Ice sculptor applications welcome

Just like it is with everything else, Ice Decor is growing.  Many years ago now I visited a much older and wiser mentor in our industry with the question; when should I quit my job and do this stuff full time?  We had just begun to get busy and I (as well as my dear wife) were feeling the pressures of building a business on the side.  Every spare minute after work (and sometimes during work) and well as weekends were filled with designing ice sculptures, carving ice sculptures and delivering ice sculptures.  I was pressing him for some prediction of our growth curve and advice that he really couldn’t give me.  What he did say though which was wisdom then and still is was, “you’ll know when the time comes!”  Sounds awfully simple but it’s true.  Some things just can’t be rushed.

2013-05-23 17.21.45

Well, it feels like eons since we quit the two job thing and plunged full steam into building Ice Decor full time.  We’ve exercised that advice many times since then, mixing faith and patience to make those big decisions that bring us to the thriving and recognizable company that we are today.  With tons of help from the family and friends we now need to look for more help.  That feels scary because it means more change and stretching.  After all, we’re familiar and comfortable with the way things are. But they can’t grow if we don’t get help.  So…are there any aspiring ice carvers out there?

job 2

I’ve learned a while ago that there’s a mystique out there about us “ice carvers.” Like we belong to an elite clan of uber gifted artisans. And it frankly discourages anyone looking at this field of work as something that they could never ever do.  To be sure, there are ultra gifted sculptors ever pushing the limits of carving with ice.  You only have to look up Fairbanks Alaska ice sculptures on Google to make your eyes bug out. Those are some of the elite in our industry like there are in every industry, pushing the boundaries, doing what’s never been done before. But there’s the majority of us that make art work commercially and do a real good job of it. The truth is that many, many people could learn to do the things that us ice carvers do and would even surprise themselves.  For every one Wayne Gretzky there’s a thousand solid, gifted quality hockey players.  I chose those words carefully because I’m about the shape your expectations of what it takes to be an ice carver, at least one that going to succeed in business.

job 1

  1.  Character

Someone once said, “give me a man (or woman) with character any day over skill, I can teach the skill.”  What is harder to find nowadays is people who demonstrate character in their personal and professional lives.  Someone who has inner drive and ambition to accomplish something. In other words, they’re self-motivated and passionate about life.  A person with character is self-disciplined and diligent in life not just when they get to work (you can only fake it so long and it shows what you are at work).  A person with character is teachable and has a positive attitude to correction. They’re leaders in the making.  So, you say, what about ice carving?  Keep reading.

2.  Communication and interpersonal skills

Try working with someone that isn’t a team player or is critical or doesn’t communicate to your face when there’s conflict.   No skill with a chisel or chainsaw can compensate for someone who can’t work with others.  Speaking somewhat personally, I get the most nervous over hiring someone that I can’t relate to or communicate with.  And I get the most excited about hiring a team player with whom I can plan and share.

3.  Skills and aptitude

I’ve got this at the end of my short list for a reason.  I can remember picking up a chisel for the first time.  Lots of this can be learned provided there’s a basic aptitude at handling tools.  There are teaching tools galore.  And anyone who ever comes to work for Ice Decor will get something I never got to begin with…training.  I can teach you how to do this.  Okay, there’s a certain amount of “seeing” something before you sculpt it but Google images help a ton. Do you like to build things, like a carpenter?  Are you good with your hands?  If you said yes to these questions and want to challenge yourself to try something you’ve never tried before, then you are as good a candidate as I was 12 years ago.

job 3

2015-09-18 17.54.52

The word is out. Ice Decor is hiring. If you’ve got the above along with experience give us a call.  But even if you don’t have experience, if there’s something in you that would love the challenge to try something new…604-513-8030.