Career Path > Nuclear Operator

Deciding between jobs as a Shift Test Engineer or Auxiliary Operator

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tcpcman:
I received a job working as a STE for a defense contractor and am currently undergoing the clearance process, but while I was waiting I interviewed for an auxiliary operator position at a commercial nuclear powerplant and I have been told that my chances of landing that job are favorable. I am a recent graduate from college and have a degree in mechanical engineering with some nuclear electives under my belt. I was wondering if anybody has worked either of those jobs and could give me some more information to help me decide which position is best for myself and my future career.

JMD:
I became a non-licensed operator after getting my Mech Eng degree 20+ years ago - I would make that move again without hesitation. 

Pros are you get lots of initial & continuing training - much more than other positions.  The NLO position is probably union or at least non-exempt so you should be paid for your OT, and probably get premiums for working nights, Sundays, Holidays, etc.  Also working for a utility should be very stable if you choose the plant wisely.  At my plant the ops career path pays MUCH better than the Engineering path.  (In my first year as an NLO I made ~50% more than I would have as a new engineer).  Make sure you speak to an incumbent about how much either job REALLY pays. 

Downside for some is the shift work schedule (nights weekends & holidays).  Also all of that training comes with a lot of testing, and your work is often observed and critiqued (more so once you are licensed), and finally the more time you spend away from engineering the more you risk losing some of your technical skills you just worked so hard to get.       

Note that with the engineering degree you should qualify to get an instant SRO license IF that interests you.  The Ops path is a much more certain path to that goal than any other and an SRO license IS your ticket to further advancement in commercial nuclear.

Whether its easier to go from ops to engineering or from engineering to ops - that will depend on your organization, their demographics and philosophy - but Ops is generally a pipeline to the rest of the organization, not the other way around.  I don't think Engineering would offer the same level of career opportunity.

That's my 2 cents

hamsamich:
Understand what rotating shift work is and whether you will be doing that or not.  If I can help it I will never do that again.  On the other hand some people love it.  Ask specifically about rotating shift work.

scotoma:
A position as a NLO will give you hands on experience and classroom education. You will actually be able to operate the equipment and get a feel for the way it works and compre it to its design intentions. The career path could eventually get you to a Plant Manager, corporate executive, or CEO. An engineer will be looking at it from 30,000 feet using blueprints, tech manuals, and diagrams (some may not be completely accurate). It could lead to a management position or corporate executive position, but the competition may tougher. Of course, if you don't like the OPS path, you can always fall back on your engineering education. In either case, you'll have to play golf and know when to lose if necessary. 8)

tcpcman:

--- Quote from: hamsamich on Jan 17, 2022, 12:56 ---Understand what rotating shift work is and whether you will be doing that or not.  If I can help it I will never do that again.  On the other hand some people love it.  Ask specifically about rotating shift work.

--- End quote ---


I would be doing two weeks days and two weeks nights with 12 hour shifts. I already work 10 hour shifts (sometimes more, sometimes less) and I feel like I can handle 12 hour ones reasonably well. My one concern however would be going down a career path that would still have rotating shifts 10+ years down the line.

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