Pros
When it comes to location, you can't beat a season in the Rocky Mountains! The company makes it easy for qualified people to join their team for a season. They provide first-season employees with affordable housing, and allow you to complete the interview process over the phone. Because of this you will be working with skiers and snowboarders from all over the world, who are drawn to prestigious resorts in idyllic locations. This position affords their top instructors lots of flexibility to build their client base and book private lessons, or participate in season-long coaching opportunities. Management will also provide development opportunities such as clinics or certification training classes for free, and allow you time off during slower weeks to addend. The company is great at training their employees, I saw many first-year instructors build the confidence they needed to begin teaching lessons for the first time during just a few weeks of training.
Cons
I had a fantastic time working for this company in my first season. It was a great one season gig, it kind of has a "semester abroad" feeling. But if you are looking for a career, do not look to Vail Resorts. I worked with a lot of educated and motivated instructors, and the opportunities for them, and for myself are very stagnant. Once you move out of the employee housing (available only during your first season) it is impossible to afford to live in the Vail Valley without one or two additional jobs. While flexible and ever-changing schedules allow you to have some freedom, they also do not allow you the stability you need to afford renting in this area. The company has increased their numbers of employees drastically over the years but has not built enough housing to accommodate them, creating a housing crunch in the area. The company is growing rapidly and has undergone some significant property development projects in recent years. It is clear that for the time being, their priorities lie with those developments, and not in investing in their employees and providing even their top performers with a future with the company. They are disinterested in providing upward mobility for their employees or retaining their best workers for more than one season.