As a woman kiteboarding instructor, it seems that you are becoming a more and more desirable part of many kite schools. It may be that they value diversity and believe in gender equality, and it may also be that they hope to attract more female clients with female instructors. 

Whatever the catalyst, every school has its own way of employing its instructors and it is important that you understand the conditions of your employment before you join the team. Indeed, it can be a minefield if you neglect to ask some vitally important questions.

The purpose of this document is to give you a useful framework to think about your potential employment as a kiteboarding instructor.

A Framework

Before you discuss any of the following with your potential employer, it is wise to check the employment laws of the country in which you may work. It may have legislation which ensures that you have a minimum wage, a written contract, meal breaks, leave/holiday entitlements and so on. Many governments have a www site which outlines an employee’s rights and responsibilities.  

General Job Description

• What exactly does the job involve? 
• What is expected from me? 
• What am I entitled to?

Hours of Work and Leave

• What are the proposed dates of this employment?
• Is this contract work, freelance, hourly, salaried?
• What happens if it is basically a no wind day/season?
  • Am I expected to be at the School or ‘on call’ during no wind days/weeks? If yes, is there a retainer for that?
  • Do I get regular days off?
  • Will I know in advance if I will have days off?

Payment and Related Conditions 

• How is payment determined: per student/per hour/per week?
• What is the rate of payment?
• How often do I get paid?   
• Is there a minimum payment for the season, regardless of wind conditions?
• When will my first pay review occur? 
• What career/pay progression is possible?
• Is there a roster of instructors among which jobs are shared?
  • If yes,
    • How many instructors are on the roster?
    • Where would I be on that roster?
• Are there any discounts/commissions/bonuses
  • on equipment/accommodation/etc in lieu of cash payment?
  • on the sales of my or the School’s sale of equipment/lessons/tours?
  • for working more than one season with the School?
• Am I able to work for other Schools during the time I am working for you?
• Is there a grant-in-aid to get me to the School’s location if international travel is required?
• Is local travel to and from the teaching site provided or subsidized? 
• Is accommodation provided or subsidized?
• Are meals provided or subsidized?

Duties

• Learners
  • Who does your school normally instruct?
    • Level, language, country, age, gender
    • Is instruction done in groups?
      • If yes, what is the normal size of the group?
  • What level will I be expected to instruct?
• Location
  • Does the School have a permanent location or does it have to set up each day?
• Equipment
  • Am I expected to repair equipment damaged by learners?
  • Am I expected to repair/replace equipment  that I, or my learners, have damaged?
  • What equipment do you use?
    • Kites (sizes), harness, bars, video, walkie talkies?
    • Brands, years?

Safety

• Insurance
  • Am I covered by your insurance for my own health/injury?
  • Are my learners covered by your insurance if injured while taking lessons? 
• Environment
  • What safety gear/vehicles/procedures do you have in place?
  • Is there a process for resolving issues like bullying, harassment? 
  • Is the accommodation in a safe area late at night?

General

• The School
  • How long has the School been operating in this location?
  • Does your School do any charitable work in the nearby community?
  • Do you have environmental guidelines for The School?
• The Kiting Season
  • When is it windy?
  • Are there different kiting seasons based on Storm wind, thermal wind, etc. 

Conclusion

The questions above may seem overly detailed but some answers may be found easily online.  Some may be part of a chat with the School; others may need to be asked directly. Don’t hesitate to ask for the names/emails/phone numbers of current or past employees for more insights. 

Whatever the circumstances, don’t assume that it will all work out because you are a ‘nice’ woman and the School team seems decent and may even be your friends. All that may be true, but employment relationships can go sour.

Above all, do NOT undersell yourself. Never for a minute doubt that you are a valuable asset and that the School should be delighted to get you on their team. You do not have to be ‘grateful’ to be considered or hired for the job.

Think about negotiating for better conditions.  Although some conditions, like pay rate, may be fixed, others, like meals or transportation costs, might be more flexible.

Once you have established the conditions of your employment, write a friendly email to the School which confirms the highlights of your discussions. At the very least, record your understandings, with whom you had conversations and the dates. 

Finally, don’t forget to share your work conditions with other instructors. Together we can create a better working environment for us all….one which is not a minefield but rather a gold mine full of fun, friends, laughter and adventures.  

Happy Kiting!! 

Dr. Joyce Stalker for The Women’s Kiteboarding Collective 

2020