Help on Moving to Anchorage(Valley area)

Hey everyone, I am 25 and a few years out of college with a business degree. I currently work for a huge apparel company doing sourcing and costing and I have a background in sales. The reason for this post is I want to move to Alaska and live in the Anchorage area.

My questions;
1)Do any of you have any recommendations on companies to look into for supply chain or corporate level sales jobs?

2)Is there a publication specific to Alaska that I should read?

3)If I were to seek education in a different field what would you recommend to increase my chances of finding a job in Alaska?

Thanks in advance and until I can move I will live vicariously through your meet threads and photos

 

I am not too familar with the specific options for business degrees. But I will try to answer your questions the best I can

1) Not sure here unfortunately. Our main industries here are tourism, oil, and fishing. With the exception of oil, I can't really name any specific companies and I am not sure how relevant this is to what you are looking for.

2) What type of info are you looking for from a publication? Just general info about Alaska or business related or?

3) I got my degree in engineering and with the pipeline and all the rural areas needing energy and transportation, engineers are in high demand here (yay!) Transportation and petroleum seem to be the predominate specialties around here but that might just be what I am exposed to the most since I am Civil.

Hopefully someone else can chime in and be more helpful

 

For instance here in Portland we have a Portland Business Journal that highlights companies and community programs. Its a great place to figure out what is going on behind the scenes. Thanks for the info and going back to school is something I have considered, since I already have a degree doing night/online school to get another degree would be easy.

Did you do general engineering or were you focused on something specific? Basically Alaska is my dream and if going back to school will help me get there then that's what I will have to look at doing.

On a side note...How are LEO jobs up there? Many positions open, lots of competition? Are there certain cities/counties that have bad reps (bad LEO reps)? That is something that has been on the back burner since the GF doesn't like the idea.

 

I personally don't subscribe to any business magazines but here are a few I have found

AK business monthly
AK journal of commerce

Best online news source is Alaska Dispatch and they might have some info too.

I got a general degree in civil engineering. If you are dying to go back to school, I know a few people who have/are getting project management degrees. As I understand it, it is a master's that pairs with a number of degrees and is pretty useful with engineering firms. This is all secondhand info here though. Realistically, I think you can find a job here with the degree you have if you look in the right places. Unfortunately, I can't help ya much there.

I am not familiar with LEO. . But I can tell you we don't have counties here our areas are divided into cities, boroughs, and then regions. I think the regions might just be a state of alaska division thing though.

 

Right on. I appreciate the help and I will have to check out Alaska dispatch since i haven't found that one yet. I will continue my search and look into school more as well.

And anyone else with ideas please feel free to chime in.

Thanks

 

A good site to check for job is alaskaslist.com

Should be some sales jobs out there! Just dont take mine. Construction is always hiring, but if you're looking for something more corporate sales then a lot of the larger oil/gas/electric companies have those types of jobs. Utilities are big here.

 

I have a business degree, but somehow ended up in a rotational position doing HSEQ on the North Slope and I love it. Tons of opportunity in the safety and quality fields all over the world. I'd second the Project Management degree option, always in demand and could tie in well with supply chain experience. There are a lot of supply chain careers up here, especially on the logistics side and in purchasing for the energy companies and their contractors.

I work with several people who have left LEO careers. They all got tired of dealing with the worst of the worst. Drive around Anchorage and take a good look around, its not such a pretty picture with the homeless/drug/alcohol problems. The only LEO I personally know who is really happy with their job works for the FBI.

Has your GF spent much time in Alaska? Its truly awesome, but definitely not for everyone.

 

Good call I will look into project managemtn degress as that would probably be better than engineering for me at this point. My GF hasn't spent anytime in Alaska nor have I but she is always by my side in the outdoors. She loves snowshoeing, snow camping and snowboarding. She just needs a metropolitan area to live in and her degree is in Hospitality and Tourism so Anchorage is where we are thinking. I could live in the woods and not care but something about a pretty blonde makes me rethink that

 

For a supply chain, look up ASCI, Arctic Supply Chain Inc. They are in Anchorage and supply to Prudhoe Bay and I'm sure other places