Summer Jobs in Fairbanks (college, cost of living, service)

[Fashion4me]

I am going to be movig to Fairbanks for the summer this year with some friends. We will be there from the middle of May until the first week of September. My guy friends got jobs working construction making really good money, but I was wondeirng if anyone could tell me a good place for a 24 year old woman to work in Fairbanks for the summer where I could make a lot of money. I have googled summer jobs but a lot of them are for college students and do not pay well. I am very excited but also need to find something quick before we leave. Thanks!

[Rance]

So you want to come up here...take a job, make lot's of money...then leave? A job that a local or new resident could use? One that plans on staying here and spending here, and will need to eat and heat through the winter?
I'm not gonna help you with that.

[Fashion4me]

Let me clarify. I have worked my butt off for the past 6 years earning a Bachelors and Masters degree, and now I want to have fun for the first time in a long time. My friends go up to Fairbanks every summer and work for a friend doing construction. This year they invited me to go with them, and while we will work we will also do a lot of fun stuff as well. I have a ton of student loans to pay off so I want to work when i am there not just sit around and spend money. That is my reason for going to Fairbanks for the summer, and from looking on UAF and other websites there are places that hire people specifically for the summer months knowing that they will leave and that is the type of job I want to do, but obiously want to get paid a decent amount. Sorry if that offends anyone but I know a lot of people that go places for the summer to work and then move somewhere else. I think it is a great opportunity and something I may never get to do again.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by Fashion4me

I am going to be movig to Fairbanks for the summer this year with some friends. We will be there from the middle of May until the first week of September. My guy friends got jobs working construction making really good money, but I was wondeirng if anyone could tell me a good place for a 24 year old woman to work in Fairbanks for the summer where I could make a lot of money. I have googled summer jobs but a lot of them are for college students and do not pay well. I am very excited but also need to find something quick before we leave. Thanks!

You can make a little more working construction, landscaping, and that sort of work during the summer, but in reality the cost of living is so high, that what it seems plenty comes-in one hand and goes out the other. If you can work as a waitress and are good at it, you should be able to make some money yearlong. Check with Princess and the other tour companies, but again, it won't be lots of money. Some dancers at the local clubs make much more money, but I would not recommend that kind of work to any of my relatives nor friends But then, a 24-year old woman is in her prime, so anything is possible. Go for it.

[Metlakatla]

and from looking on UAF and other websites there are places that hire people specifically for the summer months knowing that they will leave and that is the type of job I want to do, but obiously want to get paid a decent amount.

Then apply for those jobs that you see on the websites you mentioned. I don't see the problem here, unless those jobs don't pay enough for you.

[warptman]

Originally Posted by RayinAK

You can make a little more working construction, landscaping, and that sort of work during the summer, but in reality the cost of living is so high, that what it seems plenty comes-in one hand and goes out the other. If you can work as a waitress and are good at it, you should be able to make some money yearlong. Check with Princess and the other tour companies, but again, it won't be lots of money. Some dancers at the local clubs make much more money, but I would not recommend that kind of work to any of my relatives nor friends But then, a 24-year old woman is in her prime, so anything is possible. Go for it.

Throws 2 bucks on the table.

[Metlakatla]

Seriously, you're wanting to do a certain type of job, like you saw on the UAF website, but you want to be paid a lot more than what those jobs offer. That isn't realistic. If you're coming up here with a few other people and sharing a place for the summer, your expenses shouldn't be all that high, though probably more than you're used to. The summer jobs are primarily in the service industry. You'll make more money than anything else by working as a server, provided you have experience.

[The Iglooman]

I agree with the above post.

[megensmom]

Maybe work in the National parks or on the railroad. They hire lots of temps. If you do the railroad then you could see a good bit of the state.

[FCYTravis]

As previously mentioned, the tourism jobs are mostly service-oriented, which means the pay is what it is - not great.

The stuff listed on the UAF summer jobs site is about as good as it's going to get for seasonal work - which is, by and large, aimed at college students. That's a group of people who have the summer months of the year available, can't hold down other year-round, stable employment due to academic commitments and who are often interested in spending a summer in Alaska. Those wages aren't going to get any higher.