# Job openings in alaska

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-openings-in-alaska/277911>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [December 3, 2004, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-openings-in-alaska/277911 "2004-12-03T16:24:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 12\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-openings-in-alaska/277911/1 "2004-12-03T16:24:37Z")

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I’ve always wanted to live in alaska because I like snow and weird weather. Are there alot of job openings in alaska? I know jobs in alaska pay a bit more and I figured that was due to the fact that no one wanted to live there. A seasonal job like an oilrig worker or fisherman sounds interesting. I know they are dangerous too, and i’m sure there are other fields up there to look into.

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**Author:** ![Green\_Cymbeline](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_cymbeline/32/9244_2.png) [@Green\_Cymbeline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Cymbeline)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-openings-in-alaska/277911/2 "2004-12-03T16:30:16Z")

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> [@Wesley Clark](#):
>
> I’ve always wanted to live in alaska because I like snow and weird weather. Are there alot of job openings in alaska? I know jobs in alaska pay a bit more and I figured that was due to the fact that no one wanted to live there. A seasonal job like an oilrig worker or fisherman sounds interesting. I know they are dangerous too, and i’m sure there are other fields up there to look into.

I’ve always wanted to move to Alaska too. My coworker lived there for a while cleaning fish. He said he really liked it there!

I do wonder, though, what I could do there. I figure I could work for the state legislature since I do legislative analysis for a living now… but you can only get to the capital Juneau by plane and I hear it’s not a very pleasant place to live!

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**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-openings-in-alaska/277911/3 "2004-12-03T16:34:18Z")

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See [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=277044&highlight=alaska+jobs) for a discussion on the topic. 😃

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**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-openings-in-alaska/277911/4 "2004-12-03T16:35:48Z")

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> [@nyctea scandiaca](#):
>
> I’ve always wanted to move to Alaska too. My coworker lived there for a while cleaning fish. He said he really liked it there!
> 
> I do wonder, though, what I could do there. I figure I could work for the state legislature since I do legislative analysis for a living now… but you can only get to the capital Juneau by plane and I hear it’s not a very pleasant place to live!

Most people live normal lives just like you and me. I’ve never been there, but if you look up Alaska stuff on a website, you’ll see. They have some culture, i.e., fine dining, people wear normal clothes, etc. And southern Alaska isn’t all that different from living in, say, North Dakota or Minnesota, or even…yikes!..Canada! There are people who live in the sticks, but you can be a normal city dweller there as well.

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**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-openings-in-alaska/277911/5 "2004-12-03T17:02:39Z")

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I’ll say it one more time, with feeling:

**If you don’t have a job waiting for you, do NOT move up here.**

Thank you.

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**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-openings-in-alaska/277911/6 "2004-12-03T17:03:58Z")

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Oh, [by the way…](http://www.jobs.state.ak.us/jobseeker.htm)

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**Author:** ![Green\_Cymbeline](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_cymbeline/32/9244_2.png) [@Green\_Cymbeline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Cymbeline)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-openings-in-alaska/277911/7 "2004-12-03T17:53:50Z")

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> [@Chefguy](#):
>
> Oh, [by the way…](http://www.jobs.state.ak.us/jobseeker.htm)

Awesome, thanks **Chefguy**!

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**Author:** ![kittenlm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ce7236/32.png) [@kittenlm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenlm)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-openings-in-alaska/277911/8 "2004-12-03T18:18:30Z")

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Well, I don’t know much about Alaska, but I looked on Career Builder for jobs and there 8 pages of them (granted, some of them are scams, but a good amount seem like decent jobs).

[http://www.careerbuilder.com](http://www.careerbuilder.com) - Just put in Alaska and you’ll get all the different jobs available in all different areas.

Good luck!!

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**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-openings-in-alaska/277911/9 "2004-12-03T18:59:33Z")

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> [@kittenlm](#):
>
> Well, I don’t know much about Alaska, but I looked on Career Builder for jobs and there 8 pages of them (granted, some of them are scams, but a good amount seem like decent jobs).
> 
> [http://www.careerbuilder.com](http://www.careerbuilder.com) - Just put in Alaska and you’ll get all the different jobs available in all different areas.
> 
> Good luck!!

I would suggest that you visit the site I provided, rather than a general job listing site. Many of them may very well be scams. The site I linked to lists all State, police, school and employment agency job listings, as well as Federal positions.

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**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-openings-in-alaska/277911/10 "2004-12-03T19:06:00Z")

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My sister lives & works in Wasilla - This from her:

Do NOT expect Alaska to be “just like the lower 48, but colder.” There is a distinct culture shift, and there are things there that will make you very miserable if you take them for granted; Things like knowing how to care for a vehicle in very cold weather, and how to deal with the moose in your driveway (Yes, it _does_ happen!), and so.

Also, especially the further north you go, the seasonal changes in light affect some people very strongly. Most people whom are susceptable to winter depression have the toughest time the second winter that they’re up there. After that, they’re usually OK.

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**Author:** ![Tony\_Montana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@Tony\_Montana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tony_Montana)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2004, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-openings-in-alaska/277911/11 "2004-12-04T02:33:17Z")

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> [@Wesley Clark](#):
>
> Are there alot of job openings in alaska?

Not where I’m at

> [@](#):
>
> I know jobs in alaska pay a bit more and I figured that was due to the fact that no one wanted to live there.

Hmm. I’m paid pretty well. But not because nobody wants to live here.I’ts actually quite nice here.

> [@](#):
>
> A seasonal job like an oilrig worker or fisherman sounds interesting. I know they are dangerous too, and i’m sure there are other fields up there to look into.

As far as I know oil rig workers are highly skilled. Also it would be extremely hard to get a job on a rig (as far as I know.) As for fishing, that really depends on what fishery your interested in. Some are more lucrative than others.In any case it’s a hard-living crap shoot at best.

> [@Tranquilis](#):
>
> Do NOT expect Alaska to be “just like the lower 48, but colder.” There is a distinct culture shift, and there are things there that will make you very miserable if you take them for granted; Things like knowing how to care for a vehicle in very cold weather, and how to deal with the moose in your driveway (Yes, it does happen!), and so.

Well, I live in South-East Alaska, it’s nothing like Wasilla. It is more like living in Northern Washington,only wetter.It snows more in Buffalo,NY than this town. (I was born in CA, grew up in Seattle)

I have never seen a moose in my life. Or a polar-bear,musk-oxen,wolf,iceberg,etc ad-nauseum…

In my link in my signature, you’ll find pics of my two dog-sleds (ones Made by Ford) I took that pic last summer (it was maybe 90deg)

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**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2004, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-openings-in-alaska/277911/12 "2004-12-04T03:12:20Z")

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I’ve applied for a job working at McKinley Chalet Resort right outside the entrance to Denali. It would be for this coming summer, roughly mid may to the end of August. I have a phone interview this Monday, as an on-site interview didn’t seem all that practical. As for the moose, I’m not afraid. At a previous job in Wyoming I survived not just moose but also bears and bison. I’ve heard that the bugs in Alaska are awful. True?
