Help With General Career/Future Plans?

[PercMastaFTW]

Hey guys, I finally made it through boot camp. Sadly, I'm an EM (haha!). So, now I'm in Charleston and am an indoc.

I just want to get a general plan of what I should be moving towards. Right now, I'm trying to get volunteer hours to obtain my volunteer ribbon as well as trying to finish my EPME's on NKO early for future advancement opportunities. Of course I'm going to try to qualify expert for pistol and rifle for dem personal reasons while here

Anyways, I just want to know what degree I should be looking towards when I get time later in my career. I've been researching TESC and Excelsior for the passed couple hours (dont have much free time to research, even without school yet -___-). I'm not sure what a "Nuclear ENERGY Engineering Technology" is compared to a regular NET. People just write, "note it's a NEET!" with no meaning if it's better or worse than excelsior's.

Also, I have been reading and hearing varied experiences between a navy nuke with or without a degree. Some say the degree is just a stepping stone (which makes the most sense) to put you *slightly* above another non-degreed nuke.

My nuke coordinator told me the only reason you'd want an ACTUAL nuclear engineering degree is if you want to design the systems. I don't believe I want to "design" the plant, but I DO want to get a job, and after an amount of time move up the ranks into a supervisor position when I become more senior at the plant. I've read "engineers" usually supervise, but could a non-degreed, or NET degreed nuke supervise after becoming one of the more senior workers on the plant?

In what circumstances would I NOT be able to be promoted into a management position? I'm talking mostly degree wise, and I'm very interested in becoming an RO and beyond. Depends on the plant?

I am thinking I will want to get a job on a plant when I get out (6-8 years maybe or even longer). I want the better degree and there seems to be varied views on the names of each college, and a lot of the information is from 2002-2006.

It's extremely early in my career and I just want to have at least a general direction of where my career should be headed and would love some of your guidance. I want to use all the time I can do early to get ahead!

Excited for nuke school. Everybody is extremely kind and overly helpful here!! Hope I "enjoy" my time when school starts. Thanks again.




Oh, off topic. I've read that in the past they've talked about it and it never happens, but apparently a power school instructor has said that by year 2018 EM's will be reclassifying as an ET or MM? *Note that it was someone else who told me this a few days ago.  I'm assuming it's a rumor, as always.

[spekkio]

This site regularly posts job openings in utilities. Look at the requirements that they have and work at achieving them.

As for the EM -> ET rumor, no. You'll realize how silly this rumor is once you get to the fleet.

[HydroDave63]

Oh, off topic. I've read that in the past they've talked about it and it never happens, but apparently a power school instructor has said that by year 2018 EM's will be reclassifying as an ET or MM? *Note that it was someone else who told me this a few days ago.  I'm assuming it's a rumor, as always.

Based on the post-EAOS knowledge level of EM's I've seen, most likely that re-rate would be BM 

YMMV

[MMM]

Thomas Edison's Nuclear Energy Engineering Tech degree is their ABET accredited degree and has only been available for about 3 or 4 years, as opposed to the Nuclear Engineering Tech degree, which is what most older nukes got. You have plenty of time to research that, as you won't be able to use TA until you graduate NPTU, and once you get to your boat you'll want to focus on qualifying there, which will take another year or so.

I can't help you too much with the post navy stuff as I'm trying to get through that now. I can tell you some plants are picking up direct ROs now (don't know if they'll still be doing it in 8 years), but you have to have at least 24 months qualified (and standing) EWS/PPWS (EOOW/PPWO and RO count as well, but you need to be an ET for RO and if you get EOOW/PPWO you'll already be qualified EWS/PPWS). SRO is the next step up and some, if not most nuclear companies hire direct SROs, although your timing has to match up with a class, so you might not find one when you're separating.

Like you said, engineering degrees are meant so you can design things, engineering tech are for the folks that make the designs work.

[cedugger]

Based on the post-EAOS knowledge level of EM's I've seen, most likely that re-rate would be BM 

The Navy has a Bowel Movement rate now?

[PercMastaFTW]

Thanks guys. And MMM, I did compare them, and it seems the new degree has extra's compared to the regular? Must be better right?

Also, by you saying "direct RO," does that mean they don't go through the employer's RO training? If I somehoww don't qualify EWS, does that mean I would be going into a job and then being trained through their school before becoming RO?

Oh and Spekkio, a friend just started ET A school and his instructors are telling him that with the new carriers (ford class?) being built, that instead of there being few ET's and many EM's, that it's going to be flipping around. I'm assuming that will happen in like 30-50 years, correct? Regardless of timeline, would this be considered a good or bad thing for EM's? I'm assuming it's negative and would make EM's not as "in demand" in the nuclear navy. I'm still trying to find out some information on it!! It probably won't change for a long time since we still use our older carriers.

[spekkio]

They might take away the nuke part of EM in the distant future (I've never heard of anything official saying that 'they' will, let alone that NR would buy off on it), but there will always be appliances on ships and they will always need EMs to fix them.

There's the old adage that 70% of your job will be spent cleaning, 20% training, 10% doing what you were trained to do. Of that 10%, 90% of your time will be taken up by losing sleep and/or liberty over the dryer/deep fat fryer/ice cream machine, 5% cleaning carbon dust out of the SSMGs and on occasion other pump motors, 4% doing salinity cell clean and inspect monitored maintenance with a CWP because squadron goes full retard on interpreting the procedure (although I think most of that is sorted out by now), and 1% anything else nuclear related.

If you're on a VA boat or a boat with SERPOS then you will have a bit more free time as you won't be getting yourself full of carbon dust for 8 hours on a bi-weekly basis. I don't know whether or not carriers have SSMGs.

If they change your rate you'll get a heads up on the process when the time comes. The ANAV on my boat was a QM turned ET(Nav). It generally will mean that you'll have a lot of catching up to do knowledge-wise in your new rate if you hope to advance further.

[NuclearCowboy17]

I am going to throw my two cents in here, but it must be taken with a grain of salt. The information provided thus far has been excellent, but if I were you I would maybe save it somewhere and not look at or think about it for 4 years or more. I know it is good to look towards the future, but you are not focusing on the present.

The best you can do right now is

1) Finish A school (grades or sort of irrelevant),
2) Finish power school with a 3.6 or higher. These grades do matter, at least in the navy.
3) Go to prototype, I would say go to NPTU since the conversion of the MTS to an S6G platform with be going on roughly the same time. Could lead to some odd qual processes and watch standing, and I am some what biased.
4) Qualify Prototype in less than 20 weeks, this is decent, if you really want to be a superstar go for week 16. This does not mean suck a watch standing and qual, it mean be a BAMF if all facets.
5) At this point you will either become SPU or go to the fleet.
6) If you go to the fleet, bust your ass qual as soon as you can and become useful.

Keep in mind this is about 3-4 years down the road. At this point you can start to look at your career (which may have a very different view), and you should think of nothing else before then, unless you go STA 21 or something of that nature. Dont worry about school, by the time you get out of the Nav the nuclear industry may be drastically different, for better or worse, hard to tell. To a large part the future of the utility industry rides on Votgle and Summer right now, if they fail it will take a large portion of the industry with it,  if they succeed it could open the path way for many others.

In short worry only about making the grad, and becoming useful to someone. The rest will come later, much later.

[HeavyD]

In the commercial world, being a direct RO or direct SRO means you get hired in and go directly into the training program for RO or SRO (licensed operators) without first having to work your way up through the ranks as a non-licensed operator.  At my station, that training program is approximately 18 months long.

The reasoning behind it is that if you meet the requirements to be considered as a direct-license candidate, then you possess the baseline knowledge level with some level of operating experience, whether that be on a Naval plant or at another commercial plant.

Lastly, commercial SRO (Senior Reactor Operator) and Navy SRO (Shutdown Reactor Operator) are NOT the same thing, neither the acronym nor in actual performance of duties and responsibilities. 

[MMM]

The extra stuff that was added was to meet the ABET requirements. There are a lot of jobs out there that specifically look for that ABET accreditation, so when you finish the pipeline, go for that (or Excelsior).

Direct RO is similar to direct SRO, meaning you don't start as a NLO slowly working your way up, instead you spend 6ish months on site and go to the licensing class. The RO is the guy that controls the reactor and other primary systems, similar to a navy RO, only on a much larger reactor and, based on the Beaver Valley simulator, there are about 4+ ROs on watch per unit at a time (as opposed to the navy only needing 1). The SRO is the guy that directs what's going on in the plant, similar to a navy EOOW/PPWO and requires more stringent certifications. Folks with actual commercial experience feel free to correct me.

[PercMastaFTW]

Aww spekkio, does that mean us nuclear EM's technically won't be even allowed on the new carriers!?!?!?

Thanks for your career plan for me NC! All those numbers mean a lot to me and I'll be sure to stick to following those guidelines. I do plan on tackling this school as best I can. Always do like having a real general future plan though


And MMM and HeavyD, I looked on the internet and it also said if you have a technical degree and 2 or 3 years of power plant experience, that also qualifies you as direct RO as well? Oh, and I'm actually planning on applying to the Naval Academy while here and probably do some other commissioning programs. I might as well, right?

[HeavyD]

Oh, and I'm actually planning on applying to the Naval Academy while here and probably do some other commissioning programs. I might as well, right?

Are you just applying for whatever looks cool or do you want to be a commissioned officer?  Cause the jobs that the 3 enlisted rates do and the jobs that the officers do are COMPLETELY different.  We run (ran, in my case) the plant.  The officers are responsible for managing the division and the programs, and for providing leadership.  Chiefs fit in the middle of all that (at least the competent ones do).

If, and that's a big IF, you decide that you want to apply for a commissioning program, you need to figure out an answer to this question; "Why do you want to be a commissioned officer?".  Hint, the answer needs to not be about making more money or setting yourself up for a better civilian job.

Best of luck and thank you for volunteering to serve!

[PercMastaFTW]

Yes heavyd ive been thinking about that question for some time. I'll be very happy to stay enlisted but I do know why I'd like to be commissioned as well. I understand my job will be much different from asking many people about their experiences. Talked with many people already

Right now my biggest question is just if we nuclear EMs will even have a place on the new carriers hahaha. I know conventionals are always needed, but would we nukes be stationed on one at all?

[HydroDave63]

Right now my biggest question is just if we nuclear EMs will even have a place on the new carriers hahaha. I know conventionals are always needed, but would we nukes be stationed on one at all?

Of course...someone has to empty trash and scrub the crappers in nuclear berthing!  

[stefanc2011]

Right now my biggest question is just if we nuclear EMs will even have a place on the new carriers hahaha. I know conventionals are always needed, but would we nukes be stationed on one at all?

I can assure you, we have plenty of Nuke EM's on the Ford.

[spekkio]

Aww spekkio, does that mean us nuclear EM's technically won't be even allowed on the new carriers!?!?!?

Sorry, didn't catch that you were going surface. A wise choice wrt quality of life, but I don't know how they run things or what systems they have in the plant.

Oh, and I'm actually planning on applying to the Naval Academy while here and probably do some other commissioning programs. I might as well, right?

As long as you realize that it's a long shot -- a much longer shot than if you applied as a civilian. The Navy hired you to be an EM(nuke) and you have done nothing career-wise to demonstrate that you are deserving of an appointment at the Naval Academy or acceptance into STA-21.

[PercMastaFTW]

haha Thanks hydrodave...

And thanks so much for your knowledge efan! I'm glad to hear that!!!

And yes I do realize that, spekkio. I'm just all for putting myself in "opportunity" as much as I can, no matter the odds. I did hear that out of the 49 nukes that applied last year (~120 attempted but were too lazy to finish it), 32 were accepted. I'll be happy with whatever road I take! I'm just going to be putting myself out there as much as I can basically!

[spekkio]

haha Thanks hydrodave...

And thanks so much for your knowledge efan! I'm glad to hear that!!!

And yes I do realize that, spekkio. I'm just all for putting myself in "opportunity" as much as I can, no matter the odds. I did hear that out of the 49 nukes that applied last year (~120 attempted but were too lazy to finish it), 32 were accepted. I'll be happy with whatever road I take! I'm just going to be putting myself out there as much as I can basically!

Were those guys stashed prior to A-school or guys in NPTU?

I think that you're referring to STA-21 nuke option, most of whom are given the choice to go subs or finish their enlistment. Someone mentioned in another thread that the Navy only takes STA-21 nukes from NPTU.

[PercMastaFTW]

Were those guys stashed prior to A-school or guys in NPTU?

I think that you're referring to STA-21 nuke option, most of whom are given the choice to go subs or finish their enlistment. Someone mentioned in another thread that the Navy only takes STA-21 nukes from NPTU.

The nuke I talked to was in power school on grad hold (probably) waiting to class up at the academy. And that's interesting about the STA-21! I know some friends here are trying to go that route. I should mention that to them! Very good information!!

[Starkist]

Since no one directly answered your questions...

1) an accredited TECHNICAL (i.e. no philosophy or art majors... among others) bachelors will give you a significant head up in the civilian world vs your average navy nuke that doesn't have a degree. My deepest regret in the navy, was that I did not pursue a college degree.

2) A degree will allow you to license faster at a commercial plant (all other things held equal). This means faster advancement if you worked hard and chose that path.


3) I was so dead set on STA-21 during my nuke school. I was pretty "shit hot" in school, and I had multiple chiefs tell me to "wait". I thought about it, and at the time, STA-21 counted for service time, so that meant I would be ~my 10-12 year point after an officer contract was finished... and that means you are potentially "Trapped" for 20 years. STA-21 is a CAREER MOVE. If you serve enlisted and get out, you have your GI bill... which isnt QUITE as good as STA-21 pay, its more than plenty and will allow you to get a degree of your choosing. Balancing the two, if you are feeling as a "lifer" nuke, then push for STA-21 as early as possible. If you are having any doubts at all, hold up until you hit the fleet. I can't recommend you wait till you get to your boat/ship enough to make this decision. If you don't wanna do it at your 3 year point, then you made a wise decision. As of right now, if you are in power school or prototype, you are painfully ignorant to what "real navy" is like (Sorry to say that!).


4) your PRIORITY right now is to get your NEC. Sorry to be a dick, but you are NOT a "nuke" yet. You have a long road before you earn that title. The schooling is tough, and even for the most brilliant of people, it is stressful.


Long story short... focus on your near term goals, then worry about "big picture". You are young enough to plan, but you need to focus on the most important things first. This means some soul searching to find out what is most important to you. Me and Drayer on here were both fast qualifiers on the ship, and both of us stood similar positions in quals, trainings, and leadership. He somehow took the time to earn most of his degree while out to sea, while I spent most of my time in the gym. Which one of us do you think is in a "better position" when we got out? Looking back, he made better choices for his future, I really wish I took the time to learn what I know now.