Testimonies
Dillon, Colorado
Brian M. is a 22-year-old college student who is traveling a second time to the Keystone Ski Resort and tells us about his experience.
Name: Brian N Martin
Age: 22
Occupation: Student of Lic. In Accounting
Destination: Dillon, Colorado
Company and job location: Keystone Ski Resort - Ski Instructor
-We would like to know how are you and how you feel, as a participant in the Work & Travel USA program
It is my second time that I travel to a Work and travel, both went as Independent and the truth was incredible, I really liked it.
-What was the experience for?
More than anything to improve English, meet people, and in my case see them all again because I had met them in my first W&T, and deal with work situations to assert my rights.
I wanted to make money and the truth is that if you break your back you can do a lot, in addition to adding professional and personal life experiences.
I also worked with children and it is a great challenge but I loved it. The places I met and the contacts were incredible, and this fits me for life.
-Is the work as you imagined it?
Yes, in large part, but since in my first season I went with a friend who had already gone to Pennsylvania from W&T, he had told me some tips on how to teach.
The difference was that the first season of work was more basic and simple, but since this time I gave classes level 4,5 and 6 and I was able to teach kids to ski, in addition to giving private classes to adults. The classes of the adults are very different and it is much more technical, I had to train and train myself to give better classes, but this was the best.
-How is the work environment? How is the relationship with other coworkers?
Relationships are excellent between the J1s, some Americans have some attitudes that are not very good, because we worked more as a team and they are more distant.
Overall, I felt listened to and were attentive to my needs, the work is a lot of fun and you have a great time.
-What are the best things about your job? And the worst?
Perhaps the worst are those attitudes of some Americans or supervisors, added to the fact that lunch was pizza every day.
But, the best thing was working with friends and children, they fulfilled everything I asked for at work, I was able to practice English.
At work they allowed me to be very independent and manage my class times, they have a lot of confidence in you.
-What do you do on your days off?
In truth, I took advantage of skiing a lot in Keystone and I knew the mountain a lot, places that I had not seen, this season there was much more snow.
He hardly asked me for days off, because he preferred to stay working, but other friends did go for a walk.
-Were you able to visit other places?
We met many ski centers, we went one day to Utah and to some national parts in Moab, and I had a few pending things but in general everything was beautiful.
-What surprised you the most?
In my case, it was the differences with last season that I went, I changed the center a lot in two years, it took me a while to adapt, but the place is beautiful.
-Any anecdote that you take as a souvenir?
There were many, specifically in the classes with the children.
I had a 3-year-old girl who skied very well, Charly, level 4.
Before going skiing I told everyone to go to the bathroom, she went and came back, then we went up to the peak of the mountain and when I got close to asking her if she wanted to go she said she didn't feel like it. Once we got to the track, I saw that he stopped in the middle, he looked at me and told me that he had peed on himself, while I saw the line of pee on his pants. Hahaha, it was so funny.
-What would you recommend to someone who wants to follow in your footsteps?
The first thing is that they try to go independent, sending job applications and talking to the ski centers, more than anything it helps a lot to make enough money.
And that they try to organize themselves with the housing issue from here if the employer does not provide you one, because when you arrive at the airport alone and you have to find accommodation it is a mess and you can have a bad time.
-All this information is very useful for us and for the students who want to travel with the program for the next seasons, so we really appreciate your collaboration.
Age: 22
Occupation: Student of Lic. In Accounting
Destination: Dillon, Colorado
Company and job location: Keystone Ski Resort - Ski Instructor
-We would like to know how are you and how you feel, as a participant in the Work & Travel USA program
It is my second time that I travel to a Work and travel, both went as Independent and the truth was incredible, I really liked it.
-What was the experience for?
More than anything to improve English, meet people, and in my case see them all again because I had met them in my first W&T, and deal with work situations to assert my rights.
I wanted to make money and the truth is that if you break your back you can do a lot, in addition to adding professional and personal life experiences.
I also worked with children and it is a great challenge but I loved it. The places I met and the contacts were incredible, and this fits me for life.
-Is the work as you imagined it?
Yes, in large part, but since in my first season I went with a friend who had already gone to Pennsylvania from W&T, he had told me some tips on how to teach.
The difference was that the first season of work was more basic and simple, but since this time I gave classes level 4,5 and 6 and I was able to teach kids to ski, in addition to giving private classes to adults. The classes of the adults are very different and it is much more technical, I had to train and train myself to give better classes, but this was the best.
-How is the work environment? How is the relationship with other coworkers?
Relationships are excellent between the J1s, some Americans have some attitudes that are not very good, because we worked more as a team and they are more distant.
Overall, I felt listened to and were attentive to my needs, the work is a lot of fun and you have a great time.
-What are the best things about your job? And the worst?
Perhaps the worst are those attitudes of some Americans or supervisors, added to the fact that lunch was pizza every day.
But, the best thing was working with friends and children, they fulfilled everything I asked for at work, I was able to practice English.
At work they allowed me to be very independent and manage my class times, they have a lot of confidence in you.
-What do you do on your days off?
In truth, I took advantage of skiing a lot in Keystone and I knew the mountain a lot, places that I had not seen, this season there was much more snow.
He hardly asked me for days off, because he preferred to stay working, but other friends did go for a walk.
-Were you able to visit other places?
We met many ski centers, we went one day to Utah and to some national parts in Moab, and I had a few pending things but in general everything was beautiful.
-What surprised you the most?
In my case, it was the differences with last season that I went, I changed the center a lot in two years, it took me a while to adapt, but the place is beautiful.
-Any anecdote that you take as a souvenir?
There were many, specifically in the classes with the children.
I had a 3-year-old girl who skied very well, Charly, level 4.
Before going skiing I told everyone to go to the bathroom, she went and came back, then we went up to the peak of the mountain and when I got close to asking her if she wanted to go she said she didn't feel like it. Once we got to the track, I saw that he stopped in the middle, he looked at me and told me that he had peed on himself, while I saw the line of pee on his pants. Hahaha, it was so funny.
-What would you recommend to someone who wants to follow in your footsteps?
The first thing is that they try to go independent, sending job applications and talking to the ski centers, more than anything it helps a lot to make enough money.
And that they try to organize themselves with the housing issue from here if the employer does not provide you one, because when you arrive at the airport alone and you have to find accommodation it is a mess and you can have a bad time.
-All this information is very useful for us and for the students who want to travel with the program for the next seasons, so we really appreciate your collaboration.
