1) The shifts are 12 hours, typically 6 to 6.
2) As with any place, there are different personalities. That said, the people are in general easy to get along with. This is the south and people do tend to have good manners. Some managers are more approachable than others, but all I have dealt with will listen to what you have to say, particularly if you present your concern in the right way (don't come off as whiney or trying to cause problems).
3) The work can take up time. Working a rotating shift does make it difficult to have a set schedule to go to the gym. However there are some very fit people who work at Duke and work out regularly. It's doable, but if you're training for the Ironman, it would be tough. The rotating 12 hour shift makes for long work days, but also affords quite a bit of time off. Every five weeks or so you get 7 days in a row off, and taking 3 days of vacation gives you two weeks.
4) I'm guessing starting NEO pay is 20ish. Topped out is probably closer to $30/hr. Keep in mind you have built in shift overtime (4 12 hour days in a week at times) plus outages. Starting out, I'd guess you'd make roughly $50,000 at least your first year, and it goes up from there. I'm deliberately lowballing my estimate, because you'd likely spend the first 6 months with Duke in training, BOT and ISS, before going to shift, so very little overtime the first 6 months. At that point, you'd start qualifying to watch stations.
5) I work at a Duke plant, and it's not bad. It's like any job, you get out of it what you put into it. For the money, I've worked harder at other places. The people are nice, and so is the area. All are around lakes so it can get expensive for housing. Plus the Charlotte area is a pretty large metropolitan city.
6) There is a cafeteria at each plant, but depending on the shift and hours, it may or may not be open. Each control room at my plant, and the NEO "kitchen" have refridgerators, stoves, etc to prepare meals at.
7) If you have a specific question, feel free to send me a message or ask it here and Ill try to answer it.
I know this is an old thread. However, I have searched and this topiic is closest to what I want to learn.
I applied for a job with duke at Catawbe. They are flying me out on the 12 to test and interview on the 13th (december 2010).
I would like to learn:
1. How the shifts run? 12s? 8s?
2. How difficult it is to get along with fellow ops people and management there?
3. I heard that that type of work would utilize alot of my time, and I do not want to fall behind on my physical fitness. I am worried that working there will force me off track due to fatigue, are there ways to help mitigate that?
4. What is the (guestimate) pay there? I am worried about this one as I am currently making about $32 a hour working for a D.O.E. contractor and the last post I saw said something like $22 a hour (even after a raise for fininshing quals this is not competitive with my current salary).
5. Id like to get pros/cons from someone currently working there.
6. Where do people who work there usually eat lunch? Do they bring their own or is there a cafeteria or what? THis question is out of curiosity.
7. If anybody has additional information that can aide me, please feel free to divulge.
Thank you for your help
James Fuller
