What jobs are you qualified for after getting out of the Navy?

[Unknown2015]

My son is considering the Navy nuke program. He received a 89 on his ASVAB test and his recruiter has him pretty much talked into the program.
It is not that I think she is lying; she is a E5 Yeoman and can not be an expert on every rate. Personally I am not only not a expert, I know next to nothing about the program.
I want him to go to collage. He was a foster kid after his 16th birthday in Los Angeles. That means that not only would his collage be paid for and he would get all the grants everyone else gets, he would also get special grants for foster kids (AB???2010). He would make more money in college than in the navy.

I have a few questions that hopefully you can help me out with.

Question 1

What job can he get when he gets out?

In my mind, since we have not built a nuke plant since 1977 and every year scores of people get out of the navy - All the jobs should be taken??? (Please note that I am not trying to be disrespectful. I do not know)

Any advice would be helpful...

[Marlin]

   Qualified for? I have to say none!!! A step up for a broad range of jobs yes. Obviously nuclear power but in an entry level position. Other fields are in need of employees with clean backgrounds and a good work ethic, a rapidly disappearing commodity the Navy makes him a known in that arena. Nuclear is still on the top for pay scale in general but not everyone leaving the Navy wants the "golden handcuffs" of nuclear operations at a commercial power plant. He may decide he never wants to see another nuclear reactor. Does he want to enlist or would he prefer to get his degree and get a commission? If he has the drive to get a degree I would recommend he do that first if he needs that motivation, enlisting first may be his best option. Enlisted is hands on blue collar officer is management with broader responsibilities. Either path will enhance his employment options as a known commodity. Who knows he may like the Navy and make it a career.

[GLW]

Do not join the Navy as a navy nuke unless you want to operate a nuclear engineroom on a warship,...

If you join for any other reason then you will have to live with that choice when you experience all the BS that goes along with operating a nuclear engineroom on a warship,...

In either case, you've been warned,...

Now make a choice, and live with it,...

ETD!!!! 

[Higgs]

Why don't you let him make his own decisions?

Justin

[Gamecock]

In my mind, since we have not built a nuke plant since 1977 and every year scores of people get out of the navy - All the jobs should be taken???

There are new plants being built right now. 

I have seen folks get out and go into all kinds of professions. 

My advice.... Support your son in whatever decision he makes.

Cheers,

GC

[Lethological]

I would agree with pretty much all of the previous replies for the most part.  To add to Marlin's post, as long as he finishes his enlistment without having any blemishes on his record (i.e. DUI, drugs, etc... it happens more often than you would think, trust me), and he proves himself to be a dependable watchstander, he will have opportunities at his fingertips when he gets out.  That is NOT to say that he will get handed anything he wants without any effort as a civilian.  He won't need college to obtain a well-paying job.  If he's going for a field that specifically requires a degree, like being a mechanical engineer at a firm, that's a slightly different story.  It's possible without a degree, but rare.  He would most likely be able to interview, at least.  If he's willing to re-locate, the opportunities multiply by 10.  There are plenty of companies that believe ex-navy nukes are a good fit, and will specifically seek them out.  I would make a list here, but I think we're putting the cart before the horse at that point  In any case, being an ex-navy nuke definitely has its benefits.  He will most likely not know what he wants to do down the road until he gets out, I can pretty much guarantee you that.  There are many changing variables.  He may get married and have kids, or he may decide to make the navy a career.  Just understand that once he signs the paperwork to start his enlistment, it might as well be in blood, because there's no going back.  He'll have an obligated 6 years to serve.  Like Higgs said, though, at the end of the day, he's going to make his own decisions, even if it's not what you hoped for.

Hope this helps.  Don't be afraid to ask any more questions if you have any.

[Unknown2015]

   Qualified for? I have to say none!!! A step up for a broad range of jobs yes.

I would agree with pretty much all of the previous replies for the most part.  To add to Marlin's post, as long as he finishes his enlistment without having any blemishes on his record (i.e. DUI, drugs, etc... it happens more often than you would think, trust me), and he proves himself to be a dependable watchstander, he will have opportunities at his fingertips when he gets out.  That is NOT to say that he will get handed anything he wants without any effort as a civilian.  He won't need college to obtain a well-paying job. 

Hope this helps.  Don't be afraid to ask any more questions if you have any.

Thanks for the quick replies!

I am still confused about what kind of job could get after his 6 years, assuming he does not do 20.

A large part of his plan is to learn something that he can use when he gets out. He will be going to school and then will be doing maintenance and up keep on reactors. When he gets out he may get a civilian job working on a reactor but that is unlikely, correct? What jobs do people transition to? Can you give some examples?

I do realize that the training and discipline will help him regardless of what he does when he gets out.

[Marlin]

I am still confused about what kind of job could get after his 6 years, assuming he does not do 20.

   Operations or maintenance in nuclear and nonnuclear facilities probably the closest fit.  One of the jobs I looked at was a steam plant operator at Anheuser Busch in Williamsburg Va. A couple of my shipmates are boiler inspectors for insurance companies. Manufacturing jobs in operations or maintenance is an option some have taken. One of my shipmates became a chimney sweep another a hog farmer. Here in Oak Ridge Tennessee I know of ex Navy Nukes in Environmental Management Service Companies one is an owner, another is the President of one, and another is a Chief operating officer.
   The most direct parallel in the civilian world is operations in a nuclear plant but the jobs are not the same and the ability to qualify and prescreening are more important than the qualifications.
   The job market at the time he would get out, if he chooses the Navy, would determine the specific jobs available not to mention his vision of his future. There are very few direct conversions from a specific military NEC (Navy Enlisted Classification) or MOS (Military Occupation Specialties) to civilian jobs.
   Sorry to be so vague but that is the reality.


   

[Gamecock]

The company I worked for when I first retired (Schneider Electric) employed several former nukes as field service technicians.

I know several ex-nukes that work in Data Center Operations in companies like Google and Yahoo.

The list can go on and on.....

As has been stated..... Your son will be able to find work after the military.....  Where?  That will depend on him.

Cheers,

GC

[Lethological]

The company I worked for when I first retired (Schneider Electric) employed several former nukes as field service technicians.

I know several ex-nukes that work in Data Center Operations in companies like Google and Yahoo.

The list can go on and on.....

As has been stated..... Your son will be able to find work after the military.....  Where?  That will depend on him.

Cheers,

GC

Schneider Electric, eh?  Well, you're right... they do like to hire nukes.  ;-)


I wouldn't say getting a civilian job at a reactor plant is "unlikely".  Again, it's ultimately whatever he wants to do.  The most common jobs I personally see nukes transition to are field service jobs and facilities operations jobs.  This is just based off of what I have seen and heard from talking to other people in the past few years... Not trying to generalize, but there's a data point for you at least. 

[Gamecock]

Schneider Electric, eh?  Well, you're right... they do like to hire nukes.  ;-)

Yes, they do.  Sometimes, I wish I still worked for them. 

[Marlin]

Here in Oak Ridge Tennessee I know of ex Navy Nukes in Environmental Management Service Companies one is an owner, another is the President of one, and another is a Chief operating officer.
 

I probably should have added that these gentlemen were all enlisted who exited at the six year mark.

[Unknown2015]

 
   Sorry to be so vague but that is the reality.


   

Thanks, not vague at all!

[Content1]

That is the wrong attitude.  If you enter just to get trained and leave, why go in?  Enter with the hope of making it a career.  If you just don't like it, you can simply not reenlist.  It is an honor to serve in the military and the Nuclear Navy is full of great people.  It is just not a long term pick for some.  If you can manage to get into the Navy and serve well, there are tons of opportunities out there.

[sjb7061]

If you just don't like it, you can simply not reenlist.  It is an honor to serve in the military

If he dosent like it he still has to finish whatever part of 6 years remains. And the whole honor to serve thing quickly goes away for most and it becomes just another job that sucks a lot . Any job giving out $100,000 reenlistment bonuses should be a red flag. Why do they have to go to such extremes to keep employees?

[GLW]

........... Any job giving out $100,000 reenlistment bonuses should be a red flag. Why do they have to go to such extremes to keep employees?

The more things change,..................

The dial has been turned back on The Wayback Machine.

It is now 1980. Hope you enjoy punk rock.

The Navy is considering raising Nuclear Reenlistment Bonus cap from $15,000 to $20,000.

The Bureau of Personnel believes their desired retention rates of 40% first term, 50% second term, and 60% third term will be achieved - which will man all nuclear billets, by rate, in the proper proportion.

The Wayback Machine is now set to 2008.

The Navy does not now, and never has wanted everyone to re-enlist.
They want the truly disgruntled to leave. They want the truly motivated to stay. Plain and simple. Money won't do it. A new poster slogan won't do it. The Navy knows that.

So, dudes... and dudettes...

If you like it - stay in. I appreciate your service.
If you don't like it - do your time and get out. And I'll enjoy working with you.

Notice the positive energy? We make energy.

You can't fix the Navy, it's not broke.

You can enjoy the ride.

[GLW]

A large part of his plan is to learn something that he can use when he gets out. He will be going to school and then will be doing maintenance and up keep on reactors.....

His odds of being able to do that are good, balancing work and school will be the biggest challenge, it most times is,...

When he gets out he may get a civilian job working on a reactor but that is unlikely, correct?

not correct, as an ex-navy nuke his potential to land a civilian job working on/at a reactor is good,...

What jobs do people transition to? Can you give some examples?

in addition to those already mentioned:

semiconductor manufacturing,...

plumbing,...

shipyards,...

municipal & commercial wastewater ops,...

wind turbine maintenance,...

hydrostation ops & maintenance,...

it's a long list,...

[MMM]

Any job giving out $100,000 reenlistment bonuses should be a red flag. Why do they have to go to such extremes to keep employees?

Why do they need to give out $100k bonuses (which is for 6 years, so about $18k per year)? Because they're competing with companies that can pay a lot better for higher quality of life (depends on your point of view I suppose) and slightly lower benefits.

As an example, at my 20 year point, I was being paid about $70k per year (about $24k was tax free, so it would come out to about $90k if it was all taxed). When I started my civilian job last year, I started in 6 figures, with annual bonuses (mine was in 5 figures, or would have been if I had worked there all year), with comparable benefits (medical has a higher deductible than Tricare, but dental insurance was about the same price with better coverage). I didn't go into Operations, by the way, so quality of life is really good (M-F, 7-4, with occasional weekends that pay straight time, not 1.5x for overtime). I also know guys who were able to get out at their 10 year point, go into Ops at more than what I make.

Like someone else said, if your son enlists, support him and make sure he knows to work like he plans on staying in for 20+ years. If he decides to get out before then, he'll have set himself up for pretty much anything when he gets out. I've had guys go into maintenance/operations at power plants and other industrial jobs, work for Google/Yahoo data centers, become teachers, or use  their GI Bill go to college to become doctors and lawyers. And, yes, nuclear plants are still hiring, even the old ones, since a lot of the senior operators are starting to retire now, and have been for a decade. I'd avoid the plants in CA, they're not fond of nuclear power.