College Student Summer Job: Working in the Alaskan Canneries

For all those college students who want to seek out an adventure during your summer break, but financing it may be too much of a challenge, have I got an idea for you! This is not only an exciting summer adventure that you will never forget and speak of in conversation for so many years to follow, but it is also a way to make money at the same time.

I found myself in this unforgettable adventure straight out of high school many years ago, and to this day I can say it was one of the best summers of my life. This is something anyone can do at any adult age, but college students usually find the most adventure in it while their pockets fill up for the next year of school.

Alaska has endless adventures waiting for those who are looking to add some great tales to their lives. One such adventure is a job working in the canneries. When I was eighteen years old, I found my way to Seward, Alaska and the "slime line" in the cold storage of a busy cannery.

The "slime line" is an occupation for one with a strong stomach and a high tolerance to the smell of fish. It is tedious work with long hours of standing at a conveyor belt pulling the guts from salmon. This may sound less than attractive, but will worth the money that can be made as well as the great people you will get to know while working there.

Although you may find yourself working up to twenty hours a day, you will also spend a few days at a time waiting for the boats to come in with the next load of fish to process. And during that few days, there are endless adventures to experience outside of the cannery.

The "slime line" is not the only occupation to be had in the Alaskan canneries. The "can line" is more of a sit-down job as you take the already processed fish and seal it into cans for public consumption. Another tedious chore of long hours, but less odor and more hours as you don't find yourself waiting on the return of the boats as much as the front line of the "slime" needs to wait.