brand newwww!

[jmsb92]

I'm very new to the nuclear industry! I just completed my first outage as a laborer, and I have now decided to change my major in school in order to further my career in the nuclear field. I loved the environment and most all of the people that I got to work with. I was hoping that someone could offer ANY advice. I'd like to become an HP, but I haven't been very successful with my research. I'm completely clueless as to what all I need to do, so I was hoping someone with some experience could offer some words of wisdom!
Thanks ya'll!

[GLW]

check your PMs,...

[SCMasterchef]

My advice to you, from a 43 year veteran of commercial nuclear power, is if you are still in school and are planning to change your academic curriculum in pursuit of Health Physics is to go into nuclear engineering with a minor in Health Physics.  Make sure that you put yourself in a position that with time and experience your end goal is to achieve a Masters in Health Physics or Nuclear Engineering.  Make sure you stay on the straight and narrow, keep you nose clean through college, start networking early and don't get caught up in the draw of big money because until you complete your education you are fooling yourself.

[GLW]

Nuclear Engineering is a straightjacket,...

Mechanical or Electrical Engineering allows much more freedom of movement,...

[SloGlo]

depends on why you want too bee an hp. if you like interacting with people to aid in their safety and occupational well being, a b.s in industrial hygiene will give maximum career flexibility.

[Simple Country HP]

What type of health physics do you want to do? It is a BIG field (commercial nuclear power, DOE, Rad waste. environmental, medical physics, D&D, ------). Commercial nuclear power or operational health physics is not the only place you can be a health physicist.

GLW's advice is excellent.

I would suggest that you select a major in the hard sciences or in engineering. This may be obvious but make sure you take calculus. You don't absolutely need a minor in health physics (but it is not a bad idea). This puts you in a good position to do an MS in Health Physics.

You can also switch to Decon at outages.

My background is a BA in biology and chemistry and (almost) a minor in German. I also have an MS in Radiological Health Physics.

[Ksheed]

I'm very new to the nuclear industry! I just completed my first outage as a laborer, and I have now decided to change my major in school in order to further my career in the nuclear field. I loved the environment and most all of the people that I got to work with. I was hoping that someone could offer ANY advice. I'd like to become an HP, but I haven't been very successful with my research. I'm completely clueless as to what all I need to do, so I was hoping someone with some experience could offer some words of wisdom!
Thanks ya'll!

I'm not trying to be the devil's advocate here but have you researched this at all? HP's are a very important part of the nuclear industry, but they are more like the unsung heroes, if you will. Read some of the threads in the RP section of this forum. The common theme is pay rates dropping, too many tech schools churning out newbies, short outages, and lack of respect from upper management. For someone who doesn't already have schooling and/or multiple outages working in RP/Decon under their belt you may want to look at other avenues.

Make sure you have fully researched it before you commit.

[retired nuke]

depends on why you want too bee an hp. if you like interacting with people to aid in their safety and occupational well being, a b.s in industrial hygiene will give maximum career flexibility.

in today's industry - this makes much more sense...

[Ed]

have You checked job, job security, market demand, position prospect, job market, job market demand  for the next 20-30 years for Health Physics on any of popular career sites? unless you live or plan to live near Fukushima of course?  do some research. go to indeed.com or monster.com ;  do a job search for Health Physics or radiation safety, then do a job search for Network administration, Systems administration, database administration, Help desk, etc, you might be surprised ...  If it was mid to late 70's and you wanted an easy to get into field with little education with relatively ok Pay, HP was it, bu not these days! not much more jobs left!, commercial nuke industry is dying and  DOE site clean up projects are nowhere to be found as much anymore ...

[surf50]

If it was mid to late 70's and you wanted an easy to get into field with little education with relatively ok Pay, HP was it,

Yes, it was. But that description fit a lot of jobs back then, not just nuclear power.
Now you need some formal education (or experience) for everything.

nuke industry is dying

I keep hearing this, but there are plenty of plants left and they will need people to run them.
Glass half full, and all..

[Ed]

'You keep hearing this" because it might be true? anyways;  the numbers on career search sites DO NOT LIE,  unless, of course,  You are Bartlett or other head hunter looking for fresh meet.  The salaries for HP techs have been stagnate for past couple decades and have not kept up with inflation, never mind the significant shortening of a typical refueling outage affecting HP, RCT Tech contractor and other crafts group's income.  Please don't kid yourself. I am not anti-nuke. I know coal plant kill much more people every year. but present Nuclear power generation technology is not worth it the hassle of regulations, safety issues,  initial investment expenses, licensing etc.  there are cheaper alternatives,

[Old HP]

They responses are correct in that Health Physics at the power plants is not a good choice for long term career plans. Outages are short  and more plants will be closing than are being replaced with new construction. If you don't mind traveling and working 15 to 20 weeks a year it will be a good job for  maybe another decade. But lately the management at most plants eliminate HP positions earlier in outages than most other trades which tends to drive even more experienced techs to venture into different career options.
The bottom line is Health Physics is a short term job opportunity and NOT a long term career.

[RDTroja]

'You keep hearing this" because it might be true, Right? anyways the numbers on career search sites DO NOT LIE,  unless, of course,  You are Eric Bartlett looking for fresh meet.  The salaries for HP techs have been stagnate for past couple decades and have not kept up with inflation, never mind the significant shortening of a typical refueling outage affecting HP, RCT Tech contractor, etc. income.  Please dont kid yourself.

I have been hearing it since 1979 when a minor problem developed in a certain Pennsylvania plant. That did not make it a bad career choice for me. Then again, it has never been a good career choice for everyone because it requires a very 'flexible' lifestyle which not everyone is capable of maintaining. Things are indeed changing which require a great deal more flexibility. For some it will be OK, for some, not so much. It is not an automatically bad choice for everyone, but it is for some.

Apparently you fit in the latter category and that is fine. What is not fine is taking your bad experience and trying to apply it to others. If you had a bad time in nuclear, then by all means find another career and be done with it. There are still possibilities, but they are rapidly evolving. When I started in 1974, it was a short time job opportunity for me and many others that are still working in nuclear plants. I can't tell you the number of techs I know that were only going to do one more job and then get out and do something else for a living. Some did, but most returned.

The industry is not near as fun as it used to be nor as lucrative, but there is still a lot of work to do... but it usually goes to the ones that want to do it and are willing to adapt in order to do it. The ones that complain about it... well, there is not a lot of work for them. After all, why would the recruiters deal with a perennial whiner when you can choose to give the work to someone that appreciates it?

[SCMasterchef]

I have read all of the posts related to this subject.  Most all are correct, but no matter what in todays market that piece of paper is the most important.  When I made my first comment I understood that the individual who wrote the first post had already started college, of some sort, had worked an outage as a deconner, and was looking at continuing their education relative to Health Physics.  If I am wrong, I apologize, but after 42 years in nuclear power and health physics, in all sorts of positions, I am still convinced that if the individual wants to get into Health Physics there are still many options.  With an HP degree and willingness to do their time and gain some experience, a person with a Health Physics degree, an advancement to a Masters and Certification, nuclear is still the future, maybe not in commercial or DOE, but in the private sector.  I only wish that, like millions of other folks, I would have had the mind set to get an advanced education 42 years ago, or at least during those 42 years instead of working my a__ off for peanuts as a tech.  Don't get me wrong, I love the industry and would not trade my experiences and collegues for anything else but mistakes are mistakes.  We make them we live with them.  I hope this person makes the right decision, because life is to short to make the wrong one.

[SloGlo]

I can't tell you the number of techs I know that were only going to do one more job and then get out and do something else for a living. Some did, but most returned.

[Ed]

I can't tell you the number of techs I know that were only going to do one more job and then get out and do something else for a living. Some did, but most returned.

Yes, It is a little bit like smoking or being on drugs, it may do for some immediate supposedly needs or urges but You know it is not good for your health on the long run. but you would still do it over and over again. You get a contract gig, you make some good cash money, You are big, happy,  and fat for the time being but then you come home with no guarantee that when you you might be working again soon. I'd rather work very hard or as hard at an steady much lower paying job where I could budget myself than be fat and happy one day and not knowing whats next the next day.

[RDTroja]

I can't tell you the number of techs I know that were only going to do one more job and then get out and do something else for a living. Some did, but most returned.

Yes, It is a little bit like smoking or being on drugs, it may do for some immediate supposedly needs or urges but You know it is not good for your health on the long run. but you would still do it over and over again. You get a contract gig, you make some good cash money, You are big, happy,  and fat for the time being but then you come home with no guarantee that when you you might be working again soon. I'd rather work very hard or as hard at an steady much lower paying job where I could budget myself than be fat and happy one day and not knowing whats next the next day.

You are obviously not cut out for the lifestyle and that is just fine. Others are. For me it was enough to always know that there was a next job and that it would come (i.e. I would go find it) when I needed it. I always planned well, knowing that summer employment could be sketchy (although I usually had it if I wanted it) and I once even spent a summer working for my brother-in-law installing cable TV just so I had something to do... I had a good time doing it, but I would not want to do it all the time.

Yes, things are a bit different now. You have to be better at what you do than the other people so that the employers want you (that was always true) and you sometimes have to be more aggressive to get the work you want. It is not for everybody. Comparing it to drugs or smoking is absurd. It is not bad for you nor does it fulfill a 'supposed need.' It has kept me gainfully employed (every time I wanted to be) and has made a really interesting career. If it isn't for you then I suggest you go do something else. Don't warn people away from what might be a very good choice for them just because it did not fit your needs (or vice-versa.) If you don't have enough work in the field, you are probably doing it wrong. Perhaps you think that I am just lucky and that the whole industry was against you... we have all heard that one before.

[surf50]

The salaries for HP techs have been stagnate for past couple decades and have not kept up with inflation

Not true for in-house commercial power plant personnel, including house RP's.

I'd rather work very hard or as hard at an steady much lower paying job where I could budget myself than be fat and happy one day and not knowing whats next the next day.

Again, a perfect description of a permanent employee of a nuclear power utility ( minus the ' Much lower paying ' comment).
Did it never occur to you to get off the road and hire in somewhere?
Just saying...

[Old HP]

Everyone has valid points in regard to the wonderful world of nuke workers. The issue of being a good tech and landing the next job  has evolved to the whim of company recruiters and not what you do or even how you are evaluated. It can be very challenging to even return to a plant for the next outage with good evaluations. I wish the best of luck to anyone entering the field  and offer congratulations to my fellow techs that have survived the industry changes over the last 30 to 40 years.

[SloGlo]

Yes, It is a little bit like smoking or being on drugs, it may do for some immediate supposedly needs or urges but You know it is not good for your health on the long run. but you would still do it over and over again.

I'd rather work very hard or as hard at an steady much lower paying job where I could budget myself than be fat and happy one day and not knowing whats next the next day.

knot like smoking drugs, moor like going to camp two play with you're friends. that can be harmful to, butt life causes death.

yew work hard at a steady much lower paying job and you put yourself at the mercy of bosses, bills, economics outstripping earning capacity, stress factors on your health, and a shrinking circle of friends and acquaintances.

[radbrat]

The issue of being a good tech and landing the next job  has evolved to the whim of company recruiters and not what you do or even how you are evaluated. It can be very challenging to even return to a plant for the next outage with good evaluations.

You got that right brother!!!!

[surf50]

yew work hard at a steady much lower paying job and you put yourself at the mercy of bosses, bills, economics outstripping earning capacity, stress factors on your health, and a shrinking circle of friends and acquaintances.

That can be said about any job where you work for someone else, including being a contract tech.
You alone make the best of your circumstances.
None of us are forced to do any job, there's always a choice. Suck it up or quit. I get tired of perennial whiners. (I'm not directing this at anyone in particular, so please don't take offence).

[Ed]

Everyone has valid points in regard to the wonderful world of nuke workers. The issue of being a good tech and landing the next job has evolved to the whim of company recruiters and not what you do or even how you are evaluated. It can be very challenging to even return to a plant for the next outage with good evaluations.

I agree with this. I was at a plant and I think I (compared to others) did good work for the outage. They kept me there longer than my more senior tech i was working with.  Then a few months later they were looking for a tech.  I applied but did not get the gig.