Career Path > Navy:Getting Out
Navy Nuke Asking For Help
IPREGEN:
You have alot of options. Don't rule out working in the maintenance department. First off, have you kept track of anybody that has been discharged and gone to work at a site? It helps alot to have somebody as a breathing reference for any site you want to work at. Try contracting for a while, HP, Maint , Safety, whatever. A site may be in a place you want to live but not be the best place to work. Contracting will give you a chance to speak with the housefolks, let you see the area and give the house to see you prior to applying. Also find out who owns each site you want to work, PSE&G, Excelon, FPL, Entergy, SNC, PGE, go to their web page and check back freqently. Postings may not stay up very long. Another option is try to recall where some of the officers that liked you went, they may be moving up quickly in management and if you gave them the impression that you are a go-getter, you may have a way in that door. It's not kissing butt, it's networking.
GARYGWOODJR:
I am currently taking the last two courses I need to finish my BS from TESC (Nuclear Engineering Technology). Just so anyone reading this knows, I do not think I am too good to swing a meter or spill some water in a lab. As anyone who knows me will tell you, I have always prided myself on working at least as hard as the guys who worked for me. I have one goal, put food on the table. Thanks for all of the good info.
Already Gone:
Welcome to the club Wingsfan,
The best advice I can give you is to write a resume that shows you as a leader. That won't be hard for a Master Chief.
Stress overhaul and shipyard experience, since this is the closest thing you have to commercial nuke work. But don't use dumb phrases like "maintained the reactor system on a 130 person mobile facility." Just tell it as it happened. Say that you were a Machinist's Mate on a Nuclear Powered Submarine/Cruiser/Carrier...etc. That doesn't need to be candy-coated. It is something to be proud of.
Passing the Nuclear Fundamentals Exam will be a walk in the park for you. The NRRPT is nothing more than a professional achievement. It will open a few doors a little wider, but not having it won't slam them shut either. You'll be qualified to take it in three years or less anyway.
$60-65k won't be hard, especially if you include unemployment.
As I tell a lot of ELT's coming out, you can get work as a Senior HP immediately. The advantage is that you can work short term jobs, and earn that kind of money while you're still looking for that permanent job. It also gives you the advantage of workng at a bunch of diferent plants in a short time. It's like getting paid to go job-shopping. And it adds to your resume.
Don't rule out any job based on what you hear. You have to see it for yourself to decide if it is right for you. A lot of us had bad experiences in places like Florida or Illinois. A lot more of us had very good ones there. If you can name a power plant, I can throw a ping-pong ball and hit at least three people who hated it there. If I throw it again, I'll hit three who loved it. People tend to talk more about the negative things than the positive.
We ex-Navy nukes are not necessarily disgruntled. We just saw something better out here early on. Almost all the ex-Navy folks I work with have very positive things to say about our time in the Canoe Club. Some of them are retired MMCM's like you. It was--after all--the start of our career. I wouldn't have stayed in a day longer. But, I value the experience as much as the training.
Best of luck, and thanks for getting between me and the bad guys.
Troy
RP Instructor:
Wingsfan:
Please see your "inbox" for a personal message with a possible link to a job.
SST
Chelios:
Congratulations for staying for the long haul. The benefits that you will get as a retiree will give you a nice head start and help serve as a safety net. You sound as if you could get your foot in the door in several areas - HP, Chem, Rad Waste, Mech Maint, etc. Call some of the companies that advertise on Nukeworker and talk to the recruiters. The call is free and they may be sstaffing. You don't mention where you are stationed, but you may get an offer and be able to take some terminal leave and get started. May is the end of spring outage season, so it may be difficult to catch an outage. March and April are peak and often there is a shortage of help. We aren't disgruntled. Just remember the old Navy adage - if the crew ain't whining, they aren't happy.
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