What can a former NUPOC Nuclear Power School Instructor after 5-year commitment?

[nukenewb]

What can a former NUPOC Nuclear Power School Instructor after 5-year commitment?


Hello all,


Been doing some lurking on the forums this evening, but did not see a whole lot of discussion about the NPS instructor career path after finishing the five-year commitment and choosing to transition out of the Navy, so I decided to ask here


My information:


1. Age: 25, turning 26 in 2017


2. Already have a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering (Overall GPA: 3.51). 


Completed two engineering summer internships while pursuing the BS.


3. Finishing master's degree in Mechanical Engineering (Overall GPA: 3.21)


I found about the NUPOC program at my university's career fair and trying to learn everything about the program that I can.


My campus recruiter linked me to Brian Linville's blog page about NUPOC, which has been very helpful to reference.


https://nupocaccessions.blogspot.com/2016/06/nuclear-power-school-and-nuclear.html


The NPS Instructor position sounds great.  I loved studying calculus and physics, have worked as a teaching assistant in graduate school and think I'd make a good instructor.


I'd like to learn more about is what one can do outside after the NPS five-year commitment is done. 


My recruiter said that it's not possible to keep working as an NPS instructor because it's too expensive for the Navy to pay NPS instructors that much after their fifth year.  So if I don't laterally transfer to a different Naval position, I'd have to leave.


Brian mentioned NPS instructors' do earn GI bill benefits.  So I could go to graduate school afterwards and pursue a PhD.


Since the NPS instructor position is mostly academic, I have a hard time seeing what sort of engineering jobs one could apply for besides entry-level ones and essentially starting my career over again.  The NPS instructor doesn't work on reactor design or maintenance, so I don't think one can get a job as an engineer in a Nuclear Power Plant with an electric utility.


Here's my questions about finding work after the NPS instructor commitment is done:


1. Would it be possible to obtain employment as an engineer with the Navy as a civilian or work for a defense contractor?


2. Would it be possible find work as an engineer with a power utility in a Nuclear Power plant?


3. Would it be possible to find work as an engineer in my field with a company that isn't an entry-level position?


Thank you all very much for taking to time to answer everyone's questions on the forum.  This is a great resource!

[MMM]

Short answer: If you want to get into engineering, you're going to be entry level.
That being said, if you do lateral transfer and stay in, unless you get into NR Engineering, you won't be doing anything with your degree for the rest of your time in the navy. If you want to do engineering, I suggest cutting out at 5 and making the switch. If you stay in longer, however, you get leadership/management experience that could help you go into a supervisory role after the navy.

[HeavyD]

As an example of what you can do post-NPs instructor, we have a former DIO working in our Nuclear Licensing group.

So, there's spots out there, but like MMM already pointed out, you'll be on the same level with every other engineering graduate at the time you enter the workforce.

Best of luck!