Career Development
The Career Development program kicks off over the summer with a 50-hour, paid intensive focused on developing workplace skills. Participants engage in activities such as mock interviews, resume writing, guest speaker sessions, site visits, technology demonstrations, and inclusivity workshops.
After this initial phase, teens ages 16+ are paired with a dedicated workplace mentor to start their apprenticeship with vetted industry partners. Participants are compensated throughout the program and benefit from ongoing support during their job placement, including weekly check-ins and a final debrief with SOS and their workplace mentor and SOS Program Manager.
“SOS is the reason why I fell in love with the snowboarding world and everything within it...when learning that I could intern with Armada last summer the idea clicked that I could combine snowboarding with my engineering. I figured I could combine the two worlds I enjoy and make a living out of it.”
Program Info
/01
Career Skills Intensive
The initial phase of the program is a 50-hour intensive that includes resume building, interview practice, guest speakers, site visits, technology demos, inclusivity workshops and more.
Participants are welcome to choose to only participate in this first part of the program if they wish.
/02
Site Placement
Upon completion the Skills Intensive, participants are placed in a paid apprenticeship which lasts four to five weeks. During this period, they work in the outdoor industry with an SOS affiliated corporate partner, gaining hands-on career experience.
/03
Post-Program
Participants stay connected to the professional network they built during the program. All participants are welcome to return to do this program for following summers.
Bridging Opportunity in the Outdoor Industry
Since 1993, SOS Outreach has been committed to bridging opportunities for young people from underserved communities. In line with that commitment, we launched an extension of programming called the Career Development Program- a unique opportunity for our high school-aged participants and alumni to further develop their skills, and connect with our outdoor brand partners through paid summer internships.
Registration
This program is available to participants ages 15+. To get involved in this program, please reach out to your local program manager.
PARTNERS
- Vail Resorts
- evo
- Armada
- US Ski & Snowboard
- Optic Nerve
- Sonnenalp Hotel
- Oberalp
- And more…
SKILLS
- Resume writing
- Interview practice
- Problem solving
- Inclusion in the workplace
- Communications
- Teamwork
- Digital technology
- Leadership
- Professionalism/work ethic
- Career management
locations
- Eagle County, CO
- Summit County, CO
- Denver, CO
- Park City, UT
- North Lake Tahoe, CA/NV
- South Lake Tahoe, CA/NV
FAQ
The Career Development program is a 6-week initiative where participants engage in paid internships within the outdoor industry. It starts with a two-week intensive at SOS, where participants learn essential professional skills like resume writing, interviewing, and appropriate workplace behavior and attire. For the next four-five weeks, participants work at a job site to further develop their professional skills.
The Career Development Program occurs every summer.
The program is designed for participants aged 15 and above.
While internship opportunities may vary annually, our participants have interned at companies such as Vail Resorts, US Ski & Snowboard Team, evo, Smartwool, and others.
The program is currently offered in Eagle County, Summit County, Denver, Park City, North Lake Tahoe, and South Lake Tahoe.
