Aux Ops Interview

[yalikedags?]

Good afternoon all,

This is my first posting and want to get right down to business. I have an interview scheduled for an auxiliary operator (nuclear). Have interviewed before for Aux Ops and it went very well, just could not close the deal. I have no Nuke experience nor do I have an engineering degree but I have spent 5 years scouring the earth in search of the best way to go about securing an Ops position. I went back to college and took more math (I have BSBA in Management and Marketing), interviewed several ex Ops and retired Navy guys on what I needed to do and cannot get real straightforward answers. I realize every entity is different when it comes to their HR department and the behavioral interview is no problem neither was the POSS.

Please do not pull any punches, candor is always accepted I just would like to know how I can effectively differentiate myself from the pack. This is a great site full of wonderful advice and knowledge.

Thank you in advance.

[Marlin]

Please do not pull any punches, candor is always accepted

Jumping into the shark (curmudgeon) tank?   

[yalikedags?]

Some seem to think so, but the way I look at it is; we will always need electricity...

[JustinHEMI05]

Is there a question in there?

[yalikedags?]

My apologies for being vague, summarizing tends to do that. Basically, are the steps I have taken thus far (education, information gathering, interviewing persons in the industry) going to be enough? Obviously, I know you can't tell the future but if you were the hiring Supe would that be enough for you to sign the forms on me? What advice to further improve my stock?

Thanks again.

[JustinHEMI05]

Well, here is what I have seen the last 2 years.

With the economy in the crapper, more and more ex Nukes that went on to do other things, have decided to make a return to the relatively job secure world of nuclear power. With that influx of new applicants, on tops of people getting out of the Navy and people with 4 year degrees, makes it very difficult for one with none of that to break into the industry. It can be done, however. There is a person who recently posted about his success and what he had to endure before finally getting something to stick. I am not sure I can offer anything else that would help, as it seems you are doing everything possible. You have to stick with it, and with a little luck, your needs and a utilities needs will one day line up.

I know that isn't helpful, but it is what it is. Like I said, you are competing with ex-Navy nukes, 4 year degrees, in house folks, people that left that want to come back....

Hopefully someone else will be able to provide something useful for you to put in your tool bag.

Good luck!

Justin

PS Here is the thread about the guy that was in your situation.

http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,26776.0.html

[HydroDave63]

What advice to further improve my stock?

http://www.navy.com/navy/careers/nuclear-energy/

Hopefully someone else will be able to provide something useful for you to put in your tool bag.

Done!

[yalikedags?]

Thank you very much Justin. I have a four year degree in Business and went back to supplement my math after I graduated.

[Plutonius]

From all the Aux. Jobs I applied for, it was either in house, navy nuke or a BS in a technical degree such as Engineering or Physics.

[JustinHEMI05]

Thank you very much Justin. I have a four year degree in Business and went back to supplement my math after I graduated.

Anyway you can convert any of it into a 2 year technical degree?

[yalikedags?]

Thank you all very much. We will see how the interview goes...

[JustinHEMI05]

Are you familiar with the STAR interviewing technique? I am assuming so, since you appear to have interviewed before, but just in case, look at this;

http://web.mit.edu/career/www/guide/star.html

[yalikedags?]

Yes, the last couple times I had searched several behavioral interview sites and pulled all the questions that were alike or related from each sight to increase my chance at success. Then, I answered each one with an example from work/college experience.

Thank you again.