Summer is in full swing, but you can still land a fishing job in Alaska. When ships return to harbor, many times crew members leave, opening positions for new workers. Some of the seasons that are still open include:

• Pacific Cod
• Black Cod
• Halibut
• King Salmon
• Dungeness Crab
• Yakutat Shrimp
• Beam Trawl Shrimp
• Hake
• Sablefish
• Yakutat Salmon
• Sockeye Salmon
• Yellowfin Sole
• Rockfish

There are also a few fishing seasons that start in August and September. August 15, golden king crab season starts in the Aleutian Islands, and during September, a few other seasons start, including king crab and mackerel.

Summer is the prime season for fishing in Alaska, so don’t delay if you’re interested in working in this industry. Working on a ship is actually one of the most dangerous jobs in the world, but this can also be an extremely lucrative career choice, with deckhands earning more money in a single season than they’d earn throughout an entire year in a typical salaried position. Becoming a deckhand isn’t your only option, however. If you’re looking for a less dangerous job, you can also work at an onshore role. Processing plants hire workers throughout the summer season to help with unloading boats, quality control, and other parts of the processing.

The hiring process in the Alaskan fishing industry is slightly different than in most industries. Positions aren’t always advertised; instead, they are filled through word of mouth, especially on ships. If you want to work in this industry, start by looking for an onshore position, so you can begin to meet the fishers already working in Alaska. Work hard and make it known that you’re looking for a position on a boat – eventually, you’ll talk to the right person who can recommend you for a deckhand position.

Summer jobs.

They’re an annual rite of passage for college-aged students, and also the source of much anxiety.

Countless young students search for their summer jobs terrified by one thought: if it’s not a meaningful internship in a relevant career industry, then they won’t be able to find a good job after college.

While it certainly won’t do you any harm to land a good internship, people often overlook the value of finding a summer job that can give you a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

And where can you find one such experience?  A perfect place to look is in the summer vacation industry, which thrives in Alaska. There are a plethora of lodges, resorts, and other companies that only operate during the warm months, offering exciting positions in remote and stunningly beautiful locations. Among the top summer employers is Princess Tours.

Here are a few reasons why working summer jobs in Alaska is way better than slaving behind a desk at some lowly internship.

It’s more of a resume booster than you think

Perhaps the primary reason people balk at working at places off the beaten path is the threat of a black hole in their resume. They may even believe that getting an internship in the field they eventually want to pursue their career in is the only way to set themselves up for future job placement.

What these people don’t understand is that putting something out of the ordinary on your resume is a great way to stand out. Hiring managers sift through an endless pile of resumes when they post a job opening.  By spending a summer working in Alaska, it demonstrates to future employers that you are willing to take risks and not succumb to a herd mentality. And at the very least, it can be a fantastic conversation starter in an interview.

You will learn practical skills

When a person works as an intern, they usually are left with mindless, repetitive tasks that are handed to them because nobody else wants to do them. All this proves to future employers is that you can have the capacity to complete the same tasks as a trained monkey.

Slip into something a little less primate by working a summer job in Alaska, where you will gain a great deal of experience with real-world issues. You will have much more responsibility than your run-of-the-mill internship, and you’ll develop human interaction skills that will be invaluable to your future job search.  From managing a fleet of lodge vans to meeting the needs of guests, you’ll learn what it takes to function in the professional world.

You’ll never regret it

Twenty years down the road, no matter what career you find yourself in, you will never look back on a summer in Alaska as time poorly spent.   Whether you spend one summer or move there full time: either way you will always have the memories of journeying off to a remote land and discovering what it’s like to live in such a unique environment. You’ll have plenty of time to work in an office later in your life, so why not experience something truly different while your knees can still get you up the side of Denali?

While it may seem like a leap of faith to move your life up to Alaska up for a summer, life’s best experiences occur when you place yourself outside your comfort zone. Find summer employment up in the Last Frontier; you may just make memories you’ll cherish the rest of your life.

Happy Hump Day! As you know by now, Wednesdays at the JobMonkey are for hot job leads. We bring you three of the hottest leads from the Job Monkey Job Center, a free resource for job seekers in search of an adventure — and a paycheck.

This week, I am spotlighting jobs in the Alaska Tourism industry. Many of these seasonal opportunities are gearing up to hire workers now, so it’s a great time to throw your hat into the ring. Learn more about working in the great northern state from JobMonkey’s sections on Alaska fishing jobs and Alaska summer jobs.

1. Seasonal Customer Service Representative, Great Alaskan Holidays, Anchorage, AK

The Great Alaskan Holidays company is seeking a seasonal customer service representative to assist guests with their rental contract completion. The representative must have some computer skills, some rental experience and a cheerful attitude for dealing with customers. Additionally, the ideal candidate will be at least 21 years of age and have a valid Alaska driver’s license (with a very clean record). The job pays a salary of $16.74 – $19.82 per hour.

2. Inspector, Fountainhead Hotels, Fairbanks, AK

The Fountainhead Hotels is seeking an inspector to train and supervise housekeeping staff and ensure that facilities are clean and sanitized. In the winter, when the hotel has fewer seasonal housekeepers, the inspector will also be responsible for housekeeping duties. The ideal candidate will be at least 21 yeas of age, have a valid driver’s license, be able to lift heavy objects, and have previous housekeeping and supervisory experience. This 8:30 to 5:00 p.m. job includes some weekend work.

3. Musher’s Camp Tour Driver, Alaska Excursions, Skagway/Juneau, AK

Alaska Excursions is seeking a camp tour driver to pick up guests from cruise ship docks, give a narrated tour through Skagway and out to the Dyea valley. Additional duties will include giving clients a kennel tour at the dog camp. The ideal candidate will have a valid driver’s license, possess good communication skills and be good with people.

Didn’t find the job of your dreams on our hot jobs lists this week? No worries, just check out the JobMonkey Job Center for hundreds of other listings in every imaginable field.

Good luck with your job search this week!

The reverberations of our nation’s economic recession are being felt around the country — including the northern most state of Alaska. Alaska’s biggest tourist season is the summer, which typically sees droves of visitors coming for cruises, train tours and adventure vacations.

This summer, however, early numbers are down — and travel experts aren’t optimistic that they will bounce back in time.

As a result, Alaska’s tourism industry is likely going to cut back on the number of seasonal employees it hires.  Which means, if you are thinking about trying to find a summer job in Alaska, competition will be fiercer than ever. Companies are hiring now, however (as witnessed by the growing number of Alaska summer jobs posted on JobMonkey’s Job Center), so get out there!

To learn more about Alaska seasonal employment, checkout JobMonkey’s sections on Alaska summer jobs and Alaska fishing jobs.

Have you searched for jobs in Alaska using our specialized job board? If not, you should give it a try right now! All kinds of seasonal and even year-round work opportunities are posted every day.

Having been to Alaska several times during the summer months I can tell you: the state is unlike all others.

If you like wildlife and natural beauty, then Alaska is where you should work this summer. Why hang out locally to work retail or in an office – especially if you can make as much or more money in Alaska? Be adventurous and nail down a summer job in Alaska – an unforgettable summer job! Search our special job board highlighting current Alaska summer job listings. You could find yourself working in Denali National Park at a lodge or Glacier Bay on a small cruise ship or seaside resort. The tourism industry in Alaska is bustling and operates non-stop between mid-May and mid-October making it perfect for college students. Or anyone who can carve out time during that period. Cruise lines and tour companies need ship- and shore-based staff to fill thousands of jobs: waitstaff, guest services, tour bus drivers, naturalists, guides, bartenders, and much more. Furthermore, the Alaska seafood industry needs workers every summer. Work in a processing plant or at sea on a fishing boat harvesting salmon. Nothing could be more memorable than spending a summer in the Land of the Midnight Sun. Learn more in the Alaska Summer Jobs section of JobMonkey and on the job board.

If you’re a college student looking for summer employment and adventure, consider looking West — *way* West.  All the way to Alaska.  There are more opportunities in that vast state than there are people to fill them! Alaska summer jobs include everything from nature and adventure guides to seasonal biologists to cooks, cleaners and service staff at hotels and restaurants. The pay range varies but is usually on the low side.  Free room and board and even comped transportation sweeten the deal for many job seekers, though. To get you started, JobMonkey has details on Alaska’s major national parks, the inside scoop on state employers, and tips for acing your Alaska summer job interview.