Occupation Call

[soldn2slavery]

I'm not certain, but I seem to remember that you must be a state resident in order to apply for state jobs.

"IT" is pretty broad, but there are banks, oil companies, fed jobs, state jobs, school districts, phone companies, utility companies, etc. and they all have some need for IT people.

I don't know how old you are or anything else about you, but, if you have the opportunity to move to Alaska, I'd take it. There's nowhere else like it.

I would try to have a job before you move up, unless you have a large reserve that you can afford to live on.

[habanero]

Originally Posted by soldn2slavery

I don't know how old you are or anything else about you, but, if you have the opportunity to move to Alaska, I'd take it. There's nowhere else like it.

Then it looks like I'm moving in the right direction, all while closing in on the big 40.

I'm at the age where I need to either do it or not. I'm tired of traffic, heat, my daughter not having a place to play, etc.

How many people do you think move to Alaska and then move within a year or two?

The winters I can deal with. I've lived in cold places before. What I cannot handle is not having job security. Since I'm a single parent, this is more important than anything else. Hence wanting the stability of a government/state job.

[soldn2slavery]

I don't know statistics, but when I lived there, it seemed a lot of people visited in the summer, moved up in the summer and then left as soon as they could after experiencing a winter. The winters, while not all that cold in Anchorage, are very long and very dark. I remember years when it snowed in May, rained most of the summer, and snowed again in September. Summers in Anchorage can be drizzly, which is why we called Rainchorage. The important thing during the winter is to get out and do things. Some of my fondest memories are when we used to go on a picnic when it was -20. You can't let the weather keep you indoors or you will hate it there.

It will take you some time to adjust to the weather. I used to go to school in Arizona (UofA) and when I'd come home in the summer, I'd freeze for a couple of weeks until I re-acclimated to the weather.

The cost of living is a bit higher up there, too. Be prepared to pay a lot more for housing. From what I've been hearing, the house prices haven't dropped, but the salaries aren't nearly as high as they used to be.

As for job stability, how stable is your current position? Is it as stable as a gov/state job? The reason I ask is I'm wondering why you would require a job with more stability than you currently have.

I apologize for sounding a bit negative, but I want you to have a clear picture of the good and the bad. I know that I've wanted to move so badly that I would ignore the bad or think that the good would compensate for the bad, only to be disappointed when things didn't turn out quite the way I'd hoped.

It's a tough decision. Good luck with whatever you decide. BTW, there are other states, you know, that have less heat, less traffic, and plenty of places for your daughter to play. :-)

[habanero]

Originally Posted by soldn2slavery

As for job stability, how stable is your current position? Is it as stable as a gov/state job? The reason I ask is I'm wondering why you would require a job with more stability than you currently have.

My current job is with the city. Very stable. I used to work for corporations and barely survived round after round of layoffs in a couple of companies. I remember seeing people let go mere weeks before Christmas. And these people had children.

I initially looked at the Juneau area, but I'd rather be on the highway system for the job availabilities. The peninsula looks really good. Maybe not as far down as Homer, but the Soldotna, Sterling, etc. areas are looking pretty good. I just need to ascertain the job market in those cities.

Do most people in Alaska rent or buy their homes? You're right, the prices of homes are high up there.

I don't HAVE to have a government job, but the stability is amazing as are the benefits.

[rotorhead]

When we lived in AK, I used to work days, nights, weekends, and holidays on a rotating schedule, 12 hr shifts. Made some pretty good money but I never did get much time off, always shorthanded at the contract. Here's where I used to work.


Now I've got a job where I still work days, nights, weekends, and holidays but I'm on a 24 hr shift, though I do get some help come evenings. I make absolutely no money at all, and though we're fully staffed at the normal level I always feel we're shorthanded. Here's my job now, wouldn't change it for the world.

[Out of Alaska]

Rotorhead nice pics!

I am in Fairbanks.
I would rent at first, and see if you can stay two years before you make a decision. It's an adjustment and I was MISERABLE my first winter. Now it's fine.

Is it just me or does everyone else in AK know a lot of people who move here, don't like it and leave, come back? I know several! I think people get used to the lifestyle and then move back to the Lower 48 and flip! Any other ideas there?

[Out of Alaska]

PS - re: single parent / job security

I am from the midwest and have noticed a lot more "family friendly" attitude here w/ not only employers but most events are for families. Don't know why or how or anything, just reporting the news. We used to get babysitters all the time in the evenings and now we just bring 'em along.l

Universities are of course great for this - above and beyond. When I worked at UAF people not only brought their kids to work but also their dogs. ????

[habanero]

Thanks everyone for the info and answers to my questions. I have a lot to consider before moving.

Obviously, I need to have a job before we move up. Housing comes second. Since my daughter starts school next year, I'd need to see what the school situation is in the community where we end up.

Since Anchorage, for me, at least, is out of the question (too big), I'll need to see what's available in the peninsula, the valley and potentially in Fairbanks. I really don't want to live in a large city. I live in a small town of less than 15,000 now. Too big in some respects, too little in others. I despise traffic. I used to live in big cities and I swore I would never again put myself through the hell and discontent of big city life.

I'm looking to move precisely because I'm tired of what I'm getting here. There has to be more to life than get up, go to work, and endure stifling heat, no scenery, no fresh air. No hunting unless you know private land owners (or drive hours to public land). Shooting ranges are at least 30 minutes away at private ranges that cost too much.

[dmderosa2k]

You must be in Phoenix or near by. Nice in the winter but hot as hell in the summer. I grew up in southeastern NM which is much of the same. In the summer about all you can do is sit in the enclosed porch next to a swamp cooler drinking beer and swatting flies.

Originally Posted by habanero

Rance, you've done it all, man... Congrats. Sounds like you love what you do now.

Out Of Alaska, what part of AK do you live in?

My daughter likes being outside, but it gets too hot here in the summer (105 is normal for weeks on end). There are scorpions, tarantulas, hornets, and numerous poisonous spiders and snakes here, so playing in the woods and tall grass is not a smart idea. Winter here is just dull overcast that drops down into the 40s and maybe low 30s.

I like hunting and fishing, shooting, and hiking, and AK offers an abundance of all this and more. I would love to see my daughter be able to ride a toboggan down the street with other kids, make giant snowmen, have snowball fights, etc.

Rance, the more I read about the peninsula, the more I like. Juneau seems so restrictive in comparison. I'm just hoping I can find a job somewhere that needs computer people. I'll be looking at state jobs first.