Work with us
Many thanks for your interest in working with us!
This site aims to bring to life the day to day experience of working a season with Collett’s. It is essential you study this site in detail before making an application. Working in some of the world’s most spectacular alpine environments might turn out to be one of the most cherished experiences of your life, but only if you fully understand what we expect of you on a day to day basis.
Each year we recruit people to join our resort teams on a seasonal basis. We need teams in the Spring (March -April), Summer (June to end of September), Autumn (September to end of October) and Winter (from start of December until mid-April).
We employ people in three differenct countries. Austria, Italy & Switzerland.
In Italy & Austria we need EU Nationals. We can also employ UK & other non-EU Nationals if they already have residency in the country, and all the accompanying paperwork which allows them to work there legally. For example, in Italy that would be a Permesso di Soggiorno & a Codice Fiscale.
In Switzerland we can employ UK Nationals for up to 90 days.
You must have a love of the outdoors and plenty of experience of walking in the hills and mountains with good navigational skills using an outdoor map, and You need to have a genuine interest in (and enthusiasm for) exploring new areas. There is very little to do in the villages in which we are based unless you are an outdoor enthusiast. If you are looking for a lively nightlife, forget it!
A polite, sociable and obliging character is essential. Collett’s is justly proud of the outstanding quality of its past resort teams and we owe much of our success to their hard work, attention to detail and, most of all, their friendly and engaging personalities. If you are the type of person who naturally contributes to a team environment, thrives on the company of others and enjoys looking after people, then read on.
To get the most out of this experience, we cannot over exaggerate the importance of having a keen interest in the alpine environment and mountain activities, especially walking or climbing.
Essential Requirements:
- Available for the full period of the season you are applying for.
- The right to work in the country in which you are applying for – see above
- We need outdoor enthusiasts with good hiking/hillwalking experienc, and the ability to read and understand and navigate usuing an outdoor hiking map.
- Decent level of fitness.
- Excellent level of spoken & written English, as all of our guests are English speaking.
Skills, Experience & Personality
- Friendly & warm personality.
- Hard-working, focused and resourceful.
- Supportive and empathetic Team player
A bonus but not always essential
- A full Driving Licence with at least One Year’s driving experience (accompanied by safe and sound driving skills).
- Any Outdoor Qualification, Mountain Leader Course etc.
We are currently accepting applications for these positions in the following locations.
Spring 2023
Tuscany – Walk Advisers 6 March to 23 April – Couples or pairs of friends
Summer 2023
Italian Dolomites – Walk Advisers – Early June to late-September – Individuals or couples
Austrian Alps – Walk Advisers Early June to late-September – Couples or pairs of friends
Swiss Alps – Walk Advisers 24 June – 20 September – Couples of pairs of friends
N.B. For jobs in Italy & Austria we can only consider people who have an EU passport, or UK or other Non EU Nationals who have the right to work in through residency or work permit etc. In Switzerland we are looking for UK Nationals only.
An outline of the jobs we offer
Spring, Summer and Autumn
Italian Dolomites, Austrian Alps, Swiss Alps and Tuscany
It is hard to think of anywhere in the world that offers walkers such great access to spectacular variety and exhilaration than our main walk destinations. Study our organised walking pages of each resort on our main website to get an idea of the awe-inspiring terrain that characterises the area’s walking trails, whether at low, medium or high level.
The job would consist of three main roles: Host, Local Expert & Resort Representative
Host: the 24/7, hospitality element of the job is key to you and your guests enjoying the whole experience. You would take a genuine interest in your guests, understand their needs and ambitions for their holiday, and give freely of your time and personality to get to know and help them. You need to be happy chatting to people for hours on end!
Local Expert: You would get to know up to 30 local mountain day walks (which we have documented) to be able to describe them to your guests in great detail, so they can choose the routes most suitable for them. This entails walking the mountain routes with a teammate, memorising the key points to describe, and being able to confidently talk about them to you your guests. For the first half of the season this would take up 3 or 4 days of your week, building up your local knowledge as quickly as you can. For an outdoor enthusiast, this should be a pleasure and not a chore.
Resort Representative: Helping and advising our guests day to day with all other areas of their holiday. Liaising with our UK office for Arrivals Reports, dealing with issues, solving problems, acting as a rep on airport transfers coaches once a week, helping with some domestic & admin jobs in our Chalet Hotels – such as making sandwiches for packed lunches, serving dinner, eating dinner with guests as a host every other night, serving at the bar during office hour. Helping with guest arrivals, online registration, taking PDQ payments when guests leave, helping to manage a bookings.com system during quieter periods of the season etc.
Your Guests
Mainly from the UK, and all English speaking, the guests are generally a middle-aged crowd of ‘outdoor enthusiasts’ who love the mountains in all seasons. More than half of them will have been on a Collett’s holiday before, winter or summer. Their expectation of you, the team on the ground, will be that you are warm and engaging hosts, focused on their comfort and enjoyment, with a genuine interest in helping them get the best from their precious six days of walking in the mountains. For many guests, regardless of the fantastic area in which they are in, it will be you and your teammates who make the holiday for them.
Wage and Package
- A competitive monthly wage in the region of €800 to 1200 euros/month on a local Contract.
- Shared accommodation and part or full board provided, in a shared room with one other person in a shared apartment for 2 or 4 people.
- One full day off a week.
- Training and orientation in resort before you start.
A Truly Unique Winter Role
Italian Dolomites
This really is a ‘ski job’ with a difference, and it would be fair to say it might be one of the few of its kind on offer in the industry. The basis of our holidays is similar to the traditional idea of a ski holiday, with our guests staying in catered, hosted alpine chalets and self catering apartments. The main difference being the type of guests we get and the way we interact with them.
From all walks of life and of varying ages, our guests are more often than not ‘outdoor enthusiasts’ who love the mountains in winter and summer for the variety of activities they offer, not just the skiing. More than half of them will have been on a Collett’s holiday before, winter or summer.
As a ‘Ski adviser’ you would be part of our small resort hosting team contributing daily to the warm and welcoming atmosphere we provide to our guests. At heart this is part hospitality job and part holiday representative job. It only works if you genuinely enjoy looking after people. Through the presence of your personality, tailored advice, and help with sorting out any problems they might have, the aim is to help your guests get the most out of their precious six days in the winter wonderland which is the Italian Dolomites.
How to apply for seasonal work with Collett’s
Many thanks for your interest in working with us!
Before applying we invite you to read this site and the jobs that interest you thoroughly. Also please have a look through our main website colletts.co.uk – It is very important that you understand why customer care is a priority for Collett’s Mountain Holidays.
Once you feel you have read and understood what Collett’s has to offer and what is involved please fill in our Application Form below. We would be grateful if you could answer all of the questions, uploading your details, CV/Resume and a photo (which helps us to remember you better). If you would like to expand on any of the questions asked, please do. There is a maximum upload limit of 5MB.
If we feel you have the right experience and outlook, we will email you to arrange an intial chat over the phone. If that goes well, we would arrange an interview via skype.
N.B. For jobs in Italy & Austria we can only consider people who have an EU passport, or UK nationals who have the right to work in Italy through residency or work permit etc. In Switzerland we are looking for UK Nationals only.
