Jobs to have in the ski industry/ good degrees other than engineering

[Ilivetoski]

I am a freshman in college and to put it shortly one of my professors made me realize yesterday that I want to work in the ski industry in some way or another. What are the good jobs in the ski industry and what are some good degrees to get for these jobs? I am not so much interested in doing something like being a boat salesman, but more like working for Nautique or Radar. Any comments are appreciated!

[Edmund]

I am an accounting professor, so of course I would recommend the accounting major. Every company of any size needs its own accountant(s).

[Ilivetoski]

@Edmund I am right now between accounting, finance, and marketing. I have heard really good things about all 3. My biggest thing with finance/ accounting is that it is a lot more heavy on math. About the same classes in college but on the job its a lot of crunching numbers, which I do not see myself doing. I am hate math.

[jimbrake]

You are hate writing, too.

[Edmund]

@Ilivetoski Yes, finance will be more heavily involved with math, more so that accounting. It may be because I like math, but there does not seem to be a lot of higher math in most accounting jobs; mainly algebra, statistics, sampling, ratios, etc. Working within a company and depending on the company's size, you could specialize in tax (Federal & state), internal audit, or management/cost accounting.

[Edmund]

@OB Well said: "Choose the balance between maximum time off and highest pay." And yes, "choose a career that's not 'work.'"

[Ilivetoski]

@OB I have always been interested in being a pilot, from what I understand there is not really a major for it. How do you become a pilot and what kind of skills are required?

[Edmund]

@OB Hmmm...you have it better than me, a college teacher! Yes, life is good...

[Edmund]

@Ilivetoski My university has the aviation major; if you are serious, check it out.

http://aviation.eku.edu/academic-programs

[Ilivetoski]

@Edmund your a professor at EKU? I am from KY and at Cincinnati right now. I looked at going to EKU. I did not know that they had this, very interesting. If i decided to do that I would definitely look at EKU.

[Edmund]

@Ilivetoski Yes, I teach at EKU and live in Lexington. Let me know if you want a campus tour; I will be glad to show you around.

[Ilivetoski]

What I really meant by this thread was not what is a good job to have that would give me a good skiing lifestyle (even though now I am getting some new ideas). What I was aiming for was what are some good jobs directly involved with companies like Nautique, Radar, MasterCraft, Malibu, D3, Centurion, the actual ski companies. In the words of my professor what I want to be able to do is wake up and say "are they really paying me to do this?!?!?!?!"

[Horton]

@Ilivetoski There are VERY few of these jobs and even less that pay anything. It was my dream to work for a ski company when I was your age. I know a few guys that have built a good life in the industry but I can count them on two hands with fingers to spare.

[MattP]

What @Horton said.

[Ilivetoski]

@Horton what do these people do? What are the jobs that do pay well in the industry other than the engineers who design the skis?

[OTF]

They own the companies and have others work for them. No degree for that. Passion, dedication, hard work ( no harder than your thinking), vision, leadership, a willingness to fail until you succeed.

[MCskiFreak]

Probably the major that is going to make it the easiest to be hired by one of these companies is an engineering major, but even then it is not a given. I'll use MasterCraft as an example...I interned for them while I was a naval architecture student and became good friends with some high level people upon graduation they had an opening and went for it, but even with my experience and contacts they were unwilling to take someone with fewer than five year experience. The five years thing seems to be a big deal for all white collar type positions at MC though. Nautique was more receptive based on my resume and real world skills, but I cannot comment on that being company wide.

 

If you're completely against doing any type of technical degree I would say that marketing would be your next best bet since this market is so driven by selling the "lifestyle" of skiing. Above all regardless of major get an internship with one of the companies you are interested in and start building contacts from there. This is a small industry and having experience in it will give you a major leg up over your potential competition.

[ToddL]

@Ilivetoski - Finance/Accounting positions in my area are more about reporting than raw math. Learn how to take a large set of data and using Excel find trends, analyze top categories, summarize and drill down, etc. Learn how to join to sets of data into one or pull in a column of attributes via VLookups. Learn how to build pivot tables. Learn about data visualization.

Basically, learn how to take "data" and turn it into "intelligence." That's what is in demand in the field of Finance/Accounting. Or, become an expert on taxes... :-P

 

[Horton]

Most of the marketing folks in ski companies are also R&D and product dev. It sounds like fun but try to get anyone of them on the phone. They are going 8 days a week. Back and forth to China and who knows what.

 

[MCskiFreak]

Right, as far as the ski companies are concerned most of their marketing people are the skiers themselves. I was looking at it more from the boat company perspective, and MC as well as Nautique both have pretty serious marketing teams.

[MattP]

I know some guys at MC they were once skiers. They try their best to ski at least once a week now days. They work for a boat company on a lake and dont have time to ski.

[Horton]

Aarne Clow (MasterCraft) was a was a heck of a good skier. Sully (Radar) skied on the tour. Dave Wingerter (HO) has a open men's slalom rating.

 

ZO has Freddy and Andy doing stuff. I think they can ski a little.

[Skihack]

Brake's comment, now that's funny.

[eleeski]

Job? Work? What are you talking about?

 

@jimbrake I recognize that style - it's @Horton.

[kstateskier]

First of all, SKI AS MUCH AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE while you're in college! Then when you get out, no matter what you're doing SKI AS MUCH AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE. Because at some point in life your job or life no matter you're doing you'll have to make some sacrifices.

 

Find a career that you love to go to everyday and you'll never really work! Make a balance, as you get older you can't ski all day every day! So do it when you're young!

[Skoot1123]

Take another look at engineering. Just because your in engineering doesn't mean you can't use your technical skills and your other inherant skills (ie ability to work with people) and do some other really fun stuff. Don't think of a degree as "I am in engineering/accounting/business/marketing and that is all I will do for the rest of my life." It rarely works that way as I have found out. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

[Ilivetoski]

So, this just entered my mind. Im not really expecting anyone to know the answer to this, but if someone does great. Do you guys think that a university would consider working at a ski school coaching for 6 weeks during the summer, an internship? Don't get paid, could argue that eventually you want to open a ski school. Anyone think they would go for it?

[MattP]

@livetoski if your major was sports management or some sort of sports medicine I could see an argument for it.

[GOODESkier]

@Ilivetoski , @OB , @Horton , @MattP I have to agree with all posts. The only way I see it possible to "live to ski" is to be a pro skier for one of these companies, or have a job that allows you to ski as much as you want...........likely not a job in the industry.

 

My wife and I are teachers. Like @OB we get paid year round and get to ski daily May 1 - Nov 1, which is our limitations based on weather here in the Northwest. I didn't design my life this way, I just got lucky. It sure helps when your married to a skier, our kids love the boat and skiing, wife drives as well as a rated driver, and you have a ton of time off to enjoy the boating and skiing lifestyle. Doesn't hurt if you have a ton of friends that are addicted ballers as well....... I also agree with your professor, I often say to myself, "I get paid to work with students all day!"

[Edmund]

@Ilivetoski I believe the answer is "Yes" if the job experience is connected to your program of study. For example, a physical education related major might allow this for credit if internships/co-ops are accepted as course credit in the major. There is usually an internship/co-op director at the school who will contact the employer to determine if the experience is worthy of course credit; you need to be involved in actual coaching related duties for a certain number of hours rather than just picking up trash along the shoreline all summer (even though someone has to pick up the trash and mow the grass, and you, as an unpaid intern, will be called upon to do so from time to time).

 

In our business school, co-op positions are quite common, and most of our accounting majors get co-op course credit as an accounting elective. Many of these co-op positions lead to jobs upon graduation.

[Craig]

More important than finding what jobs are available is finding a career path that you enjoy, first. Once you know what you enjoy, then see how it fits into the ski industry. If you do not enjoy accounting, don't do it because you think it is your ticket into the ski industry. That kind of attitude is a recipe for a job you don't really like connected to a sport you do which makes it very difficult to enjoy the sport.

 

Next, find some experience. Do everything you can to find an internship within the industry as soon as you can. Nothing will ring out what you like and don't like better than experience. Call boat OEM's, ski OEM's, distrubutors, retailers, even boat dealers. Get in there and check it out from the inside.

 

[Ilivetoski]

@Edmund I was thinking that because I am in the business school, I could argue that this may not directly apply to what I am studying but it is going to be a long term goal of mine, which is only going to be made possible with the education given by the university, and the experience that being at the school could offer (I would be in the boat coaching, I had an offer to coach at Cobles last year but dad made me work, but I figure this could be a great intern opportunity). I figure it's at least worth a shot. I really dont think this is something I can get an instant response on because I guarantee they have never heard this as a question.

[Edmund]

@Ilivetoski As has been mentioned several times above, and most recently by @h2oski1326, do your best to decide on a career you will really enjoy long term. I know that is a difficult decision sometimes, and a lot of people switch career paths several times during their life. Over the years, I have had a good number of advisees who have no answer when I ask them what kind of job they want after graduation. They just heard accounting was a good major, but did not really have a interest in it. So I advise them into other majors after some long discussions. Plus, there are a large number of careers where you do not need a college degree if you have the requisite skill and passion.

 

I will take off my academic adviser hat now...I just wish it was not so cold this week so that we could get out and ski...

[escmanaze]

Ah to be young and eternally optimistic again. I miss that.

[Ilivetoski]

@escmanaze optimism pays off. Got an email from my adviser, they are accepting my ski school as an internship.

[Than_Bogan]

Glad I didn't have to be the one to say accounting and finance are not math. Was worried I would sound like an elitist A-hole.

 

Ok, not THAT worried... :)

 

But seriously, lots of good advice in this thread.

[MattP]

@livetoski on a side note the average American changes careers (not jobs) 6 times in their lifetime. If you don't get it right the first time there may be another try down the road.

 

I'm in a worse off boat than you. I'm graduating (hopefully) this spring. I have a degree in International Affairs with a concentration in International Diplomatic Service. I am for sure interested in the topic but will be tough to get a job in here in this current climate. I am open to almost anything at the moment. The resume is all done to send out. I would love to work in the industry but as stated above it is tough. I have put my time in at ski schools driving, office work and seen how that life really is. I would do it again this summer as a one last blast for sure. I love coaching and seeing people improve. I coach rowing 5-6 days a week and 2 days a week I help out driving and coaching 5 members of the US disabled ski team. If I can pull off being a coach for a few more years that would be pretty nice.

[jcamp]

Sometimes it's good to keep work and your passions separate. Nothing can kill your fun like having to do it for "work."

[sunperch]

Snow removal business, work hard in the winter, so you can play harder in the summer. Have known several people in the boat industry that are at their busiest when the rest of us are skiing.

[gator1]

Ought to be a law that before a college can take a kid's money for 4 years or more they have to show that kid the average pay for the degree the kid has bought, and compare that average pay to averages for other degrees. And, there ought to be a ratio of student gov loans to average post grad pay in that field which cannot be exceeded.

[ntx]

@gator1 If schools were forced to do that, then they could not sell that degree in "International Affairs with a concentration in International Diplomatic Services"

[jcamp]

Gotta disagree @gator1 . The odds of someone doing what their major is for their whole career are pretty slim. Industries changes, as do people's interests. Colleges should prepare people to know how to learn, adapt and be generally smart people.

 

[gregy]

I have an accounting degree and engineering. Accounting math is pretty basic stuff. Accounting is more memorization, standards, laws, etc, the sub-disciplines, tax, auditing, internal vs external. CPA I think take another 1 year or 2 of school now.

 

You have to be careful working in your hobby. I had a business around one of my hobbies and it took a lot of the fun out of the hobby.

 

 

[mwetskier]

major is rarely an indicator of your future career. i majored in math & computer science and now i am certified and work in vocational rehab and adaptive ergonomics and I use a calculator for the simplest figuring and a computer for email and bos.

[gator1]

@jcamp, I'm with you on what colleges should do. And I'm fine with somebody deciding that they want a degree in English history or whatever. I'm just pushing for full disclosure up front. And a viable economic future that is not burdened by insurmountable debt.

 

I see so many kids with a ton of debt trying desperately to get a job with a degree that has no market demand. It just breaks my damn heart. And, currently, you won't find many English history teachers sitting their prospective students down and saying "You know, this is an interesting and engaging field of study, but THE DATA SHOWS THAT ON AVERAGE unless you want to be an elementary school teacher you likely won't be able to find a job in this field, and if you do it won't pay for shit"

 

Unfortunately, what colleges should do vs. what the kids are paying them to do are not the same. Liberal Arts colleges were originally created to teach the sons of wealthy aristocrats how to exist and thrive as a gentleman in the upper levels of society. We're now expecting them to prepare our kids to make a living.

 

If reading mattp's post doesn't bum the hell out of you then I guess I accept your position. And I know, he's a smart guy, he'll make his way and be fine. But, I'm just sayin.

[MattP]

@gator1 @jcamp you should read Allan Bloom's Closing of the American Mind: How Higher Education Has Failed Democracy and Impoverished the Souls of Today's Students. I just read it for my Senior Capstone class. I think it is up your ally.

 

I will be leaving college without any debt. I chose to stay instate rather than go ski for a school with an established team. I gave up a dream so I could pursue others in the future and not be held back by debt. I found my own place here and love it.

[Ilivetoski]

Being in college, I know a lot of people with some kinda odd majors that at first you think "what can you do with that" and a lot of times the answer is nothing. What I have noticed are that a lot of the kids in college pick easy majors, believing that it dosent matter what major you have as long as you get a college degree (ok, true but to only some extent). Then they try to get a job as a branch manager with an African American studies degree. The fact that they have the degree does give them the upper hand vs. people without a degree, but at best you cant advance far. One of my dads friends worked for his company for 20 years and never got promoted to manager. When he asked his boss "why not me? I have the most experience of any sales person here" his boss said "you have a communications degree. We need someone with a business degree". Granted he had a job, but with a bad economy and employers being able to pick and choose who they want they can be very picky.

[MCskiFreak]

@gator1

 

Heres your answer...

 

simplyhired.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341caa1053ef0168e87db8e7970c-pi

[gator1]

@mcskifreak yep, I already knew that. @mattP: See, I said you were a smart guy and would find your way.

 

If Mr.Bloom's book is going to tell me that it is a shame I wasted my college years learning to think logically, depend on data, go back to first principles when I'm confused, use creativity to solve problems, and in the end use those skills to design stuff people want to buy, then, no thanks, I'll pass. I've got a lifetime to learn to appreciate art or read a poem. And I don't need to pay somebody $20k a year to tell me which book to read. If he's got something to say outside of that, let me know and I'll give him a read.

[kona]

@jcamp true story !

 

@livetoski Never let your schooling get in the way of education.