Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska How to make a living in SE Alaska???

A little background:

I grew up on POW with divorced parrents. Dad living in Washington, Mom on POW. I did the usual back and forth visiting my dad for the summers and a few school years during high school. After school it was off to the Marines, after 4 years of that Tech jobs drew me back to Washington.

I take my family up to POW for a week or so in august every other year. Each time I go it just makes me want to move back more and more. Funny how that works, cause when I was a kid I took it all for granted and wanted nothing more than to escape. Now all I want is to go back.

My wife loves it up there and tells me to get a job and we'll go. She's bean saying that for a few years now.

"So whats holding you back?" you ask.

We'll I guess I'm smart enough to know how good I have it down here. I've got a tech job making good money. I have a retirement account with money in it. I've got a decent little house on 2 acres with a barn and shop. I can afford to go to Alaska every other year. I can afford lots of unneccessary hunting and fishing toys, ect........

But I'd give it all up in a minute if I could find a decent paying gig up there. But whats a guy with electronics and robotics skills to do in SE Alaska?

just a guess on my part but if you were hvac qualified, that might pays the bills. as far as robotics, i have yet to read about any research or use of same in that region.

First thing I'd do is send the wife up there for a few weeks in October and then a few weeks in January to make sure she really wants to live there.

It would be awesome to find something high tech. I fix computers and have been stuck in medium to large cities because of this. Alaska one of the few states I would consider moving to if I could find good pay and benefits.

Heck no! Then the answer would be no for sure.

She grew up in SW Washington (wetside) so she is used to rain. I dont think she would notice an extra 100 inches of it a year. Atleast thats what I tell myself!!

It wouldnt have to be high tech. In the root of it all I fix stuff. I can learn to fix most anything. With my current field I'm pretty well stuck in the Silicon forest, or Silicon valley. Neither interest me much though.

Should have learned to fix diesel engines or boat motors I guess.

You might want to talk to Tom McLaughlin at Boreal Controls in Juneau. He's an EE and does control systems design and installation. I've worked with him on a couple of projects for the hydraulic lifts at the State Ferry Terminals.

(907) 586-8367

http://borealcontrols.com/

If you want to know who referred you, I'll give you my name. Just PM me.

I work about 1 block away from them.

Yep, an extra 100 inches of rain and the occasional 7 foot of snow shouldn't bother her in the least, or the 3 hour ferry ride to go to Walmart. Pull camp now!

I'd give my left nut to live at least 3 hours from a Walmart.

I been looking for work as a charter pilot in the area, most of the flying work is very seasonal, starts the middle of May and ends in September. Nice place to be, for the fishing and hunting, I am not to sure on Making a living thou. People do

Looks kind of interesting. They are using PLC's to controll and monitor industrial systems. Looks like they design, install, and likely maintain the systems.

I'll have to speak with them and see how my skill set may relate.

I don't have a problem with it either, in fact I hope to never see another one, but not so much with much of the other 48

My old lady aint real keen on Wally world, but she would likely miss Winco and Costco.

She's country folk so wouldnt miss the big city none. Would take her a while to get over not having a horse, but since we've had the boys her horse aint bean nothing but a hay burner anyway. Kind of hard to drive around doing game shows with a couple young boys. I wouldnt miss the horse one bit.

Job ideas guys, I'm looking for Job ideas. The wife will go where I say we go (just dont tell her I said that)!!

It's tough to make a decent living on the island anymore, unless you are a school teacher or forest service.

Yeah, my sister teaches at Craig. It looks like the clinic would be all to happy to hire a nurse or two. My wife is an "executive assistant" (glorified secretary). She works in collections at a local bank. Likely she could get a job easy enough.

Maybe I should go that route and have her be my sugar Momma!

Secretarial type pay is pretty low though.

Charter fishing is on the decline, but if you have a clue it'd be easy to get on with a lodge for summer work. Maybe one of the road building operations?

Rick, if you call Boreal say hi to my wife she answers the phone. I believe they do have an opening for a tech. Tom no longer works there. If you want the big bucks theres a new mine opening up just out of town. But that would be a camp job. Tons of ot, hard not to make $100k.

TK

LMBO .........

So what is the contact info for that operation? Thank you.

They have a pretty good website. Boreal Controls Inc. (BCI)

I never called them. Wife shot Juneau down pretty quick. She said it was POW neer family, or nothing at all.