Hi guys

I decided to apply for a work and travel program your govt runs here in Serbia,  to try to come to Alaska in Summer 2017 (Anchorage specifically).  I'll be working (legally)  for three months,  and traveling the US after that.  This will be my first trip to America,  so I guess it will  introduce me to a whole new world.

Now,  next February we will get the job offers,  and I did a bit of research,  so I cant decide what tyoe of minimum wage job is the best option. A lot of hotels ask for servers,  some ask for prep cooks,  bus boys etc, so a lot of people do that. Home Depot is also hiring through this programme.
Honestly,  it's a bit confusing for me since here,  99% of jobs are salary-based,  while there you have the hourly pay,  where your earnings depend on how many hours you work (but you cant work more than the amount employer gives you?).  Generally,  I am wondering if its better to go minimum wage+tips,  or some of those 11-13$/hr jobs in Home depo etc?

I am 6ft4in, around 250lb, so I am not afraid od hard work.  Worked in truck repair shops, worked on a farm, fixing computers and stuff right now (graduating in Computer Networks and Telecommunications this year,  I hope).  Any recommendations for a 2nd job?  I plan to work my ass off,  to fund my master's degree here,  travel the US,  and maybe buy a handgun or a rifle when I get back here.

Sorry for the long post

First off, you'll love a summer up here.  Anchorage is just a 45 minute drive from Alaska.

As a heads up cooks tend to be way overworked and underpaid up here.  Just the nature of the beast really.  If you could get a *good* job with tips it'll outpace a regular job at minimum wage by a fair bit.  That said, unless you can nail a good job, I'd take one of the Home Depot ones.  The work is fairly simple and it is a solid company to work for.  That said, I don't know a thing about the management at the Anchorage stores.

Are you limited in the range of jobs you can apply for?  The forest service hires a lot of guys for woodland firefighter work.  It's hard but it pays a lot.  Don't quote me on it, but I think the base jobs are open to people with visas.

When you get up here, I'm sure a lot of the local guys will know where to recommend for a 2nd job though.  Hopefully it'll get worked out that you can tour the state on your days off a bit.

Good luck

Thanks for the detailed reply.  Yeah,  we are limited to jobs that we get offered here in February,  and for those jobs we sign a 3 month contract, but we are free to find an additional job (if we get low hours etc)

Also,  I will get a drivers licence as soon as I get there,  not sure if I need an international drivers licence (but i can get that too).  Being able to drive stick shift counts as a bonus?  

I'll second the Home Depot job you can probably get paid around $12 an hour and if you apply yourself , work hard and move fast. You ought to be able to get hours, folks will probably be spending more money at the hardware store in the summer hours, because people like to get household projects done around that time.

Home Depot pays pretty good in Juneau. You will go far if you can smile and say good morning. Any willingness to help is great.

There are barely any stick shifts anymore... Americans don't really teach it anymore, so nobody buys them so hardly any get built.
I worked home depot in college in summers,  Home depot is steady and they will likely keep you are 40 hours a week(they loath time over 40 hours a week because due to labor laws they pay you 1.5 times your base hourly wage for it so it is VERY rare. So 40 hours at 12 per hour is 480 dollars(before taxes) but 50 hours at 12 an hours it more like (40*12)+(10*1.5*12)=660(before taxes, and since you made more money you pay more taxes(lowest tax rate on earnings is I think 0%, which you should qualify for because your yearly wages will be poverty level, but your season wages will be significant), I'm not sure how your taxes will work though, im not sure the American tax police(IRS) can come after you for not paying. Overtime Is great to get because it really bumps your paycheck up, some jobs don't pay it though(agricultural jobs on farms can be exempted, and some forestry jobs too I believe).

If you fly into Anchorage Airport shoot me a PM before hand and I'll show you around some night, see if viper can take you shooting.

Thank you for the kind offer. We get job offers in February, and I'm seriously considering Home depot after things you guys said. I just hope all the puzzle pieces fit perfectly (my college stuff/gf's college since we plan on going together).
My good buddy worked in Anchorage for the last 2 summers, brought back ~10k both times (after taxes) while still visiting Hawaii, Commiefornia, FL and NY. Here, $ 10k is more than an average yearly paycheck on a common job.

If you're into throwing bags there's a lot of ground service jobs in aviation up here.

How's the estimated pay/hours?  Sounds like a fun job

If you want to be a bell hop, this is the top hotel in Anchorage.  This is where the President stayed when he visited in 2015:




 

GraniteClimber is a member here and is a manager for a hotel here in Anchorage.

Have not seen him around much lately.  He had complained how harsh it is here.

OP


Props for going the legal route.




Americans are at worst indifferent to legal immigrants.




Most hate illegal immigrants except the businessmen exploiting them and Democrat politicians hoping to get more on welfare and their children to vote for them.


 

Thanks for the tip,  I hope that hotel shows up at the job fair (I know Marriott does). It will be a privilege to get a (temporary)  taste of the American Dream,  where if you work hard,  you get rewarded.  That's what makes America great honestly,  here,  employers still shit on you most of the time,  my sister pulls in $4800 per year working 50 hr weeks as an accountant with an economics degree.

I started checking out the Anchorage craigslist,  small ja bs are everywhere,  literally.  I dont understand how people can cry about high unemployment,  when you can earn the minimum wage any day of the year.  Here,  unemployment is estimated at an around 40% with an average paycheck of ~$4200 per year for 48hr work week

So you are here today in Anchorage?

Haha,  I wish.  Coming probably in May next year,  staying till late August,  3 month work+1 month travel visa,  I think

If you are coming legally you can expect huge hospitality from at least members here.  Trust me. We'll plan something. Especially with 1 year lead time.
 

Looking forward to meeting you guys.  Just have to figure out how to bring enough Rakia to Alaska

I thought he was off doing his ammo business now?

Unless you are joking about the neckbearding thing, I don't know what you're talking about.  What was he up to?

 

He opened/runs Alaska Ammo now.  Shop in Anchorage and Fairbanks.  Still haven't spent a dime in his stores though.

Over minimum for sure. Likely a 40 hour week.

I thought he moved to Fairbanks and opend a bulk ammo store with his .22 hoard.

Sounds awesome. I just have to check on the terms of our "primary" job (the one that gets us the visa), not sure if we are allowed to switch jobs, or if I can only work that job for a bare minimum of hours, and find another 40+hr job.

It's hard to describe how hyped I am about coming there, especially when I forget that nothing is certain, and it will be at least a whole year until the trip. Most Americans (I think) fail to realize how great your country is, with jobs literally waiting you on every corner.  Even just for 3 months, I will be living that dream, I mean, I hope I will.

OP, what might work for you would be a job off the list with minimum hrs., then get a second job full time in construction, as a laborer...much,much better pay, the only issue I can see with that is normally they will want you to work from may thru october when the ground freezes..but you would make huge money..pretty easy to pull 18+ an hour if you are reasonably good with tools and a hard worker..i used to work for a fence company and the beginner crew guys could easily pull down 60,000 a summer..but most companies will want you there 6 days a week every week.......

Working on a salmon boat would be an option too. Plenty of guys working in the area this summer are from eastern Europe.

What did he do to piss HTF off? Curious to know if I should stop giving Alaska Ammo my business.

Several forums have beef with him and his behavior.  Especially how it looks like his business started.  Since he's a current member (I thought he was banned) I'll stop there.  Even if he went legit, I won't go to his store.

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_1_5/1603271_.html

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_1_5/1611547_Two_Neckbeards_Walked_Through_The_Valley_of_the_Shadow_of_Death_____DAY_2_UPDATE_1ST_POST.html

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_1_5/1610617_Ask_a_guy_waiting_lined_up_at_walmart_at_415am_anything_UPDATE_FIRST_POST_MANY_PICS_OF_NECKBEARDS.html

https://www.ar15.com/archive/topic.html?b=8&f=43&t=556080

http://www.ar15.com/archive/topic.html?b=1&f=5&t=1634444

Visa limits me to working for 3 months, probably 1st of June, till end of August, so that's a no-go. Talked again with the buddy who worked as a waiter, he recommended me to try for a minimum wage+tip job, he pulled in ~200 per day, working 8 hours. I am ready to work 10-12hrs, but I think 18 hour days would stop being fun after a while, and I want to enjoy America a bit in my spare time. Finding a good balance is the key