Like many New York City millennials, my partner and I moved upstate with our two rescue dogs early into the pandemic. We ended up in the Catskills near a ski mountain and I wasted no time applying for an instructor role. Iā€™m now in my third year as a private ski lesson instructor, and I still work full-time during the week, as a remote writer and editor. But in season, my weekends are spent on the slopes, teaching private lessons to both adults and kids.

Even though my livelihood doesnā€™t necessarily depend on teaching these private lessons, Iā€™ve found thatĀ  offers a wide range of physical, social, and monetary benefits for which Iā€™m eternally grateful.

Below are the many reasons you should consider joining your local ski mountainā€™s staff if you have the time.

Clinics and Training Sessions Have Made Me a Much Better Skier

Many ski mountains offer frequent and . Sometimes athletes from other mountains come to lead them, and other times, higher-ups are in charge. If you arenā€™t already scheduled to work at that time, or if your lesson is a no-show, they strongly suggest that you participate ā€” youā€™ll , learn new teaching techniques, and make sure your form is up to snuff. Iā€™ve certainly felt that my skills have vastly improved from skiing alongside more experienced skiers over the last three years on staff.Ā 

I Get to Ski All the Time

Adulthood hasnā€™t brought me nearly enough time on the slopes, especially compared to my high school racing days. Living in New York City in my early 20s earned me only a couple of trips annually. Now, though, Iā€™m skiing several times per week ā€” whether Iā€™m teaching a weekend lesson, or catching up with a fellow instructor over some morning laps before logging into Slack. Iā€™m skiing more than ever ā€” which means Iā€™m always improving.

I Get a Free Season Passā€”My FiancĆ© Gets a Discounted One

Thereā€™s no denying that skiing is a wildly expensive sport ā€” and as avid skiers, weā€™re always looking for . As a part-time ski instructor, I get a free season pass, and my fiancĆ© gets a steep discount on his (which is major, considering how much lift prices cost!). It ultimately ends up saving us up to a few thousand dollars per year, if we were both to pay for season passes ā€”Ā which is definitely a wallet win for us.

Get Discounts and Lift Tickets at Other Mountains

Another wallet win: instructors get access to a wide range of pro discounts. Every year, my mountain has a ā€œpro nightā€ where the staff is invited to peruse steeply discounted gear from a wide range of major ski brands. You can also get buddy discounts at mountains across the U.S. ā€” just ask your superior to write a recommendation for a ā€œbuddy pass,ā€ and bring it to the ticket office at your mountain of choice. More often than not, they will give you a discounted lift ticket, which is always appreciated.

Itā€™s Supplemental Income (Private Instructors Often Get Tips!)

Obviously, teaching ski lessons comes with a little extra income, and what you get paid is generally contingent on what kind of lessons youā€™re teaching (whether itā€™s ski or riding school, private lessons, a seasonal program, etc.). It can also vary based on your level of expertise ā€” as an instructor, you tend to get paid more if you get (and there are multiple levels). You may or may not also as a ski instructor ā€” although it generally is not required for patrons to tip, itā€™s strongly suggested.

Iā€™ve Made So Many New Friends

After moving upstate from New York City, I didnā€™t know too many people in my small Catskills town. But through working at the mountain, Iā€™ve made tons of . Every adult knows that making friends after college can be somewhat challenging, however, joining my local mountain staff has helped me find awesome new friends with similar interests (and as we all know, most skiers are cool as hell).

Ski Instructing Can Be Extremely Rewarding

As you can probably imagine, there are days that bring an unthinkable amount of frustration, for both you, as the ski instructor, and the student. However, most days on the slopes are . The second something new clicks for your student, or when you see them start to realize how much fun skiing can be, it feels like youā€™ve just passed on your passion to someone else. Whether you just effectively taught them how to carve, or to simply transition from pizza to french fries, itā€™s a small victory that you can bring to your aprĆ©s drinks, and more importantly, itā€™s something that your student will be able to look back on forever.

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Iā€™m the owner of a small hiking gear company that I founded five years ago when I was 33 years old. Iā€™ve put my everything into it: long hours, 24/7 availability, and my own savings. Many longtime members of my team share my work philosophy. We love this brand and believe in its mission, so weā€™re willing to go the extra mile for itā€”even if that means taking on additional work or staying on the clock a little longer to finish up.

As my team has grown, weā€™ve started to hire a staff of young, fun, mostly Gen Zers, and I love the energy and creativity they bring to the table. But Iā€™ve noticed their perspective on work differs from my more senior staffersā€™. They tend to sign off right at 5 P.M., even if it means running a little late on a deadline, and they rarely volunteer to take on any task that isnā€™t mapped out in their job descriptions.

On one hand, I really admire this clear boundary theyā€™re setting between work and their personal lives. Itā€™s the opposite approach of the ā€œthe harder you work, the more you get aheadā€ philosophy millennials like me came up under. But on the other hand, I spent years in the corporate world eating dinner at my desk, raising my hand for every extra opportunity, and taking zero vacation days to climb my way up the career ladder.Ā 

I believe my work ethic and rapid career growth led to my own companyā€™s success, but I know burnout is a real issue, too. How can I respect my employeesā€™ work boundaries without resenting them or, deep down, feeling like theyā€™re disrespecting me?

Weā€™ve all heard about love languages. But when I brought your question to two friendsā€”one Gen Z, one boomerā€”it became clear that something parallel exists in the workplace, which is that different people, and different generations, have different languages of respect.

For older generations, respect often meant giving your all. ā€œI remember being told, ā€˜Donā€™t call in sick, call in dead,ā€™ā€ my friend Laurieā€”a Gen X/Boomer cusper who works with an intergenerational teamā€”told me. In exchange, employees expected that they were working toward retirement, a pension, and healthcare that would last them throughout their lives. Although that social contract doesnā€™t exist anymore, older generations may still see signs of a healthy work-life balance, like leaving work at five despite a looming deadline, as fundamental shows of disrespect. After all, how can young employees be truly committed to the team when theyā€™re always the first to get up from their desks?

Laurie says that Gen X and boomers often value punctuality, professional dress, respect for authority, attention to detail, and ā€œformalā€ professional communication: ā€œWe come down on the side of full sentences.ā€ Even if Gen Z employees donā€™t agree with all of these values, they should understand that skipping them may create tension that they donā€™t intend to createā€”and that, while itā€™s important for older people to understand how young people show respect, itā€™s just as important to do the same in the other direction. Itā€™s also strategic: the people in charge of promotions are generally millennials or older.

Gen Z, by contrast, tends to value humanity in the workplace. ā€œThe main difference Iā€™ve seen between myself and my boss is that I have multiple identities outside of my work, and she ties much of her own identity to her work,ā€ says my friend Maggie, a 22-year-old college senior whoā€™s pursuing a career in education. But Gen Z employees donā€™t just value their own complex lives and layered identities; they extend that understanding to others, too. They may be unusually empathetic, flexible, and willing to take on extra work when they see that someone else is going through a hard time.

Maggie told me that she recently saw a video of a Gen Z woman resigning from her job, with her bossā€™s voice audible over zoom. ā€œThe boss was saying things like, ā€˜Iā€™m so excited for you and this next opportunity. Itā€™s totally OKĀ to cry. Itā€™s the end of an era for you! Donā€™t worry about me for a second,ā€™ā€ Maggie recalls. ā€œThat Gen Z employee learned that sheā€™s allowed to look for big things, and she learned what it feels like to be seen as a human in the workplace. Isnā€™t that what we all are?ā€ By engaging with her (former) Gen Z employee on a deeply human level, the boss was speaking her language of respect, which made her words and excitement all the more meaningful.

If one of your employees does something that feels disrespectful to you, remember that they may be prioritizing different languages of respect than the ones you anticipate. Someone who often shows up lateā€”but with a bright smile and genuine warmth for their colleaguesā€”is probably not trying to be dismissive or rude. Their lateness could still be an issue, of course, but itā€™s more likely to be a problem of time management than contempt. And because their intentions are good, itā€™s more likely to be a fixable problem, too.

In your letter, you mention that your Gen Z staff bring energy and creativity to the table. That is no small display of respect. It means theyā€™re being fully presentā€”and that they care. Itā€™s also no coincidence that the generation that most prioritizes work-life balanceĀ balance is able to bring a unique level of energy to the team.

As for you, itā€™s time for some reflection. What are your languages of respect in the workplace? What were you taught by your bosses, mentors, and older colleagues? Do all of their teachings ring true? Youā€™re in a position right now to shape the work culture that you believe in, and it sounds like you already have been doing that. Be intentional in your decisions. And know that even if times are changing, your hard work got you to where you are, with a company and vision that youā€™re passionate about. Thatā€™s something to be proud ofā€”and I respect the heck out of all that youā€™ve done.

writes ourĀ Tough LoveĀ column. Previously, she has given advice on working with friends.

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