Seeking Advice on Nuke Careers

[InTNforNow]

Hi, I'm currently in the Knox/Oak Ridge, TN area.  I have a background as a paralegal and private investigator.  I am one test shy of having a BA from Thomas Edison State College.  I do not have a trade or nuke background.  My husband has worked in nukes as an electrician, but doesn't really know much about the heirarchy or day-to-day of other positions in them. 

I am seeking steady decent paying work (over $15/hr) and at this point I am investigating trades.  One thing I discovered was there is a school here that has a Radiation Technology Protection program.  Is this a decent trade to get into; meaning, is there steady well paying work.  My husband's work is not steady and I don't want to have to chase outages. 

Is there another way to get in without this program?  I ask, because it's a private school and if there is a way to do something w/o debt, of course I'm interested.

Are there other careers that would be fairly easy to transition into and offer year round positions?


Thank you all so much for your help.

[InTNforNow]

Minus a specified course of training would passing the DOE Core and taking HAZWOPER be enough to get an entry level position?

[Marlin]

Minus a specified course of training would passing the DOE Core and taking HAZWOPER be enough to get an entry level position?

Contact SEC or DeNuke for information on Rad Tech positions in the Oak Ridge area, but yes both Core and Hazwoper would be helpful if there are openings. Typically if you can survive two years at Y-12 as a Rad Tech you will likely be offered a house job by B&W (usually), not many Jr's hired, but occasionally they are, and the only way to know is to contact them.

[InTNforNow]

Thank you.

[Cycoticpenguin]

Honestly, apply for ops positions NOW. At least it will get your oriented to the style and the "waiting game".

For reference.

I was one of 3 military (one of 2 nukes hired) hired out of 12.

of the 9

-2 were college, engineering tech types (BA's)
-1 was a lumber jack (no joke)
-2 were bankers (not the investment bankers, I mean the ones that work the till at the front desk)
-1 is 47 and jack of all trades
- the other 3 worked at other types of plants (chem, oil, and manufacturing I believe)

Worse comes to worse, apply to work at an outage at a plant around you as a contractor (your husband too!!!). People doing mop jobs get paid a ridiculous amount + over time. (much much much more then 15 an hour!). Plus you could put it on a resume which they will like.