DOE vs Commercial

[Gonzo]

what's everyone's thinking on this?

[stownsend]

I like sleeping in my own bed,seeing my family every day, and having a real life. The road was great when I was single and didn't care where I hung my hat several months a year but I make a good living without it.

[Dan_E.]

The pay is great and it's there week after week after week.

[illegalsmile]

I prefer DOE, but I'm old. It's more like a 'real' job. A younger guy who likes the intensity and long off-time between outages my prefer the commercial world.
The DOE does tend to pay better hourly wage, but there is a push in the DOE to do away with diem (see the INEL postings).

[Dave Warren]

DOE is definitely the way to go.

Long-term work gives you a constant 401k, benefits package, same address, less travel, paychecks every week, no unemployment office lines, no NEU test or MMPI, "Q" clearance is gold, low dose, no schedule push unless you are at a closure site, better opportunity for advancement/promotion, work for and with the same group instead of changing every 4-6 weeks.

Being a Commercial Carnie puts a strain on your vehicles, your relationships, your health (mental and physical), your finances, etc.

[Rennhack]

Dave, what happened to your karma?  I thought everyone loved you.

[SloGlo]

commercial is a lotta fun, doe is like a regular job, 'n the private sector is a mixture of both.  ain't nobuddy really straving in any of these sectors.  manufacture.... anybuddy got a grip on that?

[UncaBuffalo]

How about the 'Job Satisfaction' part of the DOE vs Commercial argument?

I usually feel like I'm doing something that needs to be done when I'm at a refueling outage...and I enjoy the feeling of getting whatever it is accomplished.

At a DOE site, I've always felt I was just there to fill a slot...

[ramdog_1]

How about None of the above ? I am working new coal plats being built and I am already over 64 k for the year. plus the company I work for has jsut signed the deal to supply the new nuke plants the vessel and turbine and the rest of the stuff for the frist two new plants

[TN-Man]

Gee Ramdog_1, making all that money you'd think you could buy a spell check. Just Kidding
I worked DOE for about 1 1/2 years and there is a big difference. At DOE (Oak Ridge) there are house techs ( DOE and UT-Battel) and contractors. House techs get the interesting jobs, like SNS and the reactor. Contractors got the temporary jobs, out in the fields doing remediation and D&D work. Grunt work for sure, but it is interesting and it is making an impact on east TN.  Long, long hours of just sitting. Then there is the constant, "Boys were are going to have a layoff." BS that you hear every week. Easiest job I ever hated.
I'm back at a commercial (Watts Bar) and love it. Just something about being near a reactor. We are busy, things to do, and the money is much better. I know I'm temporary here, but long term jobs at commercial plants are available.
Don't get me wrong, I keep looking at the ORNL job line and if a good house job comes open, I'll go for it-- just for the stability. Till then mark me as comercial.

[Rahrah]

It all depends on the kind of job you want to do.  There is something out there for everybody, and TN-man I noticed a couple of grammar and spelling problems with your reply too.

[illegalsmile]

DOE is definitely the way to go.

Dave, didn't you leave DOE for your current job? Do they still take techs at  Ashtabula w/o passing Core or NEU or anything else?

[TN-Man]

Rahrah, you are right there is a something for everybody. Keep looking at the job line and you'll see things other than HP work. They just had a listing recently for  accelerator operators, waste handlers and a bunch of other jobs you can not find anywhere else. I have to admit the jobs can be cutting edge, and there are the stories of ultra secret activities, such as helicopters landing in a smoke screen and a lone figures with a brief case dashing into an office. Or the ghost fleet with highly armed guards carrying who-knows-what to who-knows-where. But most of the work is the mundane astrophysics research or nanotech science that will produce things we'll use in 2020.  Don't limit yourself to HP/RadCon jobs there are a lot of very interesting jobs. And it is kinda interesting to sit in the cafe and see some of the smartest people on earth. Kinda scarey too...

[Dave Warren]

(illegalsmile) Ashtabula is governed by the DOE. Not to mention the Ohio Dept. Of Health and the NRC. The DOE is a presence up here 24/7.

(Rennhack) Everyone does love me. They just despise my political beliefs and my ability to say what is on my mind, without fear of their friends seeing it.

(UncaBuffalo) At a nuke, you are there to do something. Get the plant back on line, so the utility can get back to making some cash. At a DOE site, you are contributing to research and development, and trying to clean up what has been destroyed by our predecessors.

[alphadude]

working with DOE is like pushing wet rope up hill.

[Dave Warren]

Yes, but the DOE hill is very high and it takes you a long time to complete the trek up that hill....... Translation:longevity

Unless you enjoy going to a different hill every few weeks, and losing ground each time you have to move to a different hill.

6 of one, half a dozen of another, I guess.....

[illegalsmile]

I guess what it all boils down to is this.....if you want, for whatever reason, a job that's going to last a while and move at a more reasonable pace, you'll like the DOE. If DOE doesn't have a job where you want to be, or if you like to work long hours for a spell, then take a few weeks (or months) off, you'll go commercial.

[alphadude]

exactly, people at LANL have been here tooo long pushing rope. they are 20 years behind in how to do things... it keeps them employed

[tonynuke]

Commerical!!  I love it.  Fast paced, get in, make your cash, and move on to someone elses BS.  Summers off...work as much or as little as you want.  Scenery changes, people on the road with you are fantastic for the most part.  I wont do it forever, but as a single guy, this job is great!!!!  Just my 2 cents   

[Dave Warren]

exactly, people at LANL have been here tooo long pushing rope. they are 20 years behind in how to do things... it keeps them employed

Alphadude, it looks like Big Blue is looking for a few good rope-pushers out at LANL....

[alphadude]

from rope smoking to rope pushing  aint life grand...

[ISOCS]

I haven't done the DOE except to give a presentation. I can understand both ways because of the longevity of dealing with waste. I always liked having to get "the plant on line" to be able to go to 40's. Either way, it's important for the young guns to study, pass the NRRPT, and make this their career.

[retired nuke]

Made more money at DOE sometimes. more at commercial sometimes. Long term at commercial paid better. DOE was fun once I got used to people working in 20,000 DAC Air (yes, 20,000). 'Course some of them DOE boys was scared of gamma radiation....guess it's all in what you are used to...

[jkj]

Easiest job I ever hated.

Tn,--that's great. I basically agree with Dave, and I've worked both for years. Commercial's O.K. when you're young, but when you get burned out, DOE's more stable. Then I agree with Tn.

[Content1]

Commercial was Ok until the outages got so short it wasn't worth traveling across the country for 2 weeks here, 2 weeks there and then your unemployment runs out.   As a house tech your income is kind of fixed, but it is steady.   It is a matter of dollars and cents.   When traveling was lucrative, I traveled.   When House became a better buy, I stayed.   When you are older it is nice to have health insurance to treat my old foggie health conditions.