the training course

Don't panic...

The training course can vary tremendously.  One operator’s course consisted of a pizza night in Cambridge with the MD’s motivational message limited to ‘Have a good time, and remember, I don’t want to receive any complaints!’   More commonly, however, an overseas training course takes place at least two weeks before the first guests arrive. 

Take it easy
This may be your first taste of the Alps and it’s easy to get carried away with the excitement.  It's important to remember though that jobs are not always guaranteed.    Some tour operators let their staff know which chalet they are down for, but others make these decisions during the course, with senior staff ‘assessing’ newies as the week unfolds. 

While this assessment can often mean many hours behind closed doors locked with managers locked in heated debate as to exactly who the ‘Babe/bloke of the week’ is, they do also take into account what your personality is like as well.  If there is a resort you particularly want to work in, this is a good time to start practising your flirting. 

When resorts do get allocated, don't worry if you get allocated the one resort or one chalet everyone was trying to avoid.  If you've been chosen to work on your own, it's a mark of confidence in your ability.  A bigger resort might sound more fun, but you often get much more out of it in a smaller community.

Be yourself (but not too much!)
And don’t assume that passing the training course is a foregone.  Some tour operators overbook staff as a back up to  drop-outs or incompetence.  One chalet girl was dismissed by a tour operator, not for shagging in the bath the night before, but for not being able to get up the following morning.

If worst comes to worst and you are tapped on the shoulder before the end of the week, then don’t despair. The late-sleeping, adventurous chalet girl finished the season a TV star in a documentary about another operator (although not a fly-on-the-bathroom-wall documentary).  Another training course dropout now works for the same TO in head-office.  So our advice is – just be yourself (but not too much)!