Emma Hallington

Name: Emma Hallington

Employer: Intrawest, Whistler Blackcomb (through BUNAC Work Canada)

Area of work: Adventure tourism

University: University of Stirling

Subject: BA history

I’d worked in the United States for three summers during my degree, and wanted a longer stay in North America. BUNAC did a presentation at my university and I applied for their Work Canada programme. I started straight after I graduated, working at the Whistler Blackcomb ski resort.

My job

I worked in a ticket outlet, selling lift passes. I was also in charge of three staff running a separate outlet. I was office based but the outlet was on a mountain and had beautiful views. We dealt with people picking up prebooked passes or buying them on the day, balanced tills and handled complaints – such as tourists asking why they couldn’t use US dollars in Canada! I worked for four days a week, starting at 7.00 am and finishing at 2.00 pm, and then had three days off.

Best and worst

I was given a lift pass and could get free lessons, so I learned how to ski and snowboard in my spare time. I hadn’t been before and I loved it. It was a great way to learn and I’ve been skiing every year since. The social life was also really enjoyable and I made friends from across the world. On the downside, the pay wasn’t high, so I didn’t save any money – but the lifestyle was fantastic.