Testimonies
Vail, Colorado
Josefina opens up to tell us her story about her time in Vail, CO, working in the are of Food & Beverage.
Name: Josefina C
Age: 21
Profession: Economics student
Company and position where you work: Food & Beverage in Vail, CO
What is this experience for?
Mainly to improve my level of English. Connect with culture and people. In the housing there are boys and girls of different nationalities, and yesterday I went to the Burton US Open with four Americans.
Is the job as you imagined?
Yes and no. On one hand I imagined that I would be with more people in my situation, such as J1 Work & Travel. But we are only three Argentines and the rest of the employees in our area are from the Philippines and USA. On the other hand I felt that I learned a lot.
What is the work environment like? How is the relationship with other coworkers?
The work environment? Excellent. The manager is Argentine and has been working there for five years. Obviously I get along more with the Argentines and Americans than the Filipinos, especially since they arrived longer and speak in Filipino among them, which we talk less generally. I practiced a lot of English, especially in the first week, because my roommate is Brazilian and there was nothing left but to use English!
What were the best things about your job? And the worst?
The best things at work? The place, the hotel is beautiful. Many people come as if I told you "high society" and they are all super friendly. On the other hand, the hotel pampered us, took us to do the procedures of Social Security in a combi, they care about us.
And the worst? Mmm ... The schedules. There are days that you work tirelessly and many hours per day. Between Christmas and New Year I worked 120 hours. The only thing, which was later worth the paycheck haha. And I'm lucky to live in the house near work, especially if I have to go back at night.
What do you do on your days off?
Ski in the morning, go out to eat, to a bar. I was my first time seeing snow so it was a new experience for me. I learned to ski with two coworkers from the Philippines and then kept going with a friend from the USA, trying and cheering me on!
Could you travel to other places?
I went to Aspen to watch the X Games which was incredible. Also, two weeks ago I went to Denver for shopping, and I also met other towns nearby like Avon.
What surprised you the most?
Living in Vail Village. The fact of being able to change and go out with the ski gear and walk to the mountain ready to start skiing, is something incredible.
What would you recommend to someone who would like to follow in your footsteps?
Go for it and do it. Be well informed about work, schedules, accommodation, etc. Enjoy the experience that is unique!
All this information is very useful for us and for students who want to travel with the program so we thank you very much for your collaboration.
Age: 21
Profession: Economics student
Company and position where you work: Food & Beverage in Vail, CO
What is this experience for?
Mainly to improve my level of English. Connect with culture and people. In the housing there are boys and girls of different nationalities, and yesterday I went to the Burton US Open with four Americans.
Is the job as you imagined?
Yes and no. On one hand I imagined that I would be with more people in my situation, such as J1 Work & Travel. But we are only three Argentines and the rest of the employees in our area are from the Philippines and USA. On the other hand I felt that I learned a lot.
What is the work environment like? How is the relationship with other coworkers?
The work environment? Excellent. The manager is Argentine and has been working there for five years. Obviously I get along more with the Argentines and Americans than the Filipinos, especially since they arrived longer and speak in Filipino among them, which we talk less generally. I practiced a lot of English, especially in the first week, because my roommate is Brazilian and there was nothing left but to use English!
What were the best things about your job? And the worst?
The best things at work? The place, the hotel is beautiful. Many people come as if I told you "high society" and they are all super friendly. On the other hand, the hotel pampered us, took us to do the procedures of Social Security in a combi, they care about us.
And the worst? Mmm ... The schedules. There are days that you work tirelessly and many hours per day. Between Christmas and New Year I worked 120 hours. The only thing, which was later worth the paycheck haha. And I'm lucky to live in the house near work, especially if I have to go back at night.
What do you do on your days off?
Ski in the morning, go out to eat, to a bar. I was my first time seeing snow so it was a new experience for me. I learned to ski with two coworkers from the Philippines and then kept going with a friend from the USA, trying and cheering me on!
Could you travel to other places?
I went to Aspen to watch the X Games which was incredible. Also, two weeks ago I went to Denver for shopping, and I also met other towns nearby like Avon.
What surprised you the most?
Living in Vail Village. The fact of being able to change and go out with the ski gear and walk to the mountain ready to start skiing, is something incredible.
What would you recommend to someone who would like to follow in your footsteps?
Go for it and do it. Be well informed about work, schedules, accommodation, etc. Enjoy the experience that is unique!
All this information is very useful for us and for students who want to travel with the program so we thank you very much for your collaboration.
