DOE transition to Power Plant

[joejack45]

Just looking for some advice. I have three years of experience on DOE sites ( Hanford and LANL). I am trying to work may way into a power plant, but finding it very difficult sense most power plants won't consider my DOE experience relevant. I have spent almost all of my three years in the RCT trade working high hazard jobs, mostly D&D activities of PU facilities.
I have my DOE core and NUF. Also, I started a Nuclear Technology program at Columbia Basin College in Pasco, WA, but left for my latest job. Would it be beneficial to mention those 60 credits or not?
Any tips of the trade to help me reach my goals would be very helpful.
Thanks

[Chimera]

There are major differences between a lot of DOE sites and the power plant worlds.  The power plants may respect that you know how to turn the meter on but until you've pegged an RO-20 on the high scale or brought in smears reading in the Rad range, they won't have a lot of respect for your job experiences.  However, insofar as those 60 hours are concerned, turn them into an AS degree so it becomes a part of your resume.

[retired nuke]

There are major differences between a lot of DOE sites and the power plant worlds.  The power plants may respect that you know how to turn the meter on but until you've pegged an RO-20 on the high scale or brought in smears reading in the Rad range, they won't have a lot of respect for your job experiences.  However, insofar as those 60 hours are concerned, turn them into an AS degree so it becomes a part of your resume.

Unfortunately, power plants do not recognize one of the great strengths of DOE techs - airborne and contamination control.
Until you've been in an airline respirator INSIDE a bubble suit in a 20k DAC Pu tent, you don't know what airborne is... power plant techs get kinda freaked out by this stuff (I know...) 

[Chimera]

Unfortunately, power plants do not recognize one of the great strengths of DOE techs - airborne and contamination control.
Until you've been in an airline respirator INSIDE a bubble suit in a 20k DAC Pu tent, you don't know what airborne is... power plant techs get kinda freaked out by this stuff (I know...) 

All too true.  Even back in the good old days of bubble-hooded generator jumpers, the power plant techs were more concerned about spreading contamination than monitoring for airborne.  And there aren't that many power plants that have to contend with DAC values in the E-12 range either let alone dealing with Plutonium, Neptunium or Americium and HF releases.

[jaycarson]

How about 500,000 DAC alpha with just two sets of cloth coveralls, plus a PAPR?  Two weeks of this, eight workers, no internal contamination, just four minor skin contaminations.

[joejack45]

Sounds like Box line at 54.

[DTOD]

Like a lot of people who correspond on this forum, I have over 30 years of experience in both NRC and DOE work environments as a rad tech, supervisor, engineer, trainer, manager, etc.
I can understand why you are focused on establishing a career working in commercial nuclear power plants and leaving the comparatively insane world of DOE project work for the relative job satisfaction that being a part of a group with the sole objective of helping to keep the lights on can give you. Having said this, I would remind you that the most important thing that you can do right now is to not simply waste the 60 credit hours of applicable education you received at CBC. If attending another year at the college is a financial impossibility at the moment, set a goal to get back in there as soon as possible. If for some reason (like the Hanford/Tri-Cities area is inundated with qualified and unemployed techs), look at the online schools like Thomas Edison. They may accept some of your CBC credits and they give credit for NRRPT qualification - which should be another one of your short-term goals. Anybody who plans on working in this industry for the next few decades had better plan on getting a 4 year degree at a minimum. The days where experience (no matter how impressive that experience is) may be substituted for degrees are just about over.