Written by Amy Conboy

Growing up in Aviemore I have always had a keen interest in snowsports, so when I heard about the student placement BASI were offering over the summer, I wasted no time in applying. I love working in the snowsports industry and it is definitely where I see my career developing after I graduate from university. Previously working on Cairngorm Mountain for 7 years, I knew what it was like to work with the public during the winter season, in both catering and ski hire departments, but I had no idea the amount of work that goes on behind the scenes at BASI preparing for the busy winter season. When I applied for the position, I had just come to the end of my second year studying Graphic Design at Edinburgh Napier University and was hoping that I would be able to use the skills I had learned so far, during my time in the office.

Arriving at BASI, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I had never worked in an office environment before so was nervous I wouldn’t fit in. During my first week induction I was given one-on-one with each member of staff to learn what each individual’s role was within the organization. I really feel this benefited me, and everyone else, because within no time I felt comfortable in the office and knew who the right person was to ask for any help I needed for the various tasks I was given.

I was quickly trusted with many tasks, including archiving all previous Written Projects dating back to 1996, sending out resources to all Summer venues for the Level 1 courses running in snow centres across the UK, and updating the website. I was given the task of contacting the 23 BASI Business Partners to update their information on the website and send in images to promote their company and make their page more aesthetically pleasing for our members. I found this of great benefit to me as I got to familiarise myself more with HTML coding, as I had covered it loosely at Uni. I edited the Business Partner pages to all follow the same layout, which in turn created a consistency across the website, making it more user friendly.

It was clear to me that BASI wanted to help me develop my own skills too and give me tasks that focused on my own interests whilst working with the company. I was offered an opportunity to design advertisements for a range of magazines that would be released in time for the coming winter season. I found this of great benefit to me as I would really like to work in Advertising when I graduate from University. Working closely with the Marketing department, I was able to create a range of advertisements from promoting the BASI Flash Sale to promoting BASI itself. This was a huge boost to my confidence in designing. I was even persuaded to feature in a couple of adverts, demonstrating the waterproofing properties of some of the BASI Merchandise …

It’s also great being based up here during the summer, Grantown on Spey/Aviemore is the perfect base if you’re into outdoor sports with an abundance of mountain biking, climbing and even a couple of surf beaches not too far away (nothing quite beats going for a mid-week evening surf after a day in the office!).

Before coming to BASI I was offered a course transfer at Napier University from Graphic Design to Communication, Advertising and Public Relations. My time as a BASI Student Placement helped me come to my decision of transferring as I feel it will benefit me more in the future and is a better reflection of what I hope to achieve in the future. Since completing my Student Placement, I’ve continued to work for BASI on a casual basis which is great for fitting in around University work but also the ideal holiday job outside of term time.

I would recommend that any student looking for work experience in the snowsports industry should apply for a student placement at BASI. You can check out the 2015 job description and apply online via the BASI Jobs Board.