SGPO Questions, Do I even have a chance?

[aturner]

     Hi all.  This is my first time posting so if I ask questions already answered, just tell me.  There looks to be lots of information here and I'm sure I haven't touched the tip of it.
   
     To get to my question, I have applied for the SGPO position posted by TVA.  I have also received notification of my testing date.  My guess is there are probably lots of people who are set to take the test as well.  I received my degree in CS, minor in math, in December 05.  My whole time thru college I worked full time during the day in a manual labor job in a shop environment(not power related).  After graduating my wife and I moved from NE Alabama to Southern California as she is a travel nurse.  We are now making plans to get back home and the SGPO job was very appealing.  I am working in CS right now with no worries, but realize I feel more at home with a hands-on type job.  The SGPO seemed like possibly a good chance to combine my work background with a degree and make a career out of it.  Am I stretching to make this??  I realize that engineering degrees are preferred and that alone may kick me out of it (I really hope not!) we'll just have to wait and see.  I just wanted to get a feel from some people in the industry.  Any comments, suggestions, or questions will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance for any help provided.

[Fermi2]

You can get an SGPO position without having any kind of degree at all.
Also having a degree helps get an interview, but after that is meaningless so far as SGPO selection.

Good Luck!

Mike

[Roll Tide]

Which TVA site did you apply?

Make sure you prepare for the test. This thread may be helpful:


http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,5224.0.html


This board is dedicated to hiring in facilities covered by the NRC:

http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/board,45.0.html

By the way, I am from NE AL; would you like to be more specific about your hometown?

[Roll Tide]

To answer the question, "Do you have a shot" because you have been working in CS....

I am currently a SGPO. In my class are one former Dell Help Desk CS major, one former funeral director, one former Home Depot stocker, one former journeyman electrician, one former Tecumseh engines process engineer, etc.


What brought these people into TVA as SGPO was not their specific degrees. It was the attitude they displayed in their interviews. You have to pass the POSS to get an interview. You absolutely have a shot!

[aturner]

Broadzilla,
     Thanks for the info. !!  I feel such a relief now.  I was really afraid I might be on the outer edge looking in for this job, but this is good news. 

Roll Tide,
     I will definitely take a look at those threads and get all the information I can out of them.  I went online and looked at the practice tests that TVA recommends and feel very good about those. 
      In regards to my hometown, I graduated from Sylvania in 97 and moved and worked in S'boro while going to Northeast.  After there I transferred to UAH.  Around 2004 I moved to Henagar when I got married.  I read earlier last night in one of your posts about the ride down 40 and seeing the towers and the tennessee river.  It is definitely a sight to be able to see on an everyday drive.  I can also say my wife and I have said the Bellefonte plant would really be good for the future if things were to work out that way.  I look forward to talking more in the future
     Thanks to both of you for the information.  I may be asking a few more questions as this process goes along.  Anything I can do to get a leg up on the field!


Edit:   Roll Tide, I applied to the Browns Ferry site.

[Roll Tide]

Roll Tide, I applied to the Browns Ferry site.

If Scottsboro is your desire, it is only about 10 miles farther to Sequoyah. Hollywood (Bellefonte) would be near equal distance to Browns Ferry and Sequoyah. Sylvania is probably a little closer to Sequoyah.

Of course, if you just want to be in the region, anything TVA would work. If you really want to get in with TVA, consider all the nuclear sites.

[Fermi2]

M1Ark isn't TVA. He works for another utility so he can give a different perspective. He and I used to work for the same utility whose NLO hiring process was quite a bit different than that of TVA. The bottomline is in the end the candidates have to sell themselves that they have what it takes to work at a nuke. Lots of candidates with great looking resumes haven't made it because they blew it at the interview.

Mike

[aturner]

Honeycomb,
     It's good to have someone in the boat with me.  My test date is May 6 at Northwest.  I was told the only dates were May 5 and 6 for this hiring.  Are you scheduled for either of those days?  I already have my ticket booked and will be flying in Friday to take the test.

Roll Tide,
     You said it in your last statement.  I just want to get in.  Location is not an issue for me.  Anywhere they would like to place me I would like to work.

By the way, where is the training located at for the SGPO?? 

[aturner]

I have looked up the directions.  We are from NE AL originally so I don't think it'll give me a problem, we just happen to be in CA right now.  I already have a hotel booked in the area for Friday night so I should be ok to find it Sat. morning.  We have plans to come in on the 10-14 also and I had inquired about taking the test then but was told it was only on the 5th and 6th.  Someone at TVA give me a number to call regarding the testing ( EEI ) and they told me the dates also so I think you're good on your Friday test date.

Thanks for the help.

Adam

[Roll Tide]

SGPO training is given at the site where you are assigned. Each TVA Nuke has a training center outside the gate (though it may not be within walking distance). That is typically where your interview will be held.

[Fermi2]

I have to believe that Sequoyahs training center is in one of the prettiest locations I've ever seen.

Mike

[aturner]

     Am I right that the training begins in October or did I dream that date up?  I have looked thru all of my emails and I can't find anything that actually states a date for the start of training.

Thanks,

Adam

[Fermi2]

If you're a nuke you get trained at the plant. I'm not sure what the dirt burners do.

DTE was real strange on the Dirt Burner side. They never advertised on the street. They ran a school, if you passed the entrance exam you were allowed into the school. You didn't get paid, and you had to pay DTE a certain amount to be considered. It was a 12 week basic steam engineering school. If you passed the school you were placed in the potential employment school. When they needed operators at the coal plants they'd call the top people on the list of graduates. You were considered as part of the pool until the NEXT time the course was offered. After that you were out and couldn't gain admission to the course again.

I think they did this because one of the requirements was to either get a High Pressure or 3rd class stationary engineers license within a certain amount of time being employed. Rather than spend their money teaching you the course they did it pre employment.

The course itself was rather good. The texts they used were available on the DTE Net and they helped me a lot when I got my First Class Stationary Engineers license in Ohio.

Mike

[aturner]

Hey guys,
     
     I just want to give a big thanks to everyone in this thread who has given any advice for the EEI test or the SGPO position.  I got one step closer by qualifying for the position.  It looks like all the advice on the testing paid off.  I really appreciate this website and the info. it provides.

Thanks Again!!

[Roll Tide]

Congratulations big A,

When (not if) you get your job offer, post what you did right so we can get some more good candidates.

Looking forward to have you at TVA; maybe we will fire up Bellefonte together!

[aturner]

I will be keeping a close eye on the website and on the near future.  Any good info. I'll be sure to pass along.

For the distant future...... Bellefonte is where I hope I can be!



By the way Roll Tide, I finally got some time and thought I'd add an image to my profile. 

Just for you!!

[Fermi2]

GAWD the Alabama symbol is one of the ugliest in the Nation, only rivalled by Georgia and Florida.

Have you been offered an interview yet?


Mike

[aturner]

I have not.  From what I understand it will be about 3 weeks out from now to receive the request to interview.  It can't get here quick enough for me.  This is by far the longest hiring process I've known.

The days just simply do not pass quick enough!!

[Fermi2]

I have not.  From what I understand it will be about 3 weeks out from now to receive the request to interview.  It can't get here quick enough for me.  This is by far the longest hiring process I've known.

The days just simply do not pass quick enough!!

LOL Trust me, you have no idea how long it can take. You're just at the beginning!

Mike

[Roll Tide]

By the way Roll Tide, I finally got some time and thought I'd add an image to my profile. 

Just for you!!

Nice shades of orange and blue. With the OT, it no longer has to be TIE-Dyed anymore!

Looking forward to getting you back home to work!

[Fermi2]

Roll Tide,

From the day you interviewed at Sequoyah until the day you were offered a job how long did it take?

Mike

[Roll Tide]

8.5 months!
Of course, they were clueless about getting a class started that time. Looks like this next SQN class is starting about 3 months after interviews, as scheduled.

[tigger]

Those of you interviewing......or hoping to interview, I did it, and got in. So if you want a littel info on the interview process, send me a message. It went nothing like any interview I have ever had before. None of the normal questions... why do you want to work here, what can you offer us... blah, blah, blah. they didn't ask any of that stuff.
Again, if you want info, email me, and I wil be happy to answer questions.

[Roll Tide]

General statement:

If you really want to work in a commercial program (SGPO or anywhere else) then don't fail FFD. Apparently one of the most recent guys offered a job at my company failed the drug test. If you think it would be cool to do a few joints (purely recreational, of course), then find a different career field. One that pays half what this one pays. 

[aturner]

General statement:

If you really want to work in a commercial program (SGPO or anywhere else) then don't fail FFD. Apparently one of the most recent guys offered a job at my company failed the drug test. If you think it would be cool to do a few joints (purely recreational, of course), then find a different career field. One that pays half what this one pays. 

No worries on this one.  Too much at risk.....i.e. a career