Am I qualified?

[dirt racer]

Recently my current occupation has hit troubled times and is suffering from many of the same things as other occupations as a result I am exploring other options that may be available.  I live in central Carolinas, where I have applied for several openings at local utilities at different times for different positions and have never heard anything at all.  I must fill out everything on computer, where I presume something becomes lost in translation.  (Maybe I ask for too little money).  I have tried to locate a phone number for HR and never found one.  I have given resumes to friends of friends etc.  I need your help to tell me if this is possible or I should just move on to something else.  I am not looking to start at the top, I just want to get in the door at the bottom and move up. (NLO, NEO, Mechanic, something)

22 years ago at age 17 (with my parents waiver) I joined the Navy.  I had scored high on the asvab, since my vision was bad I went on Subs as a Nuke instead of fighter pilot.  I passed A school, but dropped out of pipeline prior to prototype.  This was because of my grades, the material was coming fast and I was not studying.  (A lot more fun to chase women at that age than studying).  When I left the pipeline I went conventional MM on a sub.  I spent the next several years going to every school they would give me (Diesel engine, QA, Oxygen Generator, GMS, EPA, pumps and valves, etc.); I spent time onboard qualifying every position I could.  I was command advanced, after four years onboard I left E-5 and nearly completed my quals for COW.  I wasn't much of a slouch and don't consider myself one now.  I have attended some college after leaving the military but have not received a degree, as I put it to the side for existing job opportunities that I had.  I feel that at a minimum I have a basic understanding of the function of different systems and equipment within an industrial setting.  I have taken the practice test for Poss/Mass and done well in the allotted amount of time.  I have tried a couple different resumes to see if that helps also.

I really need outsiders to tell me if they think I am qualified for at least an interview or something.  Thanks for your time.

[Content1]

Never seek a new occupation unless you are willing to do what is necessary to make the change.  You did not explain the kind of problems you are having.  Depending on the problems you are having, the grass is not always greener on the other side of the mountain.  I have been through 6 career fields hoping to find the position where I don't have problems.  We all have a nitch and must find it.  You are qualified for anything you seek to do if you want it bad enough and are willing to do the work to get into the field.  You must research to find the job you like, a job is like a hobby you are paid for.   It you wish to get paid for doing little you must seek a government job.  It takes time to get in, and you must have political skills, but it pays well.  If you are going for a private sector job think of what it takes to pay you a good salary.  There must be enough money coming into the business to afford to pay you well.  Resume's are not vocational placement tools for the employer to figure out what you can do for them.  You must look for available positions and show them you make a good fit.  Choose something, then do the research to get the position.   That is how we all have done it.

[Gamma Glue]

Recently my current occupation has hit troubled times and is suffering from many of the same things as other occupations as a result I am exploring other options that may be available.

Thats pretty vague. I'll take 3 guesses at your current occupation. 1) Pizza Delivery Driver. 2) Realestate Agent. 3) Employee of a solar power, battery technology or other green energy company that has taken a large amount of government stimulus and is going bankrupt.

Your lack of experience in a related field could be hurting your chances of getting an interview. Also, if your resume says "Started, but never finished Nuclear Power School" and "Started but never finished college", that could be hurting your chances as well, since it gives the appearance that you can't finish anything that is remotely challenging. I would re-word it, or leave it out all together.

I would recommend a non-nuclear related utility field, like Hydro or Gas, if you aren't having any luck with nuclear.

[Starkist]

Couple things from my narrow perspective.

1) Some plants/fleets are more picky then others.

2) You won't get accepted if you don't apply. Keep applying!

3) Your resume may not be up to snuff, get it looked at by someone in the industry, not just a "Friend".

4) I know for sure Entergy hires non nuke MM's as NLO's.

[dirt racer]

Thanks for the help so far. No disrespect meant to anyone here.  Let me try to add some more light on the subject and simplify my question.

Never seek a new occupation unless you are willing to do what is necessary to make the change. 

Selling your house, all possessions, putting your wife in an apartment, and moving cross country without her for 8 months to a state where you know no one and have no contacts for your new job.  Does this qualify me.

You did not explain the kind of problems you are having.

My current occupation has seen a constant loss of personnel for the last 4-5 years.  My company alone has lost 400-500 personnel of only 600-700 in the last 4 years.  My problem is that the stability that was once available is now gone.

I'll take 3 guesses at your current occupation. 1) Pizza Delivery Driver.

Pizza Delivery Driver, no but I did have a job delivering circus tickets when i was 16.

I'll take 3 guesses at your current occupation.  2) Realestate Agent.

Real estate Agent, no but i did flip a couple houses, made good money, it's easy to coordinate other contractors to come in and do work, anyone can do it but the market is just not there right now.

I'll take 3 guesses at your current occupation. 3) Employee of a solar power, battery technology or other green energy company that has taken a large amount of government stimulus and is going bankrupt.

Employee of a solar power, battery technology or other green energy company that has taken a large amount of government stimulus and is going bankrupt. No thats not it either.


The correct answer was Nascar Chassis fabricator and mechanic, Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 winner.

Your lack of experience in a related field could be hurting your chances of getting an interview.

So being on a submarine working in the engine room was in no way a related field and could be hurting my chances of even getting a phone call.  Understanding QA systems is useless.

Also, if your resume says "Started, but never finished Nuclear Power School" and "Started but never finished college", that could be hurting your chances as well, since it gives the appearance that you can't finish anything that is remotely challenging. I would re-word it, or leave it out all together.

I have left this out of my resume I didn't feel it portrayed the correct image.

Couple things from my narrow perspective.

4) I know for sure Entergy hires non nuke MM's as NLO's.

This was the information I was looking for.  So it is possible for a conventional MM to get a job in a powerplant as NLO.  I would like to hear from anyone who has done this.

Thanks

[Nuclear NASCAR]

The correct answer was Nascar Chassis fabricator and mechanic, Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 winner.

If you've got some welding certifications you can tie to that there's also a future as a welder at the plants.  There's a lot of stainless welding that some tig certs are needed for in nuke plants.

Best of luck, I sense a slight Missouri connection maybe?

[OldHP]

I live in central Carolinas, where I have applied for several openings at local utilities at different times for different positions and have never heard anything at all.  I must fill out everything on computer, where I presume something becomes lost in translation. 

The correct answer was Nascar Chassis fabricator and mechanic, Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 winner.

Given those statements, I would guess you are not too far from Charlotte to make a trip downtown to the Duke Corporate Offices and maybe stop by the HOF on the way (the HOF Director was at one time part of Duke HR and probably still has connections that he can point you to).

BTW - with all of the teams located there, why would you want to get out of that business, even with the cutbacks?

[DontGoToNPTU]

So being on a submarine working in the engine room was in no way a related field and could be hurting my chances of even getting a phone call.  Understanding QA systems is useless.

I haven't quite joined the commercial power plant family yet but I'd imagine that if you tell someone that represents a commercial nuc plant who is in charge of hiring people they're going to see through this. By telling them that you were an Auxiliary MM on a sub and saying that you worked in the engine room they are going to know that you were an Aux Aft watch. There are a lot of ex-navy in the civilian sector that know exactly what the term A-ganger means so I wouldn't try to bull s**t them if I were you. You could tell them that you worked on mechancial components critical to engine room operations (I could make that sentence sound better but it's 5 am and I am transitioning to mid shift).

Good luck to you!
Josh

[IPREGEN]

Get your resume out to the contracting companies that support the stations. Your experience has seen quite a gap and refreshing your skills would bring you up to speed in the commercial plant world and help you establish contacts. It would be hard to judge your qualifications from postings so far and the job that has not been identified. 

[Ksheed]

Get your resume out to the contracting companies that support the stations. Your experience has seen quite a gap and refreshing your skills would bring you up to speed in the commercial plant world and help you establish contacts. It would be hard to judge your qualifications from postings so far and the job that has not been identified. 

In my opinion, this is the best advice you have received yet (the quote, not mine). If you have not worked a commercial plant and you are willing to start at the bottom as you stated, be a contractor and learn the industry. If you are as knowledgeable as you say, you will work your way up quickly. Good luck. My guess is Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing?