Things that rookie nukeworkers should know

[LaFeet]

Gosh  you guys make me feel soooo unprepared.  And I thought I was doing good with the spices, knnives and skillets

[vikingfan]

my personal favorite is the external hard drive to store all your movies, tv shows, and music on. especially nice to watch something when your not on shift or during your break times ! you can pick up a decent one for about 100$ or so and have between 160 and 500 gb for storing the above mentioned items or just swapping movies with your co-workers.

[UncaBuffalo]

This post is for all the rookie nukeworkers just getting started...

Any other tips will be appreciated!

First, thanks to indoprime for the great tips!

Second, my Tip-of-the-Day:

SAVE SOME MONEY!!!

I know the initial reaction to per diem checks, and checks with lots of over-time, is, "WOO-HOO!  We're rich!!!  Let's buy everything we see!!!"  That's fun (at least for a while), but keep in mind these three things:

     1.  The end-of-outage lay-offs are coming!  Time off is a lot more fun if you have more to live on than just unemployment.

     2.  Summer can be extended...if you save enough to afford more time off.

     3.  If you save enough, then you never 'have' to go back to work...and this job (and any other I can think of) is a lot more fun if you are working because you want to, not because you have to.

[LaFeet]

Unca Buff hit the nail with a BIG Hammer

Yeah, the unemployment checks make the non paydays pass by easier, but banking cash and NOT touching it until you HAVE TO is the best way.  I even like buying a few savings bonds  or sliding some moolah into my retirement accounts just to help plan for the future..... dont wanna be a roadie all my life 

[remowil55]

Good point there, you might add when you get inside the plant ask the local guys you work with, which part of town to stay the heck out of. No sense getting mugged, or beatin up. And i just renewed, good for another year, and can take it off my taxes. Remo

[Atomic_Punk]

Get a RELIABLE set of wheels!  If there's ANY doubt as to whether or not your vehicle will be able to make a trip across the country and back (without catching fire.  Right , Unc? :^D), park the POS and get something decent.  Speaking from experience, it totally sucks when you're 1100 miles from home, you blow an engine and you're at the mercy of Cletus, Clem, Bubba or whatever the local mechanic's name happens to be.  That brings us back to subject of my first post about having a credit card so you can rent a car.  And don't be afraid to invest in a good set of tires.  Tires are like toilet paper, buy the cheap stuff and you'll be in, well....

[UncaBuffalo]

Get a RELIABLE set of wheels!  If there's ANY doubt as to whether or not your vehicle will be able to make a trip across the country and back (without catching fire.  Right , Unc? :^D), park the POS and get something decent.  Speaking from experience, it totally sucks when you're 1100 miles from home, you blow an engine and you're at the mercy of Cletus, Clem, Bubba or whatever the local mechanic's name happens to be. 

Yeah, what he said... 

[hamsamich]

Yeah, I almost found that one out the hard way (car thing).  Got a good one now though!  He who travels long distance must have reliable set of wheels.

[hamsamich]

no the bimmer is kaput!  but it went kaput AFTER I got back from the job, so lucky me.  actually it didn't go quite kaput, I just thought it did, couldn't fix it, sold it for ccheap, and the expert I sold it too fixed it easily.  sometimes the speed and reference sensors go out AT THE SAME TIME.......who'd of thunk it?

[Already Gone]

Back to the topic - BMW's are nice but this isn't Car Talk.

Rookies should learn one thing above all others.

If you want to be exactly like the "old-timers" do what they do.
If you model your behavior on the 55 year old HP who has been a tech for 35 years and still doesn't have any money in the bank - guess what - you will still be a broke HP when you are 55.

If you follow the tech who has gone to college to finish a degree, broadened his capabilities, and gotten raises and promotions, you will likely get those too.

If you want better than the "lowest common denominator", rise above the crowd.  When you reply to a job posting, send a resume and a brief polite note in the email that says who you are and asks that you be considered for the job.  Your resume will be read and considered.  If you just reply with an email that says, "what's the state, date and rate?" it's going to get deleted.

Being a rookie should only last a year or so.  Don't make it a career.

[Dave Warren]

1. A 401K or some type of retirement tool.
2. A Blackberry. You get all your email, phone, and internet in the palm of your hand.
3. A laptop. You never know when you may have to update your resume on the fly. Also, they are giving away wireless just about everywhere you go now.
4. A GPS. Youwill not regret your decision to get one of these.
5. A good set of Tupperware. Comes in real handy.

[roadhard]

For the rookie rad techs - - - -

Know how to read a meter. (Did ya read that thread?)

Know how to pass the NEU.

[UncaBuffalo]

Always tab your tape.

[B.PRESGROVE]

Alright Ive got to add my 7 years of house experiance to this mix of subbies.  I always made sure that I got the names of the guys who came in that knew what they were doin, and did a it well.  They got the job done.  I always said that some day I may need to give a reference or may meet up with someone out in the Nuke world, and it would be nice to know Ive got friends out there.  It is very important not to be "BLACK" listed as in the case of to subs that came to our site and that is where they effectivly ended thier rad career.

Great post folks.  This site is by far the best out there for info in our industry.

[allforthenukie]

What is a "sub"? Subbies? Not familiar with that term.

[xobxdoc]

While you are in transit to a job site, especially cross country, call your company daily. You may not have a job to go to. I left Rancho Seco to go to Palisades in 88 for NSS. At a stop in Wyoming, I called NSS just to check in. They said not to bother showing up if you could not be there the next  morning. The house people reduced the number a techs they needed. NSS gave me $200 for my troubles and travel. Luckily Bartlett had a slot for me at Diablo. So I turned around and headed for Diablo. So I had a 5 day scenic trip from the Ranch to Diablo.

[B.PRESGROVE]

What is a "sub"? Subbies? Not familiar with that term

A sub or subby is a subcontractor that comes to the site.  We used ACTS and BARTLETT at SRS when I was out there as Radcon.  Rent-a-Techs are also a know as subs.  I loved these guys.  They didnt take crap from anyone and laughed at our procedures and what we thought was dose and contamination issues.  Thats why I have kept a list of some of the good ones just in case.

[Joe Ferguson]

The best advise is really pretty simple.  In fact, it is in this thread several times. 
1.)  Listen, don't talk.
2.)  Find the tech's that are efficient and respected.  Learn 'how' and 'why' they do what they do.
3.)  Don't be afraid to work.  Lazy tech's acquire a rep in about 3 shifts.  Pull your weight, then help others (those that want it).
4.)  Understand the business side of Health Physics.  They do not build and operate 1100 MWe nuclear power plants so that a bunch of old HP's can have a job.  We are a SUPPORT organization, but not laborers.
5.)  Invest in a 401k religiously and don't touch it for 25 years.

good luck,
rotag

[Rennhack]

The best advise is really pretty simple.  In fact, it is in this thread several times. 
1.)  Listen, don't talk.
2.)  Find the tech's that are efficient and respected.  Learn 'how' and 'why' they do what they do.
3.)  Don't be afraid to work.  Lazy tech's acquire a rep in about 3 shifts.  Pull your weight, then help others (those that want it).
4.)  Understand the business side of Health Physics.  They do not build and operate 1100 MWe nuclear power plants so that a bunch of old HP's can have a job.  We are a SUPPORT organization, but not laborers.
5.)  Invest in a 401k religiously and don't touch it for 25 years.

Good Advice, karma to ya.

[hankrearden]

    dont get in. given 4 week outages it will take years reach the point where you will be making any real money. if you have any brains you can do much better for yourself than starting from square 1 in the post tmi mods nuke world.

[xobxdoc]

4 weeks?!!!!!!! We have an 18 day one coming up at Calvert in March. They already have the layoff list made out,

[RNN]

Good Advice, karma to ya.

I'm with Rennhack karma to you for a good post 

[wlrun3@aol.com]

The World Nuclear University Primer
 Nuclear Energy in the 21st Century

“Ian Hore-Lacy guides the reader expertly through the many complexities of nuclear energy. This is an invaluable resource for anyone wishing to distinguish fact from myth and to gain understanding in this crucial field.”
— Hans Blix, Chancellor, World Nuclear University, and Director General-Emeritus, International Atomic Energy Agency




 

[vikingfan]

get your frequent flyer miles card

if you didn't tab the tape after you used it, be prepared to buy your crew some beer !!!

a reliable cell phone and laptop, you can write off some of this expense on your taxes 


get a credit card if you don't have one, you can track your expenses that way.

[Rennhack]

get a credit card if you don't have one, you can track your expenses that way.

Just make sure to pay off the ballance before the 30 days when they charge you interest.  We're here to make money, not give it to the CC company.

It is a good way to track expenses, and give yourself a cussion before you get that first or second outage check.