ya know- I dont recall any of the 30 people in my RCT class ever having ANY "work experience" .....wouldn't that be the reason we were in school? Offers of a NEW CAREER a NEW STABLE LIFE.....FINANCIAL EASE- If we had experience....maybe we would have put more thought into our decision. A Jr. rct is just that..... fresh meat ...green.... No experience------ at the mercy of the industry to take a leap of faith and TRAIN us and polish the skills we have learned. It doesn't mean we are stupid, or "know -it-all's" we just want a job...like yourself and everyone else. While doing my internship, I was amazed at how many seniors didn't know the decay formula.....or the dac or could even explain how a neutron ball worked..... Wow! The only person to receive a position after the internship didn't even pass the class! the job site was saturated w her family and her dad is apparently a RCT big shot at another site......BITTER? ......OH BOY AM I BITTER. As for the places I have applied...... There is not a facility, company or sub I have not sent resumes to, spoke with on the phone, and still stay in contact with. I do appreciate your help, please don't get me wrong, like I said, the rejection is taking a toll.
I know exactly what you are talking about, having had a similar experience when I got into the industry back in the '80s. The student adviser told me, "Oh yeah, Radiation Safety has nearly 100% hiring on graduation." And when he said it, it was true. Unfortunately, then (as now) the schools were churning out way more students then the industry could absorb. By the time my graduation came around, I had to sit on the bench for almost 6 months before I got my first job.
The school stopped training people a couple of classes after mine, because they admitted the industry was saturated.
Since then, we had a major contraction of the available jobs in the 90's, as plants tried to meet a budget & be competitive in a deregulated environment. Many of the old techs left the business for greener pastures.
Suddenly, in recent years, things started to look good again. Aging Workforce needing to be replaced. 'Nuclear Renaissance'. Stimulus Money. We'd better start cranking some students out. And it was great for the first ones thru the first programs. Unfortunately, too many schools set up too many programs cranking out too many graduates...and I don't see them slowing down...
Anyway, I feel your pain, but that doesn't help you on an individual basis. The one bright point is that next spring there are a ton of outages that have to be staffed. Keep contacting all the firms that you are in touch with, keep looking for more contacts, and be ready & willing to leave on a moment's notice next spring. I'm pretty sure there will be enough jobs to go around (unless the stimulus money goes away), so be ready to grab yours.
Good Luck! Here's hoping the industry ends up being as good to you as it has been to me.
