First off, don’t expect to be earning for the first month you are here. In some cases you could get a job within the first few days, but regardless, by the time you work enough hours to be paid, it will be a couple of weeks after you start – and you won’t be working full time until the season gets into full swing in late December.
In other words, come with enough money to see you through at minimum, two month’s rent and enough spending money to eat, pay your bills, and pay for miscellaneous costs like photocopying your resume and socializing (let’s be realistic, there’s going to be a lot of that).
Timing
The best time to get a job is from about mid-October to mid-November. It’s not a bad idea to be here earlier, but don’t expect to do much work until winter gets into gear – basically December.
Fernie Job Expo
October – Hotels, Bars and Restaurants, Cleaning companies, Childcare positions, Shuttle Driving and Retail companies
Dates – see events calendar
Where – The Raging Elk Hostel
Elk Valley Job Seekers (250-423-4204)
Fernie Alpine Resort Job Fair
October – All occupations
Dates – TBA see events calendar
Where – Fernie Alpine Resort
Where to look
Your best resources for finding a job are Elk Valley Job Seekers, (on 2nd Avenue, across from the Vogue Theatre) and the Youth Employment Centre (also on 2nd, beside the Island Lake offices).
Other resources for employment are the fernie.com Community Forum.
What to wear
Fernie is casual. On the casual scale of 1-10, it’s probably an 11. However, when it comes to looking for work, people of all dress codes are still impressed by a show of effort – i.e., be clean, be presentable, take the piercings out, and lose the Traveler/Hip Hop/general slacker lingo. In a ski town, employers expect the least – so if you stand out by showing a little initiative, chances are you’ll make a good impression.
What to leave behind
Besides your stunning personality, a killer resume is essential for landing the job you want. The helpful folks at Job Seekers and The Youth Employment Centre can ensure you create a profile on paper that reeks of professionalism. Must-haves for your resume are a contact number, an address, your SIN or work visa. When you think you’ve handed out enough resumes, hand out ten more – there’s no harm in flooding the market.
Top 5 reasons you’ll get the job:
• You’ve done your homework: you know what the job is and what it requires.
• You follow up and contact the manager the day after you’ve left your resume.
• You are polite and presentable.
• You’re punctual and dependable and won’t blow off shifts.
• You have previous experience in the service industry.
To 5 reasons you’re gonna tank:
• Your resume is full of typos and covered in last night’s spaghetti sauce.
• You showed up late for the interview and didn’t make eye contact.
• You greeted your prospective employer as “Dude”/”Man”/”Guy”.
• Your people skills are on par with Scrooge.
• You are unreliable.
Your rights as an employee in BC
For a full listing of labour rules, check out www.labor.gov.bc.ca.
