Working in Banff National Park
Banff National Park, Alberta
Banff is many things to many people. For people coming for a visit from Calgary, it is a chance to escape the rat race for a weekend and come to the fresh mountain air of the Canadian Rockies. For international visitors, it is a chance to see one of the most famous and beautiful small towns in the world. However, for others, it has become home. Banff is like a pretty woman with a personality…once you stay with her for a little while; it can be very hard to leave. Many people arrive for a holiday or to ‘work a season’ and end of staying for many years. So what are your chances of getting a job and how do you go about it?
The first thing to do when you arrive is head to the work office around the corner from Safeway on Marten Street. This is where all the jobs get posted. There is a great team of people there who will do all they can to help you get the right job. You can print your resumes for free and also make work related phone calls for free. The jobs covered in here can range from the service industry to landscaping, building and admin work to a lesser extent.
The more common way people generally go about getting work in the tourist industry is the good old fashioned resume drop off. The two best times to find work in Banff are right at the start of the winter season (early October) and at the start of summer season (early May). In winter, you can earn huge money through tips working on the ski hill as well as a free ski pass. Summer can be even better. Banff gets very busy and I know of plenty of people who were earning over $500 a night in tips in certain restaurants. There is a high turnover of seasonal staff in Banff so if you want to stay and progress up the ranks, management is always likely to encourage and sponsor if needed for a visa.
Jobs in Banff