“It is our choices, Harry, that show us what we truly are,
far more than our abilities.”
-J.K. Rowling
I was offered a position at a ski resort in Vermont working with at a daycare with both the children of guests and employees. Here I go with my pros and cons list:
Pros:
- When I'm not playing in the classroom I get to teach two and three year olds to ski! (about three times a day)
- I could live in Vermont, which I really enjoy
- I get a seasons ski pass to the mountain
- I get points I can use towards golfing lessons, a gym membership or other resort amenities (the whole points system is a little strange, but I'm sure it's cool)
- No lesson plans, just day care so less work
- Less money, $9.80/hr when I'm making $11/hr now and can probably finagle $12
- There is employee housing available for about $500, but I would be sharing a room with two other people and a house with about fifteen.
- If I can't live really close to the mountain I'll need transportation of some kind which mean the car will have to be fixed anyhow.
- Day care doesn't really give me the same hands on teaching experience that my current job does.
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| Me at ski school many many years ago. (3rd in from the left at the top with the pom pom and my sister is in front of me) |
So peanut gallery, you haven't steered me wrong yet. What do you think? Stay put and save for the winter or take a leap and spend the season skiing in Vermont. I have to let them know by Friday so...
It's a tough call and I usually have alot of trouble making my own decisions. Sometimes the benefits can add up to quite alot, as long as it is something that you would normally be spending money on anyway, but if you would normally not be spending the money on it, then it almost seems like someone is telling you what you're going to be doing for entertainment and they are taking it out of your pay. That's just kinda how I see it anyway. If I were making more money, then I can go sking, or to the jym or what ever when/if I wanted to, but would be saving more money if I chose not to. Personally, if it were a decision for myself, I think I would opt for climbing that coporate ladder, and going with the bigger money, and experience gaining job. But that is just me, and some may say that I am not as normal as others at times. (lol). The decision is totally yours to make, and maybe you would be alot happier going with the new job offer.
ReplyDeleteThe way that I figure it that 9.80 an hour will leave you about $800 a month after taxes and the housing. Not sure if you would get any benefits like health and dental.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how sociable you are, but when I get home from working with a bunch of noisy people, I prefer to have quiet or to enjoy the noise of my own chosing. Not that of others. Heck, living with 15 people? That's nuts. Plus you are probably right that they are quite young.
Personally I'd go with the stay put and save money option for now. Then again, I'm not famous for making brilliant decisions in my own life, so who knows?
I worked at a resort day care this past winter in Aspen, CO, after teaching preschool (my beloved 3-4 year olds) for about 3 years.
ReplyDeleteI hated it.
Luckily for me the resort paid more than my other job (up to $10.50 from $10) so I thought I'd be saving more. Especially since they chose to hire me for full-time instead of part-time.
I ended up averaging about 25 hours a week, they never guarenteed 40 hours.
There was no schedule to the day. There was suppose to be, but it was impossible to follow. Every single day was a hectic mess. Each group of skiers was suppose to get outside for an hour each day, I don't think that ever happened (and we only tried for twice a day, three times would be nuts!). It was mostly 30 new kids every day that have never been up at altitude and have no idea who their teachers are and why their parents left them after driving 5 hours in a car. The older kids that had been potty trained for years pooped and peed their pants like crazy. It required one teacher to worked in the bathroom most of the day trying to clean one after another.
I had never skiied before, and luckily I loved it. Since I never worked, I was able to go out skiing practically every day if I wanted.
If you love skiing enough, it might be a good idea. $500 for a shared bedroom seems ridiculous. Even in Aspen you get your own for %525.
If you want to feel like you have any sort of purpose in life, I wouldn't recommend it. I was super excited to have a winter off from writing lesson plans. After a week, I would have gladly spent two hours of my own time at night again writing them, just to be able to teach the kids something.
Unless you become an actual ski instructor that gets to teach the kids 5 and up. Then you roll in the dough, can work over time like crazy if you want, and actually get to teach the kids to ski out on the snow.
Oh, and you said the points system seems strange, it probably is. They will list just about anything at a benefit to the job, even when it isn't really much of anything. Probably something like getting up to 10% off a golf lesson (in winter?) that is already priced twice as much as a golf lesson that is not linked with a ski resort.
Also, if you are in employee housing, they should either be really close, or have free public transportation, I would find it strange if they didn't, it seems most ski towns do.
If I didn't end up babysitting for the rich Aspen folk a couple times a week, I never would have been able to even pay for housing.
I met lots of people from all over the world though. My roommates were from Mexico, New Zealand, and Kentucky.
That's just my experience. Depending on your priorities, either could work.
Sounds terrible! I asked the director how it worked with brand new kids coming in every day and yes, she said there could be up to 30 new kids each day. Sounds terrifying! I have a hard enough time keeping my class in line and they are with me every day.
DeleteThanks for the input Em!
for now stay where you are. Figure out what your real dream job is and work toward that goal.
ReplyDeleteI vote for staying put too, save some money and like Shelley said, figure out your dream job then take steps towards that in May. Is there a ski area nearby where you can moonlight on the weekends if you want?
ReplyDeletePass on the resort deal
ReplyDeleteIt's all too unpredictable