Whistler 14/15 general questions
Hey guys,
New to the forum so apologies if these questions have been answered before.
May have made an impulsive decision to buy a sale fare flight to Vancouver after university semester ends here in Sydney (November 12).
I was wondering if you guys had any input on how boned I would be in terms if finding work/accommodation (ideally if like to work for the mountain) if I wanted to stay and work the season, cos from what I’ve read I’ll be arriving a bit after the hiring/moving in frenzy…
Any info/help would be much appreciated.
Hi and welcome to the forums Cross!
Its certainly doable!
Just make sure you have the cash to support yourself for a few weeks.
There are always a few people who drop out really early on… (homesickness, lack of cash, dumbasses who get fired)
Just rock up, make friends with people who work for the corp and try to work your way into a job 
Ok sweet, thanks for the input guys.
Although now you’ve taken away one of my potential excuses for wussing out and it’s looking like I might actually have to do this 
Welcome to Boardworld, Cross88.
I’m just in the mountains and the internet is really crap so I’ll reply in more detail when I get the chance. Please reply with any specific questions and I’m sure we can help you out.
In the meantime, check out these recent threads because there is some good information in there.
https://www.boardworld.com.au/forums/viewthread/16113/
https://www.boardworld.com.au/forums/viewthread/17379/
https://www.boardworld.com.au/forums/viewthread/13765/
What sort of jobs are you interested in?
I hope to see you over there this season! 
I hadn’t really thought much about what sort of job, as far as I’m concerned as long as it keeps my head above water financially and lets me snowboard I’m basically down. For some reason lifty has always seemed appealing and I’ve been a dish pig before so I know that I can at least bare that…
In terms of accommodation do you guys think it would be overly optmistic to only book in for a week at a hostel on arrival and then book another if house and job hunting fails that week?
Definitely sort yourself out for at least a week. You can probably extend at the hostel if you need.
What date do you anticipate you will arrive in Whistler exactly?
To be honest, I feel it might be a decent challenge finding a job and accommodation if you arrive after the job fair. It can be done, but you’ll need to hustle quite hard as you’re correct in that you’re arriving just after the job rush… most positions will be full and so will most houses — not talking about staff accommodation but if you get a job for someone other than Whistler Blackcomb you’ll need to find a place to stay.
Make sure you have everything in order so you can get straight into it and be super organised: phone, bank account, SIN card, resumes printed and ready to go.
I would try put out some feelers now just so you’re a bit more prepared when you arrive. I wish I could be of more help but the truth is it’s not an easy task what you’re proposing. Keep us posted with your progress and please let me know if I can help you further.
I arrive in Vancouver at 5am November 13, so I guess if I give myself that day to get my SIN, Bank and Phone organised I’ll be in Whistler on the 14th.
Yeah, after I did my research (in a bright move this was AFTER I booked my flight) I realised that it might be a bit of an effort. But I’m thinking, I may as well come over , give it a crack and if it doesn’t pan out just have had a bit of a holiday.
Yeah, I was thinking it might be worth just putting an email out there to the Whistler Blackcomb hiring email address, just to get my name in the system and see if they’ve got any advice at all. Do you know anyone else ie. other potential employers it might be worth getting in touch with via email?
dont stress, I arrived the same date as you. as long as you’re motivated and organized you’ll get a job. I got hired in the second round of lifties just before xmas which was late because the it was such a slow start to the season. I also scored a job at Longhorns (pub) which i worked until I got the job with the mountain.
Might be a bit hard to get your foot in the door with the actual mountain but if you are vigilant and put in effort than there is always a good chance. Lots of the 3rd party places will be hiring (and you can always do housekeeping while looking as they are always needed).
Go and meet the BW crew over there. Finney and Wilmshurst are both lifties (and both higher up than a basic lifty) and could probably be a help in breaking into the crew.
The other options are to go somewhere other than Whistler? I know, it’s the place to be but I had a fantastic time at Sun Peaks, met some people from Big White who had a great time, and had friends in Jasper / Banff / Panorama and they all report back that it was a great decision. One of the big perks of Sun Peaks was that we got reciprocal deals with all the interior resorts meaning that if we went somewhere else we got a 1/2 price pass. $35 for Revvie, yes please…
I arrive in Vancouver at 5am November 13, so I guess if I give myself that day to get my SIN, Bank and Phone organised I’ll be in Whistler on the 14th.
Sounds good. It’s still early season so there should be opportunities to take advantage of.
Yeah, after I did my research (in a bright move this was AFTER I booked my flight) I realised that it might be a bit of an effort. But I’m thinking, I may as well come over , give it a crack and if it doesn’t pan out just have had a bit of a holiday.
That’s it. You have the right attitude.
Yeah, I was thinking it might be worth just putting an email out there to the Whistler Blackcomb hiring email address, just to get my name in the system and see if they’ve got any advice at all. Do you know anyone else ie. other potential employers it might be worth getting in touch with via email?
Email as many businesses as you can. I think all the retail stores would be a good one. They will all be looking for staff and it’s a decent job in a warm environment. Do a search for retail outlets in Whistler… everything from The Gap, The North Face, Billabong, McCoo’s etc etc. Also hit up places like IGA, KFC, McDonalds, whatever. I mean, even if you take a job for a few weeks while you wait for a better opportunity, it might be a smart move and keep your season alive. Whistler is the type of place that gets better/easier the longer you “survive” haha.
This isn’t really a question but I didn’t want to bring my old thread up again.
I just found out I have a job at the four seasons so I’ll be seeing you in whistler this season!
I look forward to meeting some of you when I get there. I guess I need to start making some arrangements now. I think I’ll probably aim to get there around 20th November.
Hey, maybe we can have a Whistler meet n’ shred thread if everyone’s up for it when it happens… I’ve just locked in my plane tickets to see the mrs in Dec, so I’m up for a shred and brewski after with the BW crew. =)
This isn’t really a question but I didn’t want to bring my old thread up again.
I just found out I have a job at the four seasons so I’ll be seeing you in whistler this season!
I look forward to meeting some of you when I get there. I guess I need to start making some arrangements now. I think I’ll probably aim to get there around 20th November.
That’s awesome news, mate! Definitely looking forward to meeting you over there. Keep an eye on the forums for the official Whistler Community Blog thread as we get closer to the season. We will have shred days, dinners, and beers for sure! 
Hey, maybe we can have a Whistler meet n’ shred thread if everyone’s up for it when it happens… I’ve just locked in my plane tickets to see the mrs in Dec, so I’m up for a shred and brewski after with the BW crew. =)
Yep, this will definitely happen before the season starts. We have run the “Whistler Blackcomb Community Blog” for the last four seasons which has been very popular. Here we can all blog about our time in Whistler, and organise dinners and meetups etc. Here’s are the previous threads:
2010/11: https://www.boardworld.com.au/forums/viewthread/1368/
2011/12: https://www.boardworld.com.au/forums/viewthread/3476/
2012/13: https://www.boardworld.com.au/forums/viewthread/8248/
2013/14: https://www.boardworld.com.au/forums/viewthread/14493/
I havent been online fora while but am so stoked for more people to be coming!
I will either be a lifty for winter or stick around in maintenance all depends on the best offer. Either way 3 days off for riding!