Like many other industries, Colorado’s tourism and recreation sectors have seen better years.
However, look up to the Rocky Mountains for a variety of seasonal staffing opportunities, as Colorado resorts and winter recreation businesses gear up to entertain both locals and tourists. It’s employment that includes good times and an “office” with a (spectacular) view.
Overall employment of recreation workers nationwide is projected to increase by 13 percent through 2016, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. While travel industry experts say Denver metro business travel trends remain weak, low airfares and hotel rates have spurred leisure trips.
*Hey, come on over*
Additionally, Colorado’s tourism industry was given a strong boost by the recently passed Travel Promotion Act of 2009, which was heartily backed by the state’s congressional delegation. It established a nonprofit corporation to promote travel to the U.S. by foreign visitors.
According to U.S. Sen. Mark Udall, D-CO, “Colorado’s tourism industry is an economic engine we must keep strong. The Travel Promotion Act will help us market our ski slopes, rivers and parks overseas, boosting an industry that means jobs and prosperity for thousands of Coloradans.”
Though many early season jobs have been filled at resorts and hotels — thanks in part to summer job fairs, stay-on summer employees and the initiative of hungry job-seekers — many mountain, hunting, lodging, recreation, retail and hospitality service businesses are hiring now into December.
To see what is available, visit mountain employers online, then click on jobs to see openings, skills needed and how to apply. Candidates often can submit an application online. Many resort employers also schedule in-person interviews to assess applicants’ guest-service abilities — the top requirement in the majority of tourism jobs.
Copper Mountain Resort, for example, seeks employees for positions on the mountain, such as ski instructors and lift operators, as well as indoors as cashiers at retail and cafeteria locations; restaurant management; yoga and Pilates instructors; customer service ambassadors; vehicle maintenance and child care. Of these, about 75 percent are seasonal and/or entry-level. Many offer on-the-job training.
Depending upon the resort, seasonal positions may offer full-time benefits, and employees often are afforded amenities such as discounted or free employee housing and transportation. And of course, there’s always the benefit of free lift tickets.
Because of the state of the current job market, resorts are seeing a healthy mix of younger applicants — 20-somethings and younger, from recent high school graduates to new college grads. In addition to these new job-seekers, they are seeing a great number of returning applicants from last year’s season and older applicants looking to return to the work force or supplement their income.
And, because of the recent restrictions on international employees (resorts now are accepting only those with a J1 Visa — in which the applicant must do all the paperwork and footwork themselves), there are more local applicants.
*Choosing from a big pool*
Because of the large number of unemployed workers, many employers have the luxury of being very selective among applicants. Though competition will be high for positions, good opportunities still exist for part-time, seasonal and even full-time jobs for workers with or without a degree.
As Colorado continues to promote its year-round travel and recreation adventures, those who are hired now have priority for openings in the spring at warm-weather leisure businesses.
Some positions are all-weather, from hospitality, restaurant, finance, maintenance, transportation, health care, security and retail jobs. Others appeal to seasonal specialists, from ski lift mechanics, ski instructors and ski and snow board rental shop fitters in the winter, to bicycle technicians, horseback ride wranglers, pool life guards, campground aides, and outdoor slide and golf course staff during summer. The state’s 12-month indoor and outdoor employment variety can make choosing just one job pleasantly difficult.
_Michael Behrenhausen is an editor and writer in The Denver Post’s Creative Services Department._