Interviewing for NLO position, New to everything, Need advice!

[Rad_Life]

First off, I've never posted in a forum. If I did this wrong, I apologize. By degree, I am a nuclear medicine technologist. I'm tired of being jobless in that field. Now I'm pursuing my original dream job: RO. I have an interview in late October for a position with Exelon at Lasalle. I also will do the testing at that time as well. I feel prepared for the POSS. I don't think the BMST will be as bad either. I want this more than anything in the world right now. All I have going for me is the nuke experience. I would really appreciate some advice and pointers from anyone and everyone!

[Higgs]

Google STAR interviewing technique. I particularly like MIT's write up on the topic.

If you have any questions after doing that, feel free to ask.

Your foot is already in the door with the interview, now you need to learn how to interview if you don't know already. They aren't going to be asking you technical nuclear questions..., because you don't know. But they will ask you things like;

"Tell me about a time you had to lead a team, what was the goal and did you succeed or fail?"
"Tell me about a time you failed and what you did to prevent failing again in the future."
"Tell me about a time you disagreed with a manager and how you handled it."
Etc etc etc. NOTE Those are NOT to be taken as the questions you WILL be asked, merely examples.

You'll be expected to answer in the STAR format, so having some anecdotes from your work experience to this point already prepared will be helpful. And don't bull crap them or make them up on the fly.

Justin

[Rad_Life]

Thanks for the info! In some of my recent interviews (not nuke jobs), I've had these questions thrown at me. I had no idea there was a system behind it. Been working on answers since. I am curious about who typically sits in on these interviews? Potential managers/HR people... Will any plants that I apply to want me to take the POSS again?

[Higgs]

Typically some manager from the department you are interviewing for, someone from HR and possibly someone from training. At my last interview I had 2 VPs, the plant manager, the ops manager, the QA/oversight manager, the unit superintendent and the training manager..., but I doubt you'd have to worry about anything like that. 

As for POSS, I'm not sure..., I've never taken one. Someone that knows will chime in though.

Justin

[Fermi2]

One guy here said a company released his POSS test but that isn't within my experience. I took it at 7 places and none would release it on the theory why should they use their resources and money on another utilities candidate.

[drayer54]

Typically some manager from the department you are interviewing for, someone from HR and possibly someone from training. At my last interview I had 2 VPs, the plant manager, the ops manager, the QA/oversight manager, the unit superintendent and the training manager..., but I doubt you'd have to worry about anything like that. 

As for POSS, I'm not sure..., I've never taken one. Someone that knows will chime in though.

Justin

Please excuse Justin. Sometimes his self perceived high level of awesomeness distracts him from actually saying anything relevant to the topic.

[Higgs]

How many licenses you have? Oh yeah, stick to what you know squid. The question was answered in the first sentence. It was on topic until you came long tuna. Er, I mean drayer.

Since you don't know, I was interviewing for multiple positions across multiple departments, hence the managers and vps from those departments. It had nothing to do with importance, but a license is very important to a utility, which you also don't know. The point, which you missed, was that typically a manager from the departments you'll be interviewing for will be there and my anecdote was to illustrate that it could be many.


Justin

[GLW]

How many licenses you have? Oh yeah, stick to what you know squid. The question was answered in the first sentence.

[Fermi2]

Please excuse Justin. Sometimes his self perceived high level of awesomeness distracts him from actually saying anything relevant to the topic.

And you have achieved exactly what? Got a Docket Number yet janitor?

What Justin said was dead on for those wanting to get into the major leagues.

[drayer54]

And you have achieved exactly what? Got a Docket Number yet janitor?

What Justin said was dead on for those wanting to get into the major leagues.

Clearly I was mistaken. I thought it was his SRO brag story that was obviously not describing the NLO process. Yadda doesn't matter to you anyways.

Justin has accomplished a lot and manages to help a lot of people ( myself included ) from his experience without being an a-hole.  I took a poke at what I thought was funny. I wasn't trying to seriously knock him.