Pros
There are 2 reasons for the 2 stars. First and foremost the people. There are some really chill people here that love the area and are so passionate with what they do that it outweighs any of the cons the resort may have. These are wonderful people to meet and be around. Unfortunately my passions didn't run as deep. 2nd is the area. Grand Targhee Resort(GTR) is located up the mountain from an area called Teton Valley. The area is absolutely beautiful. There's camping, fishing, hiking, biking, and endless snow sports.
Cons
I know this is a lot to comb through so jump to the bottom for a quick recap. The Job: Be prepared to do more than what you sign up for, something completely different, or even show up only to find the job doesn't exist. Guest service will help house keeping, new Ski Instructors may never get the chance to teach, Food and Beverage will help with logistics, the accounting assistant might even end up with the entire workload of a CFO. Yeah, these things happened, and it's a mess. It wouldn't be so bad if you were compensated for the work you put in, but that brings me to... The Pay: No matter you're education or experience level, you will start out at the "Starting Wage". For any type of hourly expect no more than $10/hr (Lifties make $9/hr) with middle mgmt. at $13/hr. or a salary of very low 30k. There is no room for negotiation. The times I brought up possibilities of a raise it was either passed on and forgotten about, or casually laughed at with no sense of seriousness taken. The Management: The people that are passionate about the place are unfortunately the middle management and are part of the under-payed and under-appreciated. There are some heads of departments where you'll find yourself asking, "what does ______ do exactly?" But you... you're treated as disposable source of labor, its how they keep wages so low. You'll work till your breaking point (however many seasons that is) and be replaced by the next schmuck to come along. Rinse and Repeat. The Culture: I hope you like to drink, and if you don't, you should probably start to. Be prepared to encounter this everywhere. There is a saying in Teton Valley, "You're not a local till you get your 1st DUI here". It reminds me of that song "Drinkin' Town With a Football Problem" except replace football with other substances and you're set. I know this can appeal to some people, but it can get really old, really fast. The Location: Although the area is part of the charm, it has its drawbacks. You'll be an hour away from civilization, and after a week or two, probably run out of new things to do that aren't outdoorsy. And if you go out looking for love, well you're in luck ladies! Cause just like every mountain town there is a steady ratio of 5 guys for every 1 girl of the population. Housing is getting harder and harder to find, and if you end up at GTR employee housing be prepared to shell out $500+ a month for your room. Granted, they are nice apartments, but you don't really have any other option. Employee housing also comes with weekly inspections and strict living guidelines, it's just like being a kid again! ---------------------------------- To sum things up: If you're looking for any semblance of professionalism or workplace courtesy, if you want a job to garner experience with growth opportunity in the hospitality or recreational industry, or maybe just looking for a seasonal job to save a little money and explore careers, THIS IS NOT the place for you. However, if you find yourself wanting to have some fun, and making money isn't a big priority for you at the moment, you might like it here. Take a year or two, have fun and mess around, explore nature and be at peace or send it bruh. Just don't take it too seriously here, gosh know GTR won't.
