Rentering Nuke field after 10 year hiatus

[Robnknoxville]

Hello,the economy hasn't been good for me and I've comtemplated getting back into the nuke field after a 10 year hiatus.I've got 15 years in the field prior as QA/QC engineering aide/inspector(Electrical/I&C).I would appreciate any good advice/help.I just need a break back into the field for someone willing to work for what they had and earned.I consider myself a good inspector/aide and want to prove it again.
I've worked directly fir TVA at Watts Bar/Sequoyah/Browns Ferry and as contractor for other companies/locations.

Thanx,Robnknoxville.

[X-Nuke]

Well, this might not be helpful to you but I contemplated getting back into the business myself.  Contacted a bunch of old coworkers still in the business, dropped emails to friends at various plants and facilities, and ended up with about nothing.

A few factors seem to be in play. The biggest of them is really the major factor that caused me to get out of the business in the first place; the shrinking universe of the nuclear industry.  For example, when I looked into the compensation picture for HP Techs and Engineers, it looks like both are making less money now than when I left the business in the mid-1990s. The other thing I noticed was that the people I talked to were very protective of the situations that they were in. Both of these are indicators of there being fewer jobs around in general.  Combine this with shorter outages and you end up with a more competitive job market and a glut of underused talent.

I'm sure that there's folks on here that would disagree with my assessment but when I was in Oak Ridge a couple of months back, it looked like a shell of its former glory and its apparent that its gone and won't be coming back. I would have to say that if you think getting back into the nuclear business is better than where you are now, you're probably remembering a nuclear business that doesn't really exist anymore and the one that does exist is a shrinking set of opportunities tied heavily to what the government feels like spending on cleaning up their old messes.

Maybe somebody else sees this differently but judging from the flood of encouragement posted to this thread, I'm guessing not.

Bill

[Content1]

I am a senior with 16+ years in the field and in the fall of 2008 only worked at millstone 24 days, and in the
Spring worked a total of 32 days and made a glorious $13,000 for the Spring.   Multiply that time 2 and you can't live on it so I went house last June.  The companies are in outright competition to see who can have the shortest outage.  The world you left 10 years ago has changed.  Until more plants come on line, if ever, the industry will continue a slow death for the traveling tech.

[Jr8black3]

Content your doing somthing way wrong, I got laid off in August and made 52,000.00 and I'm just a deconner,, pulled it off with 25 years behind me.. Good luck buddy..

[Content1]

If all we do is swing a meter then hire trained monkeys with cameras.   I suppose you blamed the victims of sunamis for living too close to shore, too.  Emphasize the 16+ years of experience, it was the lack of work, not my skills as every one else except about 5 people left with me.  Were we all just barely qualified meter slingers?  It was the intentional design to have short outages by companies to save money.   Can't blame them, they do not have a duty to provide me work, nor do I have a duty to stay in that line of work if it doesn't pay enough.   I got a house tech job making about $72k a year plus benefits with 6 weeks a year off holidays plus vacation.  I am not complaining, just explaining that the market for the traveling tech has changed, and it may not be back, ever.

[Content1]

I will make it simple for you then.   I show up for work.   Sling meter, get paid.  Reactor gets refilled with fuel.  No sling meter, then send me home after 16 days from North Anna.   Go home in between.   Go back, sling meter 15 days at Surry.  Reactor all filled up.   Send us home again.   No other outages available as the narrow band they are in so no other openings until fall.  I get real upset at 13K for Spring.   

If you find somewhere in all that it was my fault, if I had been a wiser tech I could have worked more, teach me the error of my ways, oh Master Tech.

I was told the outage went "Faster then expected, twice."  How do you prevent that?

[Jr8black3]

Let me try to re-do my last post,, There is a ton of work if you want to do it,, 25 years yes,, you have to chose where you want to go and make it right for you.. I know Al Eidson will agree with me.. I guess I'm dumb I only have 25 years,,you decide where to go and go.. Trust me it's going to happen to me.. I'm like AL old schooled and I respect the man

Kevin

[Content1]

Especially is both outage swere scheduled to be for 4 weeks, and end up being half that, all you can do is not be fooled again and don't go back, or become a house tech.   I only brought up my situation for the returning Tech that the companies will either lie or not inform you of their intention to give you are little as work as possible, without notice, so you could have made better choices if you were better informed.   The companies, however, don't wish to tell you they intend to cut it as short as possible for fear people won't show up in the first place.  If you could pull up the previous posting before the Spring outages you will see them listed f(North Anna and Surry) as twice as long as they really were.   I would suggest to the person returning to either lower his expectations on how much work he will get or get some sort of commitment on what the realistic length of the outage will be and ignore what Bartlet has estimated, or he will be frustrated too.

[Content1]

Sorry but you guessed wrong.  I live in California and just to show up to the job I lose money in travel.  You missed the main point is the industry has changed, companies and recruiters can misinform, and If taking a job to survive is "the easy way out" then guilty as charged.   31 days, when it is ALL you can get, in spite of performance and best efforts in searching for positions, is UNACCEPTABLE if these employers want you back.   I know some recruiters read some of these posts and this message if for them.   Don't go, "Drat the luck, why can't I find seniors anymore!" when the shortage is a natural consequence of treating the Sr. with starvation wages, people will act to protect their own self-interests just like the companies who offer only short outages protecting their BOTTOM LINE.

[Longtime Nuke]

I will make it simple for you then.   I show up for work.   Sling meter, get paid.  Reactor gets refilled with fuel.  No sling meter, then send me home after 16 days from North Anna.   Go home in between.   Go back, sling meter 15 days at Surry.  Reactor all filled up.   Send us home again.   No other outages available as the narrow band they are in so no other openings until fall.  I get real upset at 13K for Spring.   

If you find somewhere in all that it was my fault, if I had been a wiser tech I could have worked more, teach me the error of my ways, oh Master Tech.

I was told the outage went "Faster then expected, twice."  How do you prevent that?

Short outages are the POINT, amigo.  Welcome to the future.

[Old HP]

Hey Guys can't we just get along.  Yes if you are thinking of coming back be advised that outages are no longer 3 to 4 months and there are no rental cars or prepaid plane tickets. More often than not the plants will start reducing staff 2 to 3 weeks before the scheduled outage completion date. Sometimes you might actually stay a week or two longer than expected. I have always made a point of not returning to a plant that did not treat techs fairly. The list continues to get longer. I have not been to North Anna for more than 15 years and it still remains on my list.
There is a need for experienced techs but it is still a part time job.

[Content1]

Hey Guys can't we just get along.  Yes if you are thinking of coming back be advised that outages are no longer 3 to 4 months and there are no rental cars or prepaid plane tickets. More often than not the plants will start reducing staff 2 to 3 weeks before the scheduled outage completion date. Sometimes you might actually stay a week or two longer than expected. I have always made a point of not returning to a plant that did not treat techs fairly. The list continues to get longer. I have not been to North Anna for more than 15 years and it still remains on my list.
There is a need for experienced techs but it is still a part time job.

Thanks for the vindication.   North Anna and Surry, work it if you are a local or go there forwarned of it short outage nature.  I add limerick to that list.  On the positive note North Anna and Surry did not treat me bad in any way, just didn't make any money to sustain returning.   I find most places the management and other workers are reasonable people, try to be safe, and actually enjoyed the work.