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Trying to make the jump from radtech to supervisor.

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Lip2303:
 I am trying to make the jump from technician to supervisor right now. I am looking for advice on ways to make myself more attractive to companies and even resume advice if someone would be willing to rip mine apart. I will post the highlights....any advice would be appreciated.


 Navy Engineering Laboratory Technician - only served 3 years 7 months due to medical issues, discharged honorably.
 Department of Energy D&D sites (Hanford and West Valley) - 2 years of high contamination and high dose experience.
 Private Nuclear Waste Facility - 1 year (current job)
 NRRPT since Feb 2011
 BSAST from TESC in Nuclear Engineering Technology (I know...no ABET)
 Working towards Masters from TESC (money works with GI bill so I dont pay)


 My self assesment says that I would need commercial power plant experience (ie work some outages) to get into power plants. Is it a lack of experience that is currently hurting me? Poor resume (I can post if needed)? Or further qualifications? Thanks!

retired nuke:
So far, all you have is skills describing a potentially good tech.

Nothing showing leadership, ownership, or contribution above the neck.

Take charge of a project. Do something above and beyond. NRRPT and a degree shows you can take tests. I know this because I have the same credentials... although mine are a couple decades old...

Stand up and grab something by the horns. That will help make the jump. Or leave bloody holes in your midsection and backside from said horns...

edited to add:
I'll add one other thing - ability to deal with people. People skills are even more important than technical expertise. The ability to get people to do their best, when you are not watching, is unbelievably important. I don't have it... usually my people skill is gone by 0930. That's why I stick to technical specialist - I can plan, write, identify problems, and work out solutions. But I'm grumpy, and don't deal well with the shallow end of the gene pool.
I was reminded of this last nite, as I watched my stepson (class VP, Honor Society, Drama Club, Football Captain, etc) graduate from HS. He has these skills. In bushels. Made me humble....

Good luck

let-it-ride:
Most of my experience has shown that supervisors and site coordinators got their positions for being loyal to the company (contract) or being in the good old boy network.
With that said, I think most of the time they did a good job. However it is almost impossible to get in to their ranks.
I was made an HP supervisor when I was a Sr. for less than 3 years. Why? Not that I was smarter and a better tech. (I think I was a better tech that was willing to put in the work)
I was made a supervisor because of my past career. I was lucky that I could use my past management and people skills to benefit the company. I was a supervisor for 3 outages and was given summer jobs with supervisor pay.
Try to do the best job you can and do more than is asked. If a job starts at 12, be ready and set up at 11:30. Anticipate what will be required and what problems could arise. Always have whatever supplies at hand. I lost count of the times the crew come to a job and are not ready. Don't let them say "HP Holdup".
You may or may not get the chance to supervise, but you will be a good tech that at the end of the shift can leave knowing you are one of the few.

Lip2303:
 I am very aware that in some places it's not what you know, but who you know. I appreciate the first reply and will try to distinguish myself in another way that shows leadership. I had leadership positions while going through power school and prototype, but I don't know if those things would be worth anything. The problem with my current position is that two of the three supervisors are only in their position because they have been loyal (based on knowledge and leadership skills they should not be there). I do not want to wait around for something to happen and possibly move up in 5-10 years. It seems like I need to find a house position at a plant or company I would like to be at for a long time or retire from and try to move my way up internally. Thanks again!

GLW:

--- Quote from: Lip2303 on Jun 09, 2012, 07:13 --- I am very aware that in some places it's not what you know, but who you know.....

--- End quote ---

Obviously you know somebody as you need 5 years to sit for the NRRPT and based on your experience as you posted it here you barely have it now, so somebody you know went out on a limb for you concerning the 5 year requirement before you sat for the test.


--- Quote from: Lip2303 on Jun 09, 2012, 07:13 ---....The problem with my current position is that two of the three supervisors are only in their position because they have been loyal (based on knowledge and leadership skills they should not be there).....

--- End quote ---

Again, based on time, you should not be NRRPT, I know for a fact there are a lot of people who would have a problem with that current situation. When the "who you know" pendulum swings in  your favor and you take it, don't begrudge others when that pendulum works for them.

I couldn't care less, but, I may observe it, but I don't care.

Your self assessment is right, you do not have the experience, and working "some" outages is not going to make it happen. There are a lot of NRRPT, former NNPP, degreed people serving in the Health Physics and Radiation Protection discipline with decades of experience in front of you. Folks cognizant in REMP/RETS, Dose Reconstruction, Refueling, Large Component Removal and Inspection, ALARA, SSC, Instrumentation, Dosimetry, "Count Room", and too many others to bother listing. You are not going to beat out any of those people for a supervisor job based on merit, not until they all retire or leave the RP/HP workforce.

You will probably make supervisor within 5 to 10 years if you really want to because you're going to take the job for cheap and you do not have to actually be the best RP or HP type out there to be an effective supervisor. The "man" likes a cheap, effective supervisor, most times he likes a loyal, effective supervisor just as much. And there's really nothing wrong with that either, with guys like HouseDad et al backing you up you can only really screw up if they let you, and the vast majority are too professional to let that happen, even if you deserve it and a part of them wants to let it happen.

This was also knocked around a bit some time ago;

http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,25273.0.html#top

Good luck, it's good to have a goal,...

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