Any Advice?

[gotnoname19]

I'm new to the outage game. I just got hired for my first job as a deconner at Ginna. My father and brother are both operators, and I'm looking to get my foot in the door, and make some $$$.

I'm looking for another shutdown to work after Ginna. I guess the report date would have to be somewhere around the middle of October or later. The only place I know to look for a position is at Bartlett, and it doesn't look like they have anything else for me. Any advice from the veterans?

[Content1]

First, you are lucky to be in.  My stepson's fiance' could not get in this fall and she had a 4 year radiation degree, said they wanted people already trained as returnees.  I am a Senior who left the road after making 13k at North Anna & Surry with 2 week outages.  (I got a house position now with full medical benefits).  Utilities are getting cheaper and cheaper.  I Advise if you have 2 in the business house try to get entry level house.   If you got in it is already through someone you know.  Have a back up job to go to and keep contacting Bartlett Recruiters and hope for the best.

[HenryBlack]

My advice to anyone trying to get in the NUclear Industry is to find a plant and apply for a House position. There are a lot of plants hiring in every department. You may have to hire into a department that you may not like but then after a while you could transfer to one you do like. This is the same advice I gave my son when he wanted to break into the HP field. Being a rad tech isnt what it used to be. Even though benefits for utility employees aren't what they used to be either, they are still better than contractor's benefits. I hope you take this advice to heart. I have been traveling since may of 1981 and everyday I wish I had went house somewhere when I had the chance. Its pretty much too late for me, but not for young people with ambitions.
Take care
Henry

[vikingfan]

do want to stay in the rad tech field or do something else ? mechanical ? refuel side, instrumentation, operator. there are lots of things you can do besides being a deconner or HP, i was a deconner for years so just saying there are other options out there. there lots of folks here that can give you the straight scoop so ask away and good luck ! have you tried atlantic ? or some of the other companies ?

[UncaBuffalo]

My advice to anyone trying to get in the NUclear Industry is to find a plant and apply for a House position. There are a lot of plants hiring in every department. You may have to hire into a department that you may not like but then after a while you could transfer to one you do like. This is the same advice I gave my son when he wanted to break into the HP field. Being a rad tech isnt what it used to be. Even though benefits for utility employees aren't what they used to be either, they are still better than contractor's benefits. I hope you take this advice to heart. I have been traveling since may of 1981 and everyday I wish I had went house somewhere when I had the chance. Its pretty much too late for me, but not for young people with ambitions.
Take care
Henry

Getting a house job is absolutely the best way to get your time in quickly.  You can spin your wheels for years trying to amass enough hours to be marketable if you go the contractor route early in your career. 

(And I am a dyed-in-the-wool rent-a-tech, so...)

[Lorrie Henson]

You can also try contacting The Atlantic Group at 888-488-0808.  They have similar contracts as Bartlet.  I'm a Jr HP and Procedure Writer and have been trying to land an in-house position for 2 yrs now, and no takers.  However, I can get an HP outage job very easily.

[Dave Warren]

Step 1. Have someone beef up that drugstore resume you have in your hand. Take it to someone who does them professionally. Tell them you want it done up right. Don't say it like that because they will tell you to go back to Alabama or Tennessee.

Step 2. Get on CareerBuilder.com, Monster.com, YahooJobs.com, nukeworker.com and ineedadamnjob.com (not a real website) and post that fresh, new resume.

Step 3. Call up Atlantic, Bartlett and all the rest and talk to the recruiting department. Tell them you are willing to do whatever it takes to do your time and have a little humility about you.

Step 4. Throw away your pocket protector and multi-colored clicky pen and get a nice pen that hangs around your neck.

Step 5. Get a cool nickname. You can't survive in the powerhouse without a cool name. Something like Bull or Skeeter or Stickman or Captain.

Step 6. Invent a saying that everyone will associate with you. Henry Black always says, "Dave, I don't play. I quit school cuz of recess".

Step 7. Bust your ass no matter how many people call you a brown-nose or boot-licker.

Step 8. Socialize, socialize, socialize. Trust me, just do it.

Step 9. The rest will take care of itself. Trust me I work for the government.

[gotnoname19]

do want to stay in the rad tech field or do something else ? mechanical ? refuel side, instrumentation, operator. there are lots of things you can do besides being a deconner or HP, i was a deconner for years so just saying there are other options out there. there lots of folks here that can give you the straight scoop so ask away and good luck ! have you tried atlantic ? or some of the other companies ?

So Atlantic is another company like Bartlett? Thanks, this is the kind of information that I dont have. Another thing I dont know is, what is a house position? HP? Etc.?

Also, as to a bit more about me and my desires; I'm 28, just graduated college, am broke, and plan on ski bumming and traveling overseas this winter. So hitting a couple of shutdowns would really help my cause. Beyond that, I'm looking to be an operator somewhere, preferably Vermont Yankee, but will start anywhere. My father and brother (operators) have told me that any commercial nuclear experience will help my resume out in terms of operations.

Beyond that, I'm really curious to see how the plant operates; if its the kind of industry that I want to work in? I know that operations pays great, but I'm interested to see how things work.

Also, I've read this board a lot over the last week, and I know that the utilities world is crumbling for a lot of you guys who have been in the game for a long time. But from the outside perspective, it is still great. You can get 4-5 week contracts paying $25-30/hr if you figure in per diem. Thats unheard of, and awsome for someone who wants to enjoy large chunks of time off with cash in thier pockets.

Thanks for all the advice guys, and anything else anyone has to say is appreciated. Cheers.

[Content1]

You have a college degree!  Quick, you still have a chance to get into a job with a future.  It is no accident the motto handwritten outside each power plant says, "Omnem dimittite spem, o vos intrantes" or in English "Abandon all hope ye who enter in!"  Yes, you found the gates of a place you do not want to go.  Ask any road tech who has been doing this for 20+ years and they will tell you the have nothing but memories to show for it, and they are afraid to do anything else so they take whatever work is given under any condition, that is why they can organize to form a union. (If they did ,who knows what all the techs could do as a block.)

[gotnoname19]

You have a college degree!  Quick, you still have a chance to get into a job with a future.  It is no accident the motto handwritten outside each power plant says, "Omnem dimittite spem, o vos intrantes" or in English "Abandon all hope ye who enter in!"  Yes, you found the gates of a place you do not want to go.  Ask any road tech who has been doing this for 20+ years and they will tell you the have nothing but memories to show for it, and they are afraid to do anything else so they take whatever work is given under any condition, that is why they can organize to form a union. (If they did ,who knows what all the techs could do as a block.)

Yeah, I have a four year degree in Disaster Reduction and Emergency Planning. And as I stated before, I'm not looking to become a long term road-tech. I just want to work a few shutdowns, make some $$$, get my foot in the nuclear door, and become an operator. And even if it doesn't lead to my becoming an operator, its going to provide some good $$$, and leave me free to travel and snowboard this winter. Its a win-win.

[RDTroja]

You have a college degree!  Quick, you still have a chance to get into a job with a future.  It is no accident the motto handwritten outside each power plant says, "Omnem dimittite spem, o vos intrantes" or in English "Abandon all hope ye who enter in!"  Yes, you found the gates of a place you do not want to go.  Ask any road tech who has been doing this for 20+ years and they will tell you the have nothing but memories to show for it, and they are afraid to do anything else so they take whatever work is given under any condition, that is why they can organize to form a union. (If they did ,who knows what all the techs could do as a block.)

Don't pay any attention to the disgruntled until you have given yourself a chance.

I have been a road tech (and worked house for a while in other jobs) doing this for 35+ years and I think this is still a pretty good career to have. It has served me quite well and continues to do so. I have a nice house that is 2/3 paid for and would be all mine except I used to have no discipline with money (I still don't have a lot.) I also own two fairly new cars that I paid cash for. Granted it is tougher now than when I started, but if you are looking at a job that puts some money in your pocket and gives abundant time off, this is still not bad. Based on what you have posted, and given that you are a recent graduate and are looking for some well deserved 'bum' time, I think you are headed in the right direction. Get your foot in the door, keep your eyes open and take whatever better opportunities you can manage to find. If you want to be an operator, keep your eye on openings and get in, no matter where it is. Once you have experience it is pretty easy to move to a plant where you would rather work as long as you pay attention to when they are hiring.

If you find out that the nuclear world is not for you, your college degree will not have evaporated while you were giving it a shot.

[gotnoname19]

You can also try contacting The Atlantic Group at 888-488-0808.  They have similar contracts as Bartlet.  I'm a Jr HP and Procedure Writer and have been trying to land an in-house position for 2 yrs now, and no takers.  However, I can get an HP outage job very easily.

That phone number is a phone sex line. Very funny.

[xobxdoc]

Step 5. Get a cool nickname. You can't survive in the powerhouse without a cool name. Something like Bull or Skeeter or Stickman or Captain.

Just don't use "Gator". That one's been worn out

[stormgoalie]

Step 1. Have someone beef up that drugstore resume you have in your hand. Take it to someone who does them professionally. Tell them you want it done up right. Don't say it like that because they will tell you to go back to Alabama or Tennessee.

Step 2. Get on CareerBuilder.com, Monster.com, YahooJobs.com, nukeworker.com and ineedadamnjob.com (not a real website) and post that fresh, new resume.

Step 3. Call up Atlantic, Bartlett and all the rest and talk to the recruiting department. Tell them you are willing to do whatever it takes to do your time and have a little humility about you.

Step 4. Throw away your pocket protector and multi-colored clicky pen and get a nice pen that hangs around your neck.

Step 5. Get a cool nickname. You can't survive in the powerhouse without a cool name. Something like Bull or Skeeter or Stickman or Captain.

Step 6. Invent a saying that everyone will associate with you. Henry Black always says, "Dave, I don't play. I quit school cuz of recess".

Step 7. Bust your ass no matter how many people call you a brown-nose or boot-licker.

Step 8. Socialize, socialize, socialize. Trust me, just do it.

Step 9. The rest will take care of itself. Trust me I work for the government.

Very good advice DW My little piece of advice is: Just be careful or you can/will get a nickname that you will hate but will stick with you no matter where you go LOL.  Picked one up while working at Bruce Power for an outage in 03, still can't shake it.......

[gotnoname19]

Don't pay any attention to the disgruntled until you have given yourself a chance.

I have been a road tech (and worked house for a while in other jobs) doing this for 35+ years and I think this is still a pretty good career to have. It has served me quite well and continues to do so. I have a nice house that is 2/3 paid for and would be all mine except I used to have no discipline with money (I still don't have a lot.) I also own two fairly new cars that I paid cash for. Granted it is tougher now than when I started, but if you are looking at a job that puts some money in your pocket and gives abundant time off, this is still not bad. Based on what you have posted, and given that you are a recent graduate and are looking for some well deserved 'bum' time, I think you are headed in the right direction. Get your foot in the door, keep your eyes open and take whatever better opportunities you can manage to find. If you want to be an operator, keep your eye on openings and get in, no matter where it is. Once you have experience it is pretty easy to move to a plant where you would rather work as long as you pay attention to when they are hiring.

If you find out that the nuclear world is not for you, your college degree will not have evaporated while you were giving it a shot.

Thanks man, I think you understand where I'm coming from, and where I'm trying to go. Cheers.

[Lorrie Henson]

Dang it... I'm soooooooooooo sorry.. the number is 888-488-0880... I've done that too many times... and immediately hang up when I hear...

"HEY THERE, LOVER"


oops   

[Lorrie Henson]

To clarify 'house', 'in-house', 'house-tech'... this is probably what your relatives are... they work for the utility instead of working for a contracting company (Barlett, Atlantic, etc)...  This is 'road-tech' vs. 'house-tech'.

[Dave Warren]

Picked one up while working at Bruce Power for an outage in 03, still can't shake it.......

What was it? Hot Foot, Lost Smear, Broken Meter, Neutron Smear Guy.....

[UncaBuffalo]

If you find out that the nuclear world is not for you, your college degree will not have evaporated while you were giving it a shot.

That is somewhat true, but there is a half-life on education...both in how much you remember AND in how impressed the hiring entity is by the degree.  You may want to validate your degree while it is fresh...

[RDTroja]

That is somewhat true, but there is a half-life on education...both in how much you remember AND in how impressed the hiring entity is by the degree.  You may want to validate your degree while it is fresh...

Good point. I was thinking along the lines of a year or two to try out nuclear and then if it is not his cup of tea, the degree will not have lost any value it had. If it takes much longer than that to figure out he hates it then the volatility need to be considered.

[gotnoname19]

Honestly, I got a degree in Disaster Reduction and Emergency Planning because I have been a volunteer firefighter for a while, and thought this degree might help me get a career position. I've since been discouraged by how difficult the fire service is to break in to, and have started exploring other options. That isnt to say that I wont try to become a firefighter wherever I go, I just dont want to put all of my eggs in one shaky basket. But the point is, if the nuke thing doesnt work out, I dont plan on getting a job in an emergency planning office. The idea of working in an office scares me.

Also, a lot of times employers just like to see that an applicant was able to get through four years of school. It shows a level of commitment. This - of course - isn't the case across the board, but I think my degree will always serve me in this manner at least. Also, without a degree I would have ZERO chance of becoming an operator, which is what I really want to do if I go nuke.

[UncaBuffalo]

Sounds like you've got a good handle on the big picture.  ENJOY YOUR OUTAGES! 

[gotnoname19]

Still looking for a second entry level fall outage position. Any Advice? Thanks guys.

[UncaBuffalo]

Still looking for a second entry level fall outage position. Any Advice? Thanks guys.

Have you looked at the outage schedule?  I glanced at it and there seem to be several sites that would match up good with Ginna, since it is early.  Try talking to the recruiters at Bartlett & Atlantic to explain your situation...they will be hesitant to confirm you right now, since you have no experience, but they might work something where they will tentatively hold a slot contingent on you successfully completing the Ginna outage...?

And, remember, just because you can't get a slot now doesn't mean you are wasting your time.  Make it clear to the recruiters that you are available for any site after Ginna & are willing to respond on a moment's notice as soon as Ginna is over.  If you have already made the contacts, I can almost guarantee there will be last minute openings after Ginna.

[gotnoname19]

Thanks man, I dont have a copy of the outage schedule. I can talked to Bartlett and Atlantic. I'll keep trying. Also, Vikingfan gave me a contact who is looking for something for me. Thanks Vikingfan!!!!!