most recognized instructor schools. This will not only look good on the CV, but is also very useful if you decide to return with Snowminds for our other destinations around the world. For the final 16 days of your course, your coaches will take you through a challenging instructor training program, which is Level 1 within their education system. Here you will be trained to teach both beginners and more experienced skiers and snowboarders, and become a competent instructor ready to teach anywhere in Austria.
The training
This specially-designed beginner course focuses on the fundamentals of skiing technique. You start from scratch, where everyone can join, and then from there work steadily and safely upwards.
The preparation itself consists of:
A Second Chance
If you happen to fail your exam or some parts of it, there’s no need to worry. We have you covered with a second opportunity if you have completed your Anwärter exams in Salzburgerland (Altenmarkt or Kaprun) in November or December. You’ll have the chance to join a 3-day Wiederholungscamp from December 18th – 20th, 2023. The third day will be the “Prüfungs”-day (test day).
The camp costs 275 euros and includes training only. You will be responsible for arranging transportation, lift tickets, hotel accommodations, and other expenses. However, this unique opportunity allows you to retake your exams shortly after a previous failure, ensuring you have the chance to start working as soon as possible.
5 Week Beginner Ski Instructor Course in Austria + Job Guarantee
From €6895