Hirability?

[haverty]

Hello Ladies and Gents, just want a quick synopsis of how hireable of an AO or NLO I will be...

-Navy Nuke MM.
-Qualified SIR, QAI, advanced DC and random quals that dont mean much in the civilian world
-LOTS of maintenance experience on every machine in the plant
-3M work center sup., in charge of 9 people directly, and all maintenance in the plant for a year.
-easily pass any POSS or MASS. 
-FANTASTIC evals

Basically, I want to be hired as an AO in a region III plant. Im going to assume I'd be fairly competitive, or is that presumptuous of me? I'm still not 100% of what the difference between AO and NLO is, if someone can clarify that, I'd appreciate it. Thank you guys.

[HydroDave63]

Didn't you ask this in another thread already?

[haverty]

Didn't you ask this in another thread already?

asked in the navy section. How many non-navy people use that vice this one? Im not sure, so I posted in both.... sorry. Besides my questions are different.

[haverty]

Definitely a competitive resume for AO/AUO/NLO/ANPEO/etc.

That is, if we ignore your previous post about the panic attacks and NJP.  Know what happens when you "forget" to mention important stuff like that to the NRC and your future nuke plant?  An acquaintance was suspended from all nuclear duties for 3 years-- by the NRC.  Needless to say it was time for a career change...

I see Im swimming in shark infested waters here...  No one answered my NAVY questions in the NAVY section. My discharge paper work will show why I was discharged, I have nothing to hide honestly. My evaluations are phenomenal, even my NJP eval was good (Albiet an SP). My next evaluation was a month later and EP... poignant I would say. I have good job references, and Im an honest guy. Im speaking of hirability vs my qualifications, not my disqualifications. I  want to know where I should set my sights on.

If you guys would answer my question in the other post, that would make this simpler please... thank you.

[haverty]

I see the seniority system is in effect here, so I guess im just the "nub". Sure. I'll post my other post in here too. I want answers, dont care how I get them.

Hello and good day to all. I heard this was a great site for us, so I figured I would check you guys out. I would like to say I DID search (I was told I'd be eaten alive if I didnt), this site and googled for hours, but nothing was similar to my situation. Closest I found was adsep based on drug usage, or SARP failures... not really my issue. Im going to be a little ambiguous about certain things that are personal (sorry).  Clifs notes version at the bottom for those pressed for time Smiley

Issue -> No, I didn't smoke pot, or try to "off myself"... I had panic attacks and had one on watch one night, so they took my TLD. Following through, they deemed me "unfit for shipboard duty", so the Doc told me my best route was to file for a "administrative separation at convienence of the government -> Medical not amounting to disability". Well that went through fine. I was expecting the process to take a long, long time because people before me who had... "similar"... incidents have been here over a year. I found out TODAY(!) that i am getting discharged... TOMORROW! (We were on a 7 month deployment).  So obviously Im a little spooked and nervous.

The "problem" -> I got into an altercation with a shipmate earlier this year, and went to NJP. My discharge therefore got downgraded to a "General - Under honorable Conditions" vice an "honarable" that the milpersman states.  How does this affect hireability? I want to work in a nuke plant as an NLO or mechanic of some kind. I have GREAT evaluations. My first evaluation after going to mast was an EP. I was the 3M work center supervisor -> in charge of a few first classes as well. My only "black eye" is the masting issue. I am qualified everything but PPWS, QAS, and DCTT, and I mean everything. 5 years of service, all with great paper work to back me up... except this general. Will employers hold that against me? I have a lot of experience doing maintenance on pretty much every machine in the plant. leading other sailors, and I was a stellar sailor myself.  To the best of my knowledge, I still have my NEC and clearance. (not sure why they would take it, and I imagine I would know if I lost it)

I implore some of you to not get this personal. I am really ashamed I could not finish my term of service to the Navy, this was NOT my choice route I promise!


One more quick question -> I notice pretty much every energy company hiring uses some online system (erecruit, etc), but they dont have many job postings. I have a nuke plant in my hometown, would it be uncouth to show up to see if they were hiring operators or mechanics? Or should I just wait until the job postings show up? Auxilliary Operator is really what I'm going for.  Don't really want to flip burgers while I wait Smiley.  ( i will post a better question in the civilian section as well)

IF anyone has any information, I would greatly appreciate it! thank you very much.


CLIFS NOTES -> Highly qualified (everything but QAS, PPWS, and DCTT), getting adseped for medical, getting general discharge -> want to know how that affects employability. Also would like more information on hiring process for civilian nuke plants.

[HydroDave63]

I'm still not 100% of what the difference between AO and NLO is, if someone can clarify that, I'd appreciate it. Thank you guys.

AO and NLO are Auxiliary Operator and Non-Licensed Operator. Different names at different plants for the operator(s) handling the secondary plant and auxiliary equipment.

As Mell pointed out, you would be competitive for any such opening. All nuclear utilities perform background checks on prospective new hires, so there may be in-depth questions on your Navy time. Looks like you have that answer ready to go.

Try to be patient waiting for the replies. Although the Internet never sleeps, most nukeworkers do. I'm sure you'll have more replies by midday.

[co60slr]

Hello Ladies and Gents, just want a quick synopsis of how hireable of an AO or NLO I will be...

-Navy Nuke MM.
-Qualified SIR, QAI, advanced DC and random quals that dont mean much in the civilian world
-LOTS of maintenance experience on every machine in the plant
-3M work center sup., in charge of 9 people directly, and all maintenance in the plant for a year.
-easily pass any POSS or MASS. 
-FANTASTIC evals

Basically, I want to be hired as an AO in a region III plant. Im going to assume I'd be fairly competitive, or is that presumptuous of me? I'm still not 100% of what the difference between AO and NLO is, if someone can clarify that, I'd appreciate it. Thank you guys.

People read "unread messages", which means your questions are shotgunned.   The fact that 30+ people read your posting and chose not to reply is most likely that no one can predict your future.  It's FAR from ideal and the best reply is:  go apply for jobs and find out.

You keep emphasizing your "fantastic evals".  A hiring manager won't see them (and likely won't care).  You have a General Discharge.  That's the only piece of paper that now counts for your military time.

Here's your interview question:  The Navy kicked you as for having panic attacks on watch.   Since my standards are higher, why should I hire you into my nuclear plant?   Has your medical issue been formally resolved?

There are no shark infested waters here...until you start whining how people aren't answering your questions.  If you don't get offline PMs from someone offering to help you get a job, then we can all pontificate on your future for years to come but it won't help you put food on the table.

Go fight for your nuclear career...but be careful on what you say/don't say.  Since you admittingly are not telling us the whole story (as you state in your other posting), I will do the same with my advice .

Meanwhile, don't overlook non-nuclear power options (e.g., fossil plants).  You can make very good money and advance quicker in some situations.   Given your maintenance background, I think that would be your best bet.

Good luck.

Co60

[Nuke Dave]

I work at a Nuke Plant in region 3. We posted for 12 positions for NLO and had to take the posting down after one weekend due to 300 replies. You are qualified but it is very competitive right now for positions. As far as your Navy evals, you can put it on a resume but no one will see any of your navy evals.

good luck

[Smart People]

I agree with Co60Slr . Consider the fact that the only difference in power generation between a nuclear plant and a fossile plant is the way they boil the water.

Look into both. The differences in hiring processes could be much different, my guess anyway.

Whichever way you choose to go.. Good luck

And welcome to Nukeworker

[Rennhack]

I agree with Co60Slr . Consider the fact that the only difference in power generation between a nuclear plant and a fossile plant is the way they boil the water.

Look into both. The differences in hiring processes could be much different, my guess anyway.

Also, the experience at the fossil plant would strengthen your resume if you chose to go nuclear at a later date.

[flblasted]

I work at a Nuke Plant in region 3. We posted for 12 positions for NLO and had to take the posting down after one weekend due to 300 replies. You are qualified but it is very competitive right now for positions. As far as your Navy evals, you can put it on a resume but no one will see any of your navy evals.

good luck

Adding to this in previous years we had a hard time getting enough applicants to fill the NLO classes and the last one we posted had many, many more applicants.  There's a lot more people fighting for the same job and the majority of those are people with honorable discharges qualified just as highly as you are in every way that the civilian side cares about.

Don't let that stop you though and good luck.

[hamsamich]

I had a booklet with various accomplishments made for my interviewer when I was hired as an AO back in 97. I brought it with me to my interview and let each interviewer look at it if he wanted to, then left it with the senior interviewer. Some of my evals were in there from my navy time.  One of my interviewers said those were helpful in deciding to hire me, along with the fact that I took the time to make a book with various commendations, evals, qualifiications, transcripts and other items.  The best thing about evals is they help explain somewhat to a non-navy person what a navy nuke actually did, and it is done in glowing terms usually.  Don't discount evals if used in the right situation.  But this was a proactive move on my part to get the job; no one will see your evals most likely unless you show them to people.

[haverty]

First off, thank you all for the honest and helpful replies. Wasn't trying to ruffle feathers, albeit mine got so.

I had a booklet with various accomplishments made for my interviewer when I was hired as an AO back in 97. I brought it with me to my interview and let each interviewer look at it if he wanted to, then left it with the senior interviewer. Some of my evals were in there from my navy time.  One of my interviewers said those were helpful in deciding to hire me, along with the fact that I took the time to make a book with various commendations, evals, qualifiications, transcripts and other items.  The best thing about evals is they help explain somewhat to a non-navy person what a navy nuke actually did, and it is done in glowing terms usually.  Don't discount evals if used in the right situation.  But this was a proactive move on my part to get the job; no one will see your evals most likely unless you show them to people.

My father is a hiring manager for Stryker, so I have good resources under my belt. Before I left, my reactor officer hunted me down to say good bye and that he "would be thrilled" to give me a job reference.

cobalt -> I know they arent allowed to ask for evaluations, but if I willingly show them, they should help out right? Yeah other guys have an honorable discharge, but how many 6 and outters have in depth job experience leading, developing, and oraganizing 2 reactor plants? I know the answer to that, just like you do.

[HydroDave63]

cobalt -> I know they arent allowed to ask for evaluations, but if I willingly show them, they should help out right? Yeah other guys have an honorable discharge, but how many 6 and outters have in depth job experience leading, developing, and oraganizing 2 reactor plants? I know the answer to that, just like you do.

Spelling aside, that description sounds like a retiring COB. Exaggerate much?!?   

[haverty]

Spelling aside, that description sounds like a retiring COB. Exaggerate much?!?   

Not at all. There's a reason an o-6 is giving me a job recommendation.

[Yaeger]

Hirability: low

Reasons: Aside from the giant chip on your shoulder there's a lot of different factors going on that make it hard to find a job in nuclear power.

There are tons of people looking to get into the nuclear field. A large majority have a resume that stands out more than your own. When they class up for NLO they generally a bunch of navy nukes and a bunch of other civilian guys depending on what company does the hiring. So your competition will be ex-Navy nukes with 6-20 years experience.

Those ex-navy nukes you're going up against have everything that you do, except they'll probably have a degree, more documented leadership/plant operations and maintenance experience, qualifications, and a solid DD-214 that'll support it.

Also, I think a lot of the plants are trying to hire locally. There's a big crunch avoid paying for lodging, travel expenses, and relocation. You'll have to take the entrance exam (POSS/MASS) test and you'll most likely have to pay for travel/lodging yourself just for a chance to reach the next level of hiring.

Those letters of recommendation aren't worth the paper they're written on. No one will care what an O-whatever says about you when you get an other-than-honorable discharge.

Your best bet to get a leg up will get to know some of the people that work at these plants, try and get a referral that'll help get you past that first trash bin.

[haverty]

Hirability: low

Reasons: Aside from the giant chip on your shoulder there's a lot of different factors going on that make it hard to find a job in nuclear power.

There are tons of people looking to get into the nuclear field. A large majority have a resume that stands out more than your own. When they class up for NLO they generally a bunch of navy nukes and a bunch of other civilian guys depending on what company does the hiring. So your competition will be ex-Navy nukes with 6-20 years experience.

Those ex-navy nukes you're going up against have everything that you do, except they'll probably have a degree, more documented leadership/plant operations and maintenance experience, qualifications, and a solid DD-214 that'll support it.

Also, I think a lot of the plants are trying to hire locally. There's a big crunch avoid paying for lodging, travel expenses, and relocation. You'll have to take the entrance exam (POSS/MASS) test and you'll most likely have to pay for travel/lodging yourself just for a chance to reach the next level of hiring.

Those letters of recommendation aren't worth the paper they're written on. No one will care what an O-whatever says about you when you get an other-than-honorable discharge.

Your best bet to get a leg up will get to know some of the people that work at these plants, try and get a referral that'll help get you past that first trash bin.

Not that you care, but I didn't get an other-then-honorable discharge...  thats a huge step down. Im getting a lot of mixed responses here. Guess all I can do is go out and see what I can do. And for what it's worth, very very few people that I worked with had degrees. I won't argue the other points obviously. Id hire an experienced chief over myself any day of the week, that's just common sense.  May I be presumptuous and ask you what hiring experience you have?



New tangent -> I just learned Im still eligible for the GI bill... Which is cool. With a degree under my belt and applicable experience, where would that get me?

[JsonD13]

Your evals won't matter

You need to be able to relate what you did in the Navy to the outside world (don't use abbreviations or Navy terminology unless you define it)

Work 40 hours a week at getting a 40 hour a week job

It looks like you may have been the LPO of your division (by all means correct me if I'm wrong), which is no small feat for somone to do in 6 years on a carrier, however, odds are that wont matter much compared to what you are applying for.  You are pretty much looking at technical jobs, focused on one area.  Wheras, in the Navy, you had a technical job that focused on many different areas at once.  Also, leadership is much different on the outside; you actually would have to take into account that your suboordinates have a life!

Jason

[haverty]

Your evals won't matter

You need to be able to relate what you did in the Navy to the outside world (don't use abbreviations or Navy terminology unless you define it)

Work 40 hours a week at getting a 40 hour a week job

It looks like you may have been the LPO of your division (by all means correct me if I'm wrong), which is no small feat for somone to do in 6 years on a carrier, however, odds are that wont matter much compared to what you are applying for.  You are pretty much looking at technical jobs, focused on one area.  Wheras, in the Navy, you had a technical job that focused on many different areas at once.  Also, leadership is much different on the outside; you actually would have to take into account that your suboordinates have a life!

Jason

Ha, Not LPO. WCS of both work centers, and RPPO/ Planner when I lost my TLD. Im not really looking to for a managerial job, operations experience is what I need. All I need is my foot in the door and I'm good to go... unfortunately I am spending hours a day trying to find anything to do that with . I dont have a bad attitude, Im just nervous and frustrated.

[JsonD13]

Oh well there were quite a few people that did 6 and out and were WCS's.  Anyways, don't inflate your resume, which you may be inclined to do considering your previous post.

[haverty]

Oh well there were quite a few people that did 6 and out and were WCS's.  Anyways, don't inflate your resume, which you may be inclined to do considering your previous post.

at this point in the game, Im really just looking for a way to support myself and wife. If Fossil is what I need to start with, so be it. I've just always been told (read: Lied to) that being a nuke is an automatic "In" to the civilian sector. Harsh reality is knocking at my door. Figure I will work at a fossil plant, go to school, get my discharge upgraded, and then worry about applying for nuclear jobs.

[Gamecock]

I've just always been told (read: Lied to) that being a nuke is an automatic "In" to the civilian sector. Harsh reality is knocking at my door. Figure I will work at a fossil plant, go to school, get my discharge upgraded, and then worry about applying for nuclear jobs.

The same people who "lied" to you about civilian nuclear power also lied to you about getting your discharge upgraded.

It is extremely difficult to get your discharge changed through BCNR.  Bottom line:  I would not count on it.

Cheers,
GC

[haverty]

The same people who "lied" to you about civilian nuclear power also lied to you about getting your discharge upgraded.

It is extremely difficult to get your discharge changed through BCNR.  Bottom line:  I would not count on it.

Cheers,
GC

No point in not trying though .

[IPREGEN]

Here is the magic answer - If the utility has the need for people you may have an advantage over someone with less of a background. If they are not hiring then your background means nothing. Just a touch of a smirk here, but really, don't you already suspect that is the answer

[Fremont]

I'm an Ops Trainer at an Exelon plant. We hire primarily ex Nukes and degreed engineers or at least nearly degreed engineers into our aux operator (aka NLO aka equipment operator) ranks.
If there's a plant in your hometown, why not apply there? I came home on vacation a year after getting out of the Navy and having a good job at a national lab, and called the plant on sort of a whim. They interviewed me the next day and offered me a job.
I was a 6 year enlisted nuke, too.
If you want to start as an aux operator, just start applying where you want to work. Most of the plants are staffing up due to retirements and the fatigue rule.