Author Topic: Engineer or Operator (Read 25160 times)

JenSHO · « **on:** Sep 14, 2009, 04:16 »

I've been lurking here for a while reading up on everying. I desparately want to get into nuclear power. I already have a BS in Industrial Engineering and have E.I. registration in the state of Ohio (passed the Fundementals of Engineering test). I don't have any experience. I have applied to several positions with nuke power companies (example: USEC) that didn't seem to require a Nuke engineering degree, just said "engineering" degree. Has anyone here been able to break into the nuke industrial with this type of degree?

Outside of the miracle of me actually getting called for one of these jobs, here is my thinking about how I can get into nuke...

1. Obtain a M.S. in Nuke Engineering (hopefully at OSU)
2. Try to get into Navy Nuke Reator Engineering (from what I hear, long shot)
3. Try to just get an entry level operator job, I'm pretty sure I can pass the POSS or other exams needed
4. Go to the community college here and a get an associates in Nuclear Medicine Technology

Which of these paths seems most feasible to everyone? Also,, as I will have to get a loan for any future education that I will need to get, which one of these pathways will most likely net the most income in the long run?

Thanks.....

JenSHO · « **Reply #1 on:** Sep 14, 2009, 04:29 »

Also, I've been looking at Bartlett's Fall Outage schedule. Do they ever accept people that have technical education but zippo in the experience department? I don't need to worry about having a permanent job right now, I have 6 months of unemployment coming my way, so a 3-7 week position would be great for me. I have no family to take care of so I can travel alot. Would this be a good thing for me to do?

formerET1Han · « **Reply #2 on:** Sep 14, 2009, 06:28 »

With what you've thrown out there, what I would do is apply to Operations as well. It's not terribly pleasant work all the time - shift work, working outside, etc, but you will get time around a plant and that counts for loads and the pay's not bad. Trust me when I say that a little experience goes a long way. With your degree, that should not be a problem, I would think. Most operators (non licensed types) are high school graduates with a little extra education (associates or so) or other industrial experience (chemical plants, Navy Nuke). If I was the one hiring, I'd place a full on 4 year degree level with a Navy Nuke.

Becoming a nuclear officer in the Navy is actually pretty easy, especially since you already have your degree. You should be able to go the officer recruiter and be off to OCS and Power school pretty quick like. I don't actually know anyone who did that because usually the Navy foots the bill for school. That path would virtually guarantee a job at a power plant in the future, but that would be years away (like 5 or 6 with Power school, Prototype, first tour, maybe shore duty, etc).

JenSHO · « **Reply #3 on:** Sep 14, 2009, 07:07 »

Well, I am too old to do regular duty in the Navy. It would have to be as one of the reator engineers that work in DC. I thought that was relatively difficult to get into, with having to have the interview and everything....

JustinHEMI05 · « **Reply #4 on:** Sep 14, 2009, 08:41 »

Option 3. The sky is the limit.

Justin

Smooth Operator · « **Reply #5 on:** Sep 15, 2009, 02:58 »

Option 3.

Of the choices you listed, you will learn the plant, make more money than an Engineer, and then when and if you move to Engineering you will have street cred.

Jason

co60slr · « **Reply #6 on:** Sep 15, 2009, 07:36 »

Quote from: JenSHO on Sep 14, 2009, 04:16

I've been lurking here for a while reading up on everying. I desparately want to get into nuclear power. I already have a BS in Industrial Engineering and have E.I. registration in the state of Ohio (passed the Fundementals of Engineering test). I don't have any experience. I have applied to several positions with nuke power companies (example: USEC) that didn't seem to require a Nuke engineering degree, just said "engineering" degree. Has anyone here been able to break into the nuke industrial with this type of degree?

Outside of the miracle of me actually getting called for one of these jobs, here is my thinking about how I can get into nuke...

1. Obtain a M.S. in Nuke Engineering (hopefully at OSU)
2. Try to get into Navy Nuke Reator Engineering (from what I hear, long shot)
3. Try to just get an entry level operator job, I'm pretty sure I can pass the POSS or other exams needed
4. Go to the community college here and a get an associates in Nuclear Medicine Technology

5. Look outside of OH? Who has turned you down?

merchantg · « **Reply #7 on:** Sep 16, 2009, 08:26 »

I WAS going to get a M.S. in NE but after spending a large amount of time surfing through forums I discovered something. People who never agree seem to all agree don't get a M.S. in NE, it is too specific. It will limit your choices in and out of the Nuke world. This made a ton of sense to me, my wife had way too specific of a degree and it narrowed her choices down to only one hiring body in the country (ouch). It is an extreme case but a good example for me.

I was prior Navy Nuke though so it also seems like it would be better for me to not get a degree in something that my experience is already good for. As far as hiring goes.

I hope this helps a little.

JenSHO · « **Reply #8 on:** Sep 17, 2009, 06:57 »

Is there anything that I can be doing that will help me land an operator job? Is there some kind of certification test that I can take? A class I can take? Will I even have a chance at an operator job? I don't ever find any job postings that don't require lots of experience.

JenSHO · « **Reply #9 on:** Sep 18, 2009, 11:11 »

Also, how do I get "selected" to take one of those POSS exams. Do I already have to have been offered a job?

Nuclear NASCAR · « **Reply #10 on:** Sep 18, 2009, 12:04 »

The POSS is a screening exam. If you don't pass the POSS you don't get a job offer.

JenSHO · « **Reply #11 on:** Sep 21, 2009, 09:09 »

Is there a place that I can go and sign up to take the exam?

Nuclear NASCAR · « **Reply #12 on:** Sep 21, 2009, 09:55 »

You'll get invited to take the exam as part of the hiring process. Most companies don't share the results with each other, though some of the larger companies (Exelon, Entergy, etc..) do share the results internally.

There's quite a bit of good information here: http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/board,250.0.html

Best of luck, don't hesitate to keep asking questions, and Welcome to Nukeworker!

Tom

Jeff J · « **Reply #13 on:** Sep 22, 2009, 09:03 »

Engineer or Operator? With an engineering degree, I would recommend engineer. You do not need a nuclear degree (and you definitely do not need a masters). Apply for a job at a utility as a system engineer. Being a system engineer is much more challenging than being an operator. Entry level operators mop the floor and do laundry (the job gets better, but that is where you start).

Nuclear NASCAR · « **Reply #14 on:** Sep 22, 2009, 09:35 »

Quote from: Jeff J on Sep 22, 2009, 09:03

......Being a system engineer is much more challenging than being an operator. Entry level operators mop the floor and do laundry (the job gets better, but that is where you start).

Not sure where you're at but operators don't usually mop the floor or do laundry and a plant. As to the challenging part, that is more based on personality than job.(Doing vs. figuring)

Jeff J · « **Reply #15 on:** Sep 22, 2009, 10:24 »

An operator candidiate awaiting the start of the next operator training class will typically do housekeeping type tasks in addition to becoming familiar with the plant. Operators are great and people who mop the floors are great, but the original poster has a degree in industrial engineering and obviously likes challenge. For these reasons, the OP perfectly fits the qualifications required to be a systems engineer or a component engineer at a plant. Specifically, mechanical (NSSS or BOP) systems. I think the OP will succeed no matter which way he/she goes.

M1Ark · « **Reply #16 on:** Sep 22, 2009, 10:48 »

I hold entry level operators in higher regard than entry level engineers. It takes an entry level engineer 3 to 5 years before he/she even knows what is going on. By then the entry level operator has an RO license. Another 3 to 5 years that same engineer will be a senior engineer... still not in charge of anyone. On the other hand the operator will be an SRO/SM. Jeff, don't compare yourself to an entry level operator. Compare yourself to an operator with the same amount of years at your plant and see who has the more challenging job, higher pay and more authority.

thenuttyneutron · « **Reply #17 on:** Sep 22, 2009, 11:19 »

Quote from: M1Ark on Sep 22, 2009, 10:48

I hold entry level operators in higher regard than entry level engineers. It takes an entry level engineer 3 to 5 years before he/she even knows what is going on. By then the entry level operator has an RO license. Another 3 to 5 years that same engineer will be a senior engineer... still not in charge of anyone. On the other hand the operator will be an SRO/SM. Jeff, don't compare yourself to an entry level operator. Compare yourself to an operator with the same amount of years at your plant and see who has the more challenging job, higher pay and more authority.

I agree 100%. Operators know the plant better. I also know that I am making more coin as a Reactor Operator than an engineer. There are other things to consider. Working a rotating 12 hour shift is hard on the body.

Operators respond to problems and the engineers are supposed to come up with a fix. Usually I have seen the operators come up with a fix called a workaround. These are nothing more than using plant procedures to manually control a malfunctioning piece of equipment without changing the design of the system. I.E. a blowdown line off the air system is not working so operators must manually blow down the low points of the system.

spentfuel · « **Reply #18 on:** Sep 23, 2009, 01:34 »

Quote from: JenSHO on Sep 17, 2009, 06:57

Is there anything that I can be doing that will help me land an operator job? Is there some kind of certification test that I can take? A class I can take? Will I even have a chance at an operator job? I don't ever find any job postings that don't require lots of experience.

Look up Duke Energy's web site or go here

http://www.duke-energy.com/residential.asp

If you don't mind moving south they are Hiring for all three sites and if you have an engineering background I think they would take a look at you at a minimum

GL

sf

JenSHO · « **Reply #19 on:** Sep 25, 2009, 04:23 »

Thanks for all the great advice. Nuclear NASCAR (I love NASCAR also) said to keep asking questions. He may regret that because I can come up with A LOT of them.

More Questions:
1.   I did apply to the operator position at Duke Energy. Does anyone know anything about their hiring processes? I see the job will be posted on the web site until the end of December. Do they not start calling people until after the posting has been taken down?
2.   They have 3 sites listed. On job posts like this, how many total people are they looking to hire?
3.   I know that legally that a company would never have sexist hiring practices, but in all honesty, how many females do these companies actually hire as operators?
4.   I also applied as a “Plant Assistant” at FirstEnergy for the Perry site. If I were to get that job, could I move to Operator from there?
5.   Realistically, is this the type of job I have to know someone to get? I don’t want this to sound badly, but the qualifications seem to be so low that I would think that tens of thousands of people would be applying for these jobs. Or in other words, any of you operators out there, on average how many companies will I have to apply to before I would possibly get an offer?
6.   Does Duke (or other energy companies) give preferential status to people who already live near the plant? I would love to leave Ohio winters, and I would gladly pay my own relocation. I have no husband or children, I can move very quickly.
7.   I already have E.I.T. certification. I have seen some SRO job postings that say they require an engineering degree and a PE. I would definitely love to get my PE one day, is that something advantageous for an operator?
8.   I have decided to take one graduate course this quarter. I am taking Radiological Safety. Will having this class be helpful in finding an operator job, or am I kind of wasting my time/money? Funny, one of the suggested readings on the syllabus is the Moe text that is on nukeworker.com.
9.   What other resources should I utilize to find places that are hiring operators? I went to the NRC site and looked the list of running plants and looked at what company is listed as operating them. Is that a good place to start?
10.   Does Duke look for operators all through the year, or do they just only do this “fall job posting-spring start” cycle?
11.   How hard would it be for me to move from an operator position to an engineering position, if that is what I wanted?
Wow, that was a lot of questions, sorry! But I really want to get one of these jobs, they sound like they would fit my personality very well, and I like the idea of passing tests and getting new certifications.
Oh, one more thing, -Co60Slr- I’m definitely looking outside of Ohio. I did apply to an engineer job at USEC, but I haven’t heard anything back from them.

Again, thanks for all the great advice! And thanks for humoring me with all my questioning.

Jeff J · « **Reply #20 on:** Sep 25, 2009, 05:18 »

I personally think you are over qualified to be an operator. You will use very little of what you learned in school as an operator. To answer just a few of your questions - a PE would not be useful to an operator (the EIT will not be useful either). Grad courses will not in general help you land an operator job, but Rad Safety will look impressive on the resume. As for other resources, all the utilities have web sites where they post all their jobs. You are on the right track by going to the NRC website to find the utility names. And yes, you can move from ops to engineering (or vice versa) later in your career.

x633ro · « **Reply #21 on:** Sep 25, 2009, 05:26 »

Progress energy is hiring AO's and instant SRO's for the Robinson plant. we try to hire about 1/3 ex-Navy and the rest degreed engineers for our AO classes

Fermi2 · « **Reply #22 on:** Sep 25, 2009, 05:51 »

Quote from: Jeff J on Sep 25, 2009, 05:18

I personally think you are over qualified to be an operator. You will use very little of what you learned in school as an operator. To answer just a few of your questions - a PE would not be useful to an operator (the EIT will not be useful either). Grad courses will not in general help you land an operator job, but Rad Safety will look impressive on the resume. As for other resources, all the utilities have web sites where they post all their jobs. You are on the right track by going to the NRC website to find the utility names. And yes, you can move from ops to engineering (or vice versa) later in your career.

And what is your qualification that allows you to decide if anyone is qualified to be an Operator?

JenSHO · « **Reply #23 on:** Sep 25, 2009, 06:43 »

x633ro - that's funny! I just completed the Progress AO application online.

**fingers crossed** I don't think I would be qualified for the SRO position, though, having no experience and all

Smooth Operator · « **Reply #24 on:** Sep 25, 2009, 08:41 »

Quote from: Broadzilla on Sep 25, 2009, 05:51

And what is your qualification that allows you to decide if anyone is qualified to be an Operator?

Obviosly Broad, JeffJ was talking out his pooper....

We have plenty of Engineers at my plant who are operators, and some now are in ILT to be ROs and SROs. Problem is that many people associate NLOs/AUOs/EOs with low on the totem pole ideology when the reality is that an NLO is a combination Test Engineer, Operator, Field Engineer, and Electrical Tech all at the same time.

As far as I am concerned, not too many people can be a good NLO. It takes brains, stamina, and patience.

An Engineer with an NLO background can become a valuable commodity to a company.

Author Topic: Engineer or Operator (Read 25160 times)

formerET1Han

JustinHEMI05

co60slr

M1Ark

thenuttyneutron

Fermi2