Imagine the ultimate ski season, living and working in Japan, in the powder capital of the world! For Canadians aged 18 to 30, this dream could be your reality next season.
Through the Government of Canada’s International Experience Canada program, Canadian youth have access to a type of work permit called a working holiday visa. This work permit allows you to live and work in Japan to support your stay for the duration of the visa’s one-year validity. You can only receive this visa once in your lifetime, so why not make the most of it by working at Japan’s top ski resort?
Getting a job abroad can be a bit daunting for anyone who hasn’t lived overseas before, but that’s where Stepabroad can help! As a Recognized Organization of the International Experience Canada program, we provide support with every aspect of getting on your trip to Japan. Your personal trip coordinator will help you land your job at the ski resort, apply for your work permit, open a bank account, find a place to live and tons more.
With Stepabroad’s Japan Ski Resort Program, you could be working in a ski resort job with an international team of powder fanatics, catching first tracks before your shift, celebrating an epic day on the trails with new friends and planning backcountry adventures for your days off.
As the cold winds from the Sea of Japan blow over the country’s mountainous Hokkaido island, they dump literally meters of white fluffy snow. One such resort that receives an average of 16 meters of snow each year is Niseko. Niseko is located approximately 2 hours by train from the fifth largest city in Japan and Hokkaido’s capital city, Sapporo. Yes, you are thinking right – it’s where the famous Japanese beer is made!
Niseko is the country’s largest snow resort best known for its wide-open powder bowls and tree runs. The resort has four interlinked ski hills, 30 lifts, 3 gondolas and an astounding average of 1500cm of snow annually. It’s a skier and snowboarder’s paradise. Has all this talk got you dreaming of endless days gliding through fresh powdery snow? Never mind visiting, you can call Niseko home and work at the ski resort!
Furano and Rusutsu are also ski resort towns that are located on the same island of Hokkaido. Rusutsu is located just 40 minutes to the east of Niseko, and it is often rated as Hokkaido’s best ski resort. Due to its location being dry and light, Rusutsu receives a huge amount of snow each year. Lastly, Furano is 4 hours away from Niseko, and it retains the authentic, local character without the high-end developments of Niseko.
Stepabroad’s partnerships with employers in Niseko mean we are able to offer Canadians the opportunity to work in Japan. After professional resume revisions, our team will set up your interviews with employers and prep you on how to ace your interview! Our team also assists you step-by-step through the working holiday visa application, ensuring your documents are correctly filled out so your work visa gets approved. We also help you arrange your accommodation, travel insurance, and provide a one-on-one online orientation before you depart. You don’t have to stress about what you need to be doing to get ready for your trip because your trip coordinator will prompt you at every step. We take the stress and work out of moving abroad!
The jobs at the ski resort available to foreigners, or non-Japanese speaking people, range from ski instructors to shuttle bus drivers, baristas, servers and cooks, rental/retail technicians, guest services, reception and housekeeping. Our team in Vancouver works with Canadians across the entire country to find the ski resort job that best suits them. Participants in our program typically land jobs that they have previous work experience in. If you’ve never worked at a ski resort before that’s okay! You can still apply if you have transferrable skills that are applicable to your new job at the ski resort.
Once you make the program payment, our team will begin working on your resume revisions. Interviews begin in July and most participants receive their confirmed job offer letters between September and October. Positions start in mid-November and wrap up when the season finishes in early April. Some positions end after peak season at the end of February, but you are welcome to stay in Japan and continue skiing or travel around the country.
Once you’ve completed the application form, our team will contact you within 48 hours to confirm your acceptance. After you’ve been accepted, your trip coordinator will email you the info to make your secure payment on our website.
Want to learn more about how we can guarantee you a paid ski resort job in Japan through our Japan Ski Resort Program?
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Dream Big, even When the Budget’s Tight. Dreaming of working and living abroad, but your wallet’s saying not yet? With flexible travel payment plans, you can start your journey today without waiting years to save up.
Canadians can study Japanese in Japan while working and traveling! Join Stepabroad’s Kickstart Program to live like a local and take accredited language classes.