“I want to go commercial fishing in Alaska! How can I get a job up there?” It’s inevitable that Brett and Sierra get this question fairly often.  Although much of your success comes in who you know, there are ways to break into this industry. We will answer here a few of the most common questions we get from people.

What do I need to know about this job?

First off, it depends on what type of fishery you are interested in pursuing. There are different fisheries. But in a nut shell this type of work as a whole is fairly unpredictable. Its a gamble. You lose sometimes, you win sometimes. There are upsets, breakdowns, but then there are also times when you score big and there are lots of fish.

You must be prepared for the unpredictable, late nights, not a lot of sleep, sea sickness, freezing cold, long hours…etc. It’s rewarding in the end but sometimes very difficult during the time.

Can I go to school for this. Does my college degree count for anything?

In my opinion, it doesn’t matter what degree you have. But say if you majored in engineering, you have a much better chance of getting a job as an engineer on a boat since that skill doesn’t come as naturally. Most of these fisherman graduated from the school of “Hard Knocks”, so having a college degree in this field isn’t absolutely necessary. You don’t need one to get a job. You need contacts, and experience. Most people are born into this business. It’s not something you just easily jump into.

How do I get started?

Getting hired with little to no experience can be difficult. If  you want to become more acquainted with the industry and meet people whom you might develop connections, start working for one of the canneries in Alaska. There are so many everywhere and I would suggest just looking some of them up. Then get to know these people, see what that world is like and gain connections from there.

Another option is to literally pound the docks where fishermen park their boats and hang out. Persistence and having the “fire” in your belly are good characteristics. Don’t be shy and intimidated. One option is to seek out ports along the West Coast where fisheries take place. Start asking around and say that you are interested. Keep in touch with the skippers.

The final option is to literally fly to Alaska without a job. I recommend heading straight to Seward or Homer, Alaska and taking the advice above about pounding the docks. Crew members get sick, skippers don’t always have them lined up and oftentimes, and your persistence will land you a job.

Offer to help out. Show that you want to learn.

Requirements and Qualifications

You have to be physically strong, quick on your feet, fast learner, able to work long hours, enjoy being out doors, and able to tolerate sea sickness. A sense of humor helps. It also helps if your a good cook. That’s a positive strength captains most often smile upon in a candidate. Also, brush up on your mechanical skills, especially with diesel engines. There are free classes offered by the Sea Grant associations of many states.

Things to watch out for

Very rarely do captains just hire ‘green horns’. If you do get hired immediately by someone I would advise you to do a little homework and know who exactly is  hiring you.  You also want to be on a boat that is sea worthy. There are a lot of boats out there that are poorly maintained and/or very old. If you get hired off the bat it could mean the captain can’t hold a solid crew for longer than a season and is desperate. There is a reason why he can’t hold a crew….and you don’t want to find out ‘why’, the hard way. It could mean a lot of things but in a nut shell that captain is probably just a very difficult person to work for and your season could be ruined because of that. Make sure you know what your getting into before you jump into it. Trust your instincts.

Where do you recommend starting?

I would suggest go live in Seward, Kodiak, Homer or any of these small towns. Start working in a cannery or try to find a job working on a charter fishing boat or a tender. Get comfortable being in this setting and develop connections and experience from there. Finally, start networking. Browsing the internet probably won’t get you too far, but ask people who you may know within the industry.