Ok, here is a bit of advice for a new nuke worker. Don't buy into what you hear in the breakroom from nuclear naysayer's. The industry is alive and well and it is a great time for a young person to get involved. There is a bright future here (pardon the pun).
As a new person to the industry, and a young person, it can be very easy to get caught up in breakroom gossip or get a sour feel about the job from older workers that may not be happy with what they do for a living or are just tired of the road. Do some of your own research on the health of the industry and I am sure you will draw conclusions that mirror mine on where the industry is heading. Ignore the negative talk of some of our "angry at the industry" co-workers and draw your own conclusions on if you like the job or not. There are so many directions you can go in this industry with a little ambition, you should feel good about your decision to work in the nuclear industry and have pride in it.
Take a look at one of the hottest topics in our nation right now, energy. No matter what the condition of the economy is, the growth of our need for more energy continues on. As long as people keep making babies, the increased need for energy will survive. Where working in a factory making widgets (or Chevy's) depends on so many factors, the need for making power is much more simplistic. Energy is a "Need", not just a "Want". You can forgo buying a new Chevy and save your money by driving your old Chevy, but you can't not buy new energy to heat your house or turn on your lights.
Good luck and welcome to Nuclear Power! It is good to see new blood.
