Hired. Now what?

[nrlien]

I got an offer. I submitted my personal history questionaire about 3 days ago. I will probably have to follow up on something I had to answer 'yes' to on it, but other than that, what's next? I have my physical in a few days. I've read that there is some kind of psych test. Is there anything after that?
Thanks for any insight. It's a process, but in the end, it will be worth it all.

[JustinHEMI05]

Congrats and welcome tro the club!  Yeah don't sweat it. Next is your background check, MMPI (psych stuff), FFD (fitness for duty), physical, new hire orientation, etc. The hard part is over.

Justin

[Lorrie Henson]

Congratulations!!  What position did you get and what plant?  The MMPI (psych test) is about 500 questions.  

Good luck!!

[nrlien]

Thanks! I just didn't know what all needed to be done before my start date. When do they do the MMPI? I'm going to be out of town the week before I start (start 9/28), and I wasn't given any other dates other than my physical. Also, and this is probably a no-brainer, do they draw blood at the physical? I assume that's why you fast. I tend to get really light-headed when I get blood drawn, so I just want to prep myself

[nrlien]

AO/EO at Exelon.

[spentfuel]

Yes they take blood so heads up.

The usual process is if you pass the physical
and then the drug screen
then the background check
then the MMPI

But I'm sure this varies from utility to utility

good luck hope that helps

sf

[nrlien]

Ah, darn, haha.

Yeah, that sounds right. I think the order is slightly different.

You would think they would knock some of this stuff out BEFORE you get the offer, but I guess they feel you'll be fine.

Thanks again!

[Georg]

Hi guys

I'm a non-canadian nuclear operator, moved to Canada not a long ago. 

May anyone advise me where to go and what to do and to say in order to get any job and any CANDU in Ontario?

Some delails: I am a professional nuclear engineer-physicist (Master's degree in nuclear power engineering, 6 years of nuclear University) with practical experience of operation and maintaining of 6 nuclear power plants of different types in Germany and Russia  (these reactor types I have really seen and worked with: normal water-water, liquid sodium cooled, space-based 96% enrichment unshielded, atmosthere air cooled high enriched, liquid hydrogenum and CO2 cooled laser beam and space engine pilot nuclear reactor facilities of shield-blanket-core cooling gas-propultion agent circuits,  dual cores submarine based water-water and Vismuth or Plumbum ones, pool/loop type fast neutron eutectica cooled, civil pressurized, and several critical assemblies of different enrichment). Many times I just for fun was running alone the scientific cores at power levels just for fun at nights (sometimes after the second glass of vodka).

Has anyone carried by the unprotected hands the working control rods (ceramic Carbon, Be-10 enriched)? I did. Has anyone been sitting in fast-neutron or hard-gamma fields on the unshielded reactor top trying to (successfully!) fix the  drives of the control rods of running at power level reactor? I did many times for years. And what!? It does not matter in Canada.  I may not get any job in Canada at any nuclear power plants or irradiational facilities, since I do not have any magnificient Canadian experience. May be I should pack up and go back to the country I am from? This the only spet I have left to do to stay an engineer.

I love Canada. And Canada loves me too in all my technological holes.


And by the way. India has fullfilled the successfull nuclear test explosions a couple years after I has given the university course of lectures to an indian student : "Physical - mathematic modeling of nuclear power installations" . May be I should move to Iran or Zimbabve? Canada sucks! A country, which has no brain to hold the specialists, should die.

[Georg]

More like you've already blown the legal lifetime exposure limit for any occupational worker in any country located in the Western Hemisphere, South Korea, Japan, Israel or Western Europe.

However, China and North Korea are growth markets for nuclear power generation or devices manufacturing. So, you don't necessarily have to go back where you started.

Good Luck and welcome to nukeworker!

I am sure, you do not believe to what I said here. You may think I am joking about my experience in nuclear indistry?

But. We may try to make an experiment.
You are asking any questions about the nuclear engineering. And I answer asap. You will be surprized how quick I'm in answering - no books or googling! - just my memory. 

Sometimes I just recall where I have been and what a strange things I was doing. It is really amasing. I could write a book.

By now I am in Toronto. Last wek I was in Pickering looking on the tallest wind generator at CANDU site.

By the way, I may say exactly what and where is located in every building of Pickering nuclear power plant. I was studying the heavy-water horizontal channel-type low enriched reactors for several years. I could be the best employee of OPG. But! This f..ng Canadian experiece is ruining my life.
If I just would suspect about this trap before to move to Canada. I would never ever sell my hause, car and give up a good postition of senior manager in international engineering company.
Canada is full of cowards and morons.    They are afraind of anyone who could be clever than they are. The only reason why I am not able to get a job in OPG - I DO NOT HAVE A CANADIAN EXPERIENCE!!!!!!! - that's - MARAZM 

[Georg]

May be you know a way how to meet any serious person from Canadian nuclear industry?

[Neutron_Herder]

Instead of starting yet another topic I figured my dilemma would fit in well with this topic...

First off, I really have to thank this forum for opening my eyes to the intricacies of the civilian nuclear power industry.  Prior to reading the information on here I really fell for the prevailing attitude in the Navy which is, "Instant SRO is the way to go...  it's the same as EWS and Watch Officer".  That's the way Navy Nukes are thinking.  Every one of them I hear talking like that now I point to this forum.

Being ignorant (I prefer naive  ), I peppered my target area (Southeast) with SRO applications....  Lots of interest.  21 years in the Navy... PPWS, Master Training Specialist, Simulator Instructor, Excelsior Degree, etc.  Then, after reading the forums went and also applied for some AO positions.

Interviewed with TVA for SRO in Aug.  Still haven't heard anything though.  Wasn't ready for the behavioral interview and was off balance the whole time, I just don't think it went well. 

Then I got a call to go down and take the POSS for another company.  Thought it was strange that they would pay for me to go down and just take the test, but what the heck...  why not?  They graded the test right after we took it, and out of about 20 people who took it, only three passed.  Kind of sad, but that's another topic!  After the test, they took me to lunch and told me while we were eating that my interview was right after I got a plant tour.  I had no idea, and really wasn't dressed for an interview (dockers and a nice shirt with a tie)...  hell, I didn't even have copies of my resume with me!  Silly I know, but they told me it was just taking the POSS.

Then I get a call for an SRO interview for one of the many other applications I put in and say yes.  That was yesterday.  Today I get an email with a job offer for the AO position! 

Long story short, I hate knowing the right answer (AO), but not sure if I can afford it.  I know it pays off in spades when I go for license class, and professionally it's the right thing to do.  I just wish I could get a little more money for it.  Not to sound greedy, I'm really not.  It's hard to take a 30k a year pay cut.  Even if it's only for a short (12 months?) period of time, there are financial obligations that have to be met...  a kid in college and child support for two more.  It's not a union position, so I'm hoping I can at least try to negotiate some.  Realistically, probably not, but I'm going to try.

Sorry for the rant, but this has been costing me sleep for the last few days...  Anyone else been in this situation?

[lionhart]

What company is it with?

[HydroDave63]

What company is it with?

I'd recommend not answering that except in PM, diming out which companies offered what while you aren't an employee yet tends to burn bridges...

[Gamecock]

  It's hard to take a 30k a year pay cut. 

Does this $30K pay cut include your navy retirement?

[Neutron_Herder]

No, my numbers were pretty rough (really rough, sorry)...  counting retirement it would be about 19k.

Had to account for taxes...  What the hell???  Yet another advantage to being in the military that I had neglected.

[JustinHEMI05]

I think you need to do what is right for you and your family. If you can't afford the cut, don't do it. But, your family will sacrifice while you are in class for close to two years. You will have to spend a majority of your free time studying if you go for instant SRO. The statistics speak for themselves as far as the success of instants in the industry, so getting around the many hours at home you will have to work, is impossible. So consider that in your decision.

On the other hand, if you feel you can absorb a 19K pay cut for a year, then the other path will prove to be lucrative as well. Considering that most, if not all, interviewers are going to ask you if you intend on licensing one day, you can almost guarantee that you will as long as you aren't a total tool. Which by this point, I am sure you are not.

So yes it seems you have a tough decision. If you would like more details about the life of an instant SRO trainee, please feel free to PM or email me. I am 3 weeks from my exam, and I can give you a personal account of the trials and tribulations I experienced.

Good luck and keep us posted!

Justin

[Neutron_Herder]

Actually one of the big questions during my interview was my career aspirations...  I honestly don't want to be a career AO, and told them as much.  They really seemed to be looking for people that wanted to progress, and that's a good thing.  Lots of questions about where I see myself being in 5 and 10 years.  I really like the site, and the people were awesome!  I also realize that significance of learning the plant from the ground up, and that's never something to be discounted.

It's just a matter of numbers now...  My wife's company had said they would allow her to work remotely as long as we had a high speed internet connection, then through the course of the day things have waffled.  They're not sure, and we were kind of counting on her keeping her job in order to be able for us to afford the temporary cut in pay.  If they say no to her working remotely then my hands will be tied.

It can never be easy, can it?  It's all good though, I'm debating which job I would like to try for in the middle of the "Great Recession".  Whatever happens I'll make due, and be thankful for it!

As far as the time at home, she understands.  Hell, she's half of the reason I finished my degree!  She would always help me study, or just leave me alone if it was something I needed to do on my own...  Support at home won't be an issue, 'cause she knows what I'm getting into through friends that are already doing it.

I just want to figure it out while the few hairs I have left aren't gone or grey from the stress!!

Jay

[Steve B]

Another way to look at it is whether your willing to risk not having a job at all.

Then you would be taking a $60 to $80,000 a year pay cut.

It's always a risk vs reward comparison. I recently found myself in a similar situation. The only thing that made it easier was that while I was in the Navy I saved 6 to 9 months of expenses. Even still, it was a stressfull time. When your making a budget and income is $0 while expenses are $3 to $4000, it's a humbling experience.

Either way, congrats on a successful career as a Nuclear Sailor.

Steve