One other thing I just thought of to illustrate the point: Excelon HR reps told us (an RPI career fair group) that they "will not hire direct SRO's based-on a master's degree." To paraphrase the rest, they basically told us that with a Master's degree, you may start at a little higher salary, but you're still going to be an AO or an engineeer just like everybody else. But if you've got >2 years as EOOW/EWS/PPWS, then they would entertain the direct SRO option. Of course, that's not to say that SRO is the end all be all of the civilian nuclear experience, but it's close!(Sorry, I couldn't resist). Anyway, a guy that worked with me at KAPL/NNPTU in Ny got his master's in NukeE from RPI and he couldn't get an SRO offer from a civilian plant, so he had to go with his second choice and take an offer at the WIPP plant out west (New Mexico, I think.) Anyway, keep working hard to make yourself "better" and you'll be fine.