There are a lot of people who may look at a gap year or career break as a chance to unwind, and relax after studying or working hard for a number of years. A lot of the people who arrive for the gap course with Altitude Futures are very determined to pass, but they are also very determined to have a good time. Often the last thing on their mind is what life skills they can take from their time with us in Verbier.
For a lot of people who are on their gap year being on a ski or snowboard instructor course may be their first taste of having such a high level of independence. The structure that the course gives can be a very positive focus at a time when it would be too easy for young people to just cut loose.
The fact is that for most people arriving on the course there is still a lot of work to do before they can realistically hope to pass their exams. Altitude, and the fantastic instructors that they have working for them, will help in that process as much as possible, but there has to be a level of application from those on the course. They have to make sure that they apply the work ethic they learnt for their school exams to something new.
To start with there also tend to be a wide range of levels of confidence when it comes to speaking in front of people, and beyond that a wide range of levels of teaching ability. The course can be an amazing chance for people to develop their confidence, their ability to speak in front of people, and obviously their leadership qualities. In order to pass the exams people have to reach a level where they can stand in front of a group of their peers, and inspire confidence and trust, which is clearly a useful skill to take into any area in life.
As an instructor one of the most enjoyable aspects of teaching is the range of people you get to meet, and that is very true for those of us who work with the gap course. Over the last few years the people on the courses have come from all over the world, and include people in their mid 50s as well as people who have just turned 18. It is a great chance for everybody to work with a mix of people they may not normally associate with. Certainly everybody involved in the course can learn a lot from each other.
Something else that people often take from the course is a sense of professionalism. The students are expected to arrive for their training on time, sober, and dressed in a manner that reflects the fact that they are trying to pass a professional qualification. Obviously these are things that would be expected by most employers, in most jobs.
If you made a list of the skills mentioned above they would include some of the most desirable skills for any employer to see in an employee. The great thing about doing a ski or snowboard instructor course with Altitude Futures is that those skills can all be developed while having a great time, with wonderful people, in an amazingly beautiful environment.
