Piste
A piste is a marked and maintained ski trail or run at a ski resort. When someone mentions "piste" in their resume, they're referring to groomed ski slopes that are regularly maintained for skier safety and enjoyment. These trails are typically marked by difficulty levels (like green for beginner, blue for intermediate, and black for advanced). The term is commonly used in European and international ski resorts, while North American resorts might simply call them "trails" or "runs."
Examples in Resumes
Managed daily grooming operations for 15 piste|pistes at Alpine Valley Resort
Supervised safety and maintenance of piste conditions during peak season
Led a team of 12 ski patrol members monitoring piste safety and guest assistance
Typical job title: "Piste Managers"
Also try searching for:
Where to Find Piste Managers
Professional Organizations
Job Boards
Industry Networks
Example Interview Questions
Senior Level Questions
Q: How do you manage piste operations during challenging weather conditions?
Expected Answer: A senior manager should discuss risk assessment, coordination with weather services, staff deployment strategies, and emergency response protocols to ensure guest safety while maintaining operations when possible.
Q: How would you develop a season-long piste maintenance strategy?
Expected Answer: Should explain planning for different seasonal phases, resource allocation, staff scheduling, equipment maintenance, and how to adapt plans based on weather and visitor patterns.
Mid Level Questions
Q: What factors do you consider when determining if a piste is safe to open?
Expected Answer: Should discuss snow conditions, weather visibility, avalanche risk, grooming quality, and general safety hazards that need to be addressed before opening to the public.
Q: How do you coordinate between grooming teams and ski patrol for piste maintenance?
Expected Answer: Should explain communication protocols, scheduling, priority setting, and how to balance maintenance needs with operational requirements.
Junior Level Questions
Q: What are the different piste difficulty ratings and what do they mean?
Expected Answer: Should be able to explain the basic color-coding system (green, blue, black) and the typical characteristics of each difficulty level.
Q: What daily checks need to be performed on a piste before opening?
Expected Answer: Should describe basic safety inspections, signage checks, hazard marking, and snow condition assessment procedures.
Experience Level Indicators
Junior (0-2 years)
- Basic snow safety knowledge
- Understanding of piste marking systems
- Basic grooming equipment knowledge
- Safety protocol implementation
Mid (2-5 years)
- Team supervision
- Snow condition assessment
- Grooming operation management
- Emergency response coordination
Senior (5+ years)
- Strategic piste management
- Resource allocation
- Risk management
- Staff training program development
Red Flags to Watch For
- No experience with winter sports or mountain operations
- Lack of safety certification or training
- Poor understanding of weather patterns and snow conditions
- No experience with emergency response procedures
Related Terms
Need more hiring wisdom? Check these out...
A Beginner's Guide to Implementing an Applicant Tracking System
Why Your Hiring Process is a Maze (And How Design Thinking Can Turn It into a Superhighway)
From Passive to Active: Nurturing Candidates Over the Long Haul
