Testimonies
Vail Resorts, Colorado
It's Bahi's third time on the Work & Travel adventure in Vail, CO and she opens up about her experience!
Name: Bahi A G
Age: 21
Profession: International Relations Student
Company and position where you work: Vail Sports Ski Rentals - Mountain Plaza in Vail, CO
What is the experience for?
This is the third year I come and I think the program is a good experience that opens your mind and makes you become more independent. You stop being a teenager, you start earning a paycheck and having to make adult decisions.
What is the work environment like? How is the relationship with other coworkers?
The truth? Incredible. I was lucky, because we have a very good relationship and we are like a team. Especially as it is such a large rental. December is a month of adaptation, in January you are comfortable and in February you are all sad that it ends. I get along very well with my classmates. We go out together for dinner or to dance, we get along very well. This year I was promoted to supervisor and at first I thought that the relationship with others was going to be different, but it was not the case. It is a matter of finding the balance between friendship and work.
What do you do on your days off?
Skiing! I try to ski every day. The rental is one of the best jobs, you earn well and you can ski a lot, sometimes even more than the instructors! If I have to enter later in the day I take the morning to ski in the mountains. We end up very tired but it is worth it.
Could you visit other places?
Yes, we went to Aspen, Breckenridge and Beaver Creek. One of the advantages of working at Vail is that they give you the Epic Pass, which is a pass that allows you to enter the mountains in the area for free.
On other trips I went to New York, Las Vegas, Miami, I made the trip by motorhome. This year I am planning a trip to Mexico on the way back.
What surprised you the most?
I was surprised that there is no discrimination here. Especially the first year I expected them to have a different treatment with us but I never saw it. I work hard to improve my English and I was promoted without having native English. I always felt super comfortable with the other Vail Resorts employees and with customers as well.
What would you recommend to someone who would like to follow your footsteps?
I would tell them to be organized with time and have tons of patience. The process itself (the paperwork) can become complicated. For example I am from Cordoba and I had to travel to Buenos Aires several times to be able to have the appointment with the embassy, the DS did not arrive on time, ... every year I had a problem. Luckily so far I arrived just in time and was able to do it, but it was a very frustrating process for me. And I would also recommend not to expect to return to your homecountry with money for the first few years.
Age: 21
Profession: International Relations Student
Company and position where you work: Vail Sports Ski Rentals - Mountain Plaza in Vail, CO
What is the experience for?
This is the third year I come and I think the program is a good experience that opens your mind and makes you become more independent. You stop being a teenager, you start earning a paycheck and having to make adult decisions.
What is the work environment like? How is the relationship with other coworkers?
The truth? Incredible. I was lucky, because we have a very good relationship and we are like a team. Especially as it is such a large rental. December is a month of adaptation, in January you are comfortable and in February you are all sad that it ends. I get along very well with my classmates. We go out together for dinner or to dance, we get along very well. This year I was promoted to supervisor and at first I thought that the relationship with others was going to be different, but it was not the case. It is a matter of finding the balance between friendship and work.
What do you do on your days off?
Skiing! I try to ski every day. The rental is one of the best jobs, you earn well and you can ski a lot, sometimes even more than the instructors! If I have to enter later in the day I take the morning to ski in the mountains. We end up very tired but it is worth it.
Could you visit other places?
Yes, we went to Aspen, Breckenridge and Beaver Creek. One of the advantages of working at Vail is that they give you the Epic Pass, which is a pass that allows you to enter the mountains in the area for free.
On other trips I went to New York, Las Vegas, Miami, I made the trip by motorhome. This year I am planning a trip to Mexico on the way back.
What surprised you the most?
I was surprised that there is no discrimination here. Especially the first year I expected them to have a different treatment with us but I never saw it. I work hard to improve my English and I was promoted without having native English. I always felt super comfortable with the other Vail Resorts employees and with customers as well.
What would you recommend to someone who would like to follow your footsteps?
I would tell them to be organized with time and have tons of patience. The process itself (the paperwork) can become complicated. For example I am from Cordoba and I had to travel to Buenos Aires several times to be able to have the appointment with the embassy, the DS did not arrive on time, ... every year I had a problem. Luckily so far I arrived just in time and was able to do it, but it was a very frustrating process for me. And I would also recommend not to expect to return to your homecountry with money for the first few years.
