Cool seasonal jobs still heating up this fall -- Career Center Blog

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September 25, 2011

Cool seasonal jobs still heating up this fall

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By Randy Woods
NWjobs

On blustery, early-autumn days such as this, it's easy for outdoor-loving job seekers to shift their gaze from their LinkedIn profiles to the Cascades beckoning on the eastern horizon. Ski season is rapidly approaching, promising seasonal work at the region's mountain resorts.

In most years, most seasonal ski-resort jobs are long gone by Labor Day, says Kari Quaas, a recruiting specialist for CoolWorks, a nationwide online clearinghouse for seasonal recreational jobs. This year, however, there are still some great opportunities to work at some of the top local resorts.

"It's a very weird year," said Quaas, who is the West Coast rep and social media maven for the Montana-based CoolWorks. "They've really shortened their recruiting window for ski resort jobs. They used to start posting positions two or three months ahead of the season, but now it's just a few weeks. We're starting to see listings much later now, so there's still time."

Much of the change can be blamed on the sketchy economy, Quaas told me. "In 2008, we were living the good life and everyone had jobs to offer," she said. "By 2009 and 2010, when the economy crashed, people tended to hold onto the jobs they already had. Some of the resorts stopped running profiles [for new jobs] on our site."

This year, Quaas is beginning to see a thaw in some fall and winter job openings. So far, the overall number of jobs listed on CoolWorks are up over 2010 and 2009. Some Washington resorts, like Crystal Mountain, have recently returned to the site.

Much of the work at resorts and parks involves manual labor or service jobs, so don't expect to find executive-level office positions. But for those looking for a fun outdoor environment, it can be a rewarding way to pay some bills and network with others while you're looking for permanent work. Many of the full-time seasonal jobs also provide free or discounted room and board at the resort, plus additional steep discounts for their recreational services.

Here are some of the latest CoolWorks listings for fall and winter positions in Washington state:

Crystal Mountain Hotels -- The three hotels and two restaurants at the resort are offering positions in lodging/housekeeping, food and beverage, maintenance, and front desk/group sales.

Summit at Snoqualmie -- The resort's four main properties (Alpental, Summit West, Summit Central, Summit East) have positions in food and beverage, ticket services, lift operations, parking lot attendants, and ski and snowboard instructors. Those interested can attend two upcoming job fairs for these opportunities: One on Oct. 18 at Central Washington University in Ellensburg and another on Oct. 29 at the Snoqualmie headquarters.

Olympic National Park -- Aramark has openings for both fall and summer positions at its Kalaloch Lodge, Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort, Lake Quinault Lodge and Lake Crescent Lodge properties. Positions can be found in lodging/housekeeping, food and beverage, front desk/office, maintenance, and pool staff.

Mount Rainier Guest Services -- Seasonal jobs can usually be found year-round at the Paradise Inn, Jackson Visitor Center, National Park Inn and Sunrise Day Lodge. Currently, the park is offering fall and summer positions in food and beverage, retail, bell staff, front desk, driving, accounting, security, laundry operations, housekeeping, and seasonal supervisory staff.

For more information on other seasonal work in Oregon, Idaho and other parts of the Pacific Northwest, check out the What's New link on CoolWorks.com. And for those with even longer-range plans, Quaas recommends checking back in at CoolWorks in early November to get the jump on the best spring and summer jobs for 2012.

Randy Woods writes about job-search tools, networking techniques and other tips to help you land your dream job.