What are the chances of getting in with DUKE (and would I want to?)

[Fermi2]

I was a Navy MM/ELT, in 6 years.
Started at a BWR as an NLO, got licensed as an RO and SRO. Became a Shift Manager.

Now I'm getting an SRO License at a PWR.

Mike

[ChiefRocscooter]

Mike , did you do it all on hard work or did they require a degree at some point? Do the plants give preference to degrees over Navy?

[Fermi2]

Hard work and being a smart Mo Fo.

No preference is given for either. Preference is given for competence not pedigree.

Mike

[ChiefRocscooter]

Ok, competence is somthing I 'll just have to prove.  How about the other jobs at a plant, for example say I cannt get hired into OPS but can get into maint (If that is possible) how hard is it to change up once your in plant? Are there draw back to going that route.

I know it sounds dumb but can I go form security to OPS? I mean foot in the door, is a foot in door!

Rob

[scrub]

Security to Ops is a way to go.  We had a security guard in our AO class.  This next class there is one guard already maybe even a few more.  Not sure of the later guards education.  The guy in my class graduated from Embry Riddle.  It seems that our hiring management like to hire guards, if qualified, since they kind of have a good idea where stuff is in the plant.  Not sure if that's a leg up everywhere.  Not sure of the pay for guards either.  

Your experience might buy you a better paying job outside Ops initially.  Then just move into Ops.  With hard work and a technical degree you'll get noticed and hopefully picked up for license class even if you're not in Ops yet.

[Fermi2]

Chief aren't you an ELT?

Mike

[ChiefRocscooter]

No I am now and EMC(SW/SS)  but when I was a Nuc for six years I was ET.  Qualified RO and SRO on my boat (SSN 674) Also have EOOW qual on LHD 600# plant and was Lant Fleet Engineering trainer for Steam ships (conventional) at ATG, have 4206 NEC which conventionals call TOP SNIPE, get bouns pay but only on sea duty and just 1 or two per ship.

Reason asked about security is I am now (about to retire from) at a Spec War command.  So I have marksman quals on 9mm and M4 and can get good referencs if I really needed them (not the way I would chose to do it.. but like I said before "foot in door"...

Rob
PS Yes, there is quite a story behind my career and someday would like to tell some people about it (over a beer of course).

[scrub]

Talked to the my bud that works for Duke a few days ago.  He said they are getting ready for a new class in about six months.

[ChiefRocscooter]

Glad to hear that, thank you for the heads up!  Can you tell me what plant he works at or do they do combined courses?  Would he mind getting me ionfo on who I should send letter to requesting interview.

Rob

[Fermi2]

Usually there's no one you can just email requesting an interview. Most utilities are very structured as to how they hire. They use the internet as a means to apply, then have you undergo a testing process. In most utilities getting an interview based on a friend or contact is a thing of the past, except in some specific cases. Mostly it's like this to avoid law suits and it saves them a lot of money.

If you read through the advice given in the various seeking employment threads here all this is laid out in a most excellent fashion.

Mike

[ChiefRocscooter]

Just tryin to get a leg up.  Thanks Mike your advice and help has been very useful.  Spending so much time around Navy and "Beltway Bandits", I have seen lots of "HOOKUPS" go on so I thought maybe that existed in the utility world too. I am scouring the site and the web as a whole to improve my chances when I go "on the market this fall".  If Duke is hiring for a class six months from now I am hoping I am in that target window.  Hopefullly Scrub's friends can clarify where (and did he means hiring in six months or for a class that starts in six months.

Questions:  How far ahead of a class starting does a company start/finish hiring?

Thanks again for all your help

Rob

Mike I was 8503 so we were there together! Guessing we have some common Buds (and Instructors, do you remember the little red head Ensign instructor )  Where did you go for prototype and for your in between A school/power school tours?

[Fermi2]

Hey man, hope I didn't come off as cross or contrary. For the most part hookups don't exist for initial entry into the industry.

Usually a utility starts testing and interviewing about 3 months before the actual hiring date.  My old utility was VERY organized about it, the interviewers had authorization to make job offers when they interviewed. The whole process took 2 days (Plus a reception the night before).

You, Roll Tide and me were all at NPS at the same time.

For instructors I had..

ETCS Pritchard for ETMO and MTMO
MMC White for Rad Con and Chemistry
MMCS Walker for Reactor Principles
MM1 (Dang I wish I could remember his name) for the first part of HTFF. What I remember is he never opened a lesson plan the whole time I was there, he taught it from memory.

Lt Hardon (I bet you remember her real name) for the last part of HTFF

And I think we might remember the same Redhead. Was she from Virginia? Name started with a C? She was a math instructor and all she ever talked about was what a football god Bruce Smith was. If so I have a story about her, if you wanna hear it PM me.

Also, if you want a website with the funniest sea stories around just ask. I can't post it publicly because the guy who runs it is a fellow 8502er and he only wants Ex Navy nukes going to his site.

Mike

[scrub]

Hopefullly Scrub's friends can clarify where (and did he means hiring in six months or for a class that starts in six months.

Questions:  How far ahead of a class starting does a company start/finish hiring?

Not sure.  I can find out some particulars and let you know.  My friend works at McGuire

What I've seen in the hiring process is the company hires several groups of 2-5 people to make up a class.  Duke did the same thing.  Right now we have new folks waiting for a class to start.  At Duke, he's waiting for a class to start and is on shift now.  Once the target number of people have accepted, the class will start.  New hires from the first round of interviews might be on site for a few months before class starts.  We even had folks hired after our fire school started.  Those guys fell in line for system training and had to make up fire training. 

In all I interviewed in one of the first groups in June and hired/started August.  The last folks for our class hired/started in October. 

[ChiefRocscooter]

Hey thank you for your efforts ahead of time.  Mcguire is one of my top two plant chioces (Catawaba being second). 

You have got to love this site (I am going to have to gold to show my thank to Ren).  People here are earning the real karma of life, thanks and gratitude.

Rob

[Roll Tide]

For instructors I had..

Let me add one: MMCS (SS) Ralph Carter
He went on to make MMCM, and is now out and doing well training TVA Nukes. He was the best of my instructors, and he is still excellent in presentation.

[Fermi2]

For the record, MMCS Ralph Carter went on to become MMCM Carter, and is now just plain old Ralph Carter who heads Maintenance Instruction at Browns Ferry. Until early this year he was the Lead NLO Instructor at BFN. Last June he was on the NLO Training Self Assessment that I led at SQN. It was tough not calling him Senior Chief because that's how I remembered him LOL. He's an ornery cuss and an excellent instructor.

My only dealings with him prior to then was back in 1985 during Nuke School. I never once had him for a class. One week my Class Adviser (shared the same guy with Roll Tides group) was on leave. MMCS Carter was his fill in Adviser. We had THREE tests on a Friday, good ole MMCS decides that would be a most excellent day to do room inspections, something I'm pretty sure our EM1 never did. We get out of our tests only to find everyone in my section was unsat on their room inspections so we all gor chewed out, told we were dirt bags of the highest order and were informed that from 0700 until 1600 on SATURDAY we'd be cleaning our rooms for his inspection at 1630. I think we were about to mutiny but he didn't strike any of us as the type we'd like to mutiny against!!. So at 0700 he made sure we were all cleaning our rooms, THEN after he made certain everyone was busy he spent about 15 minutes helping out in each room, finally around 1130 he told us everything looked great and to enjoy our weekend. I actually admired the guy after that, though many in power school didn't like him. I saw him quite a bit in the gym when I'd go to lift weights and he always said hello and asked how I was doing in NPS. All in all a pretty good, albeit BLUNT guy!

Mike

[ChiefRocscooter]

I remember Pritchard, in fact he went on to be a detailer for ET's!  I seem to rember have more officer instructors but I was in ET section so that may be why.  I know our class or your was the first to go through under a homogenous break down in the classes.  Meaning for us ET's it was #1, #,2 and #3 students split between three classes and then so on with 4,5,6 --7,8,9.  This was opposed to the old method of top 30 in class A, next 30 B, next 30 C.  Idea was that drop rate would be lower becasue weaker guys in class could get help from stronger guys.  In the past lower sections had much larger drop rates (I guess Dumb could'nt Dumber in section C ).  Heard we had one of the lowest drop rates in many years but I am not sure if that was rumor or not. (might explain how I made it through )

Back on topic: knowing I want Duke is there anything negitive about them you have heard?
Does any think this MOX thing will cause them issue down the line? 
Maybe this should be a new thread but
What about all the new construction "planned" what kind of impact on work force do people see that having?  More jobs available more demand for workers more pay?  Under manning current plants? What will the ramp to a larger work force look like?

Rob

[Roll Tide]

What about all the new construction "planned" what kind of impact on work force do people see that having?  More jobs available more demand for workers more pay?  Under manning current plants? What will the ramp to a larger work force look like?

We had a term at the usedtaplant: differential license worth
I predict higher values in the near future, with a leveling off after the current veteran retirements plateau (perhaps 10 years).

[ChiefRocscooter]

I guess that makes now a good time to be at the door looking jfor a job.  Right ?

Rob

[Roll Tide]

My crystal ball has been on the fritz lately. But IF they actually start building new plants, then this is the best time to be going into commercial nuclear power since about 1975. Definitely better than any time since TMI-2 (1979).

[ChiefRocscooter]

I guess the "IF" is always a factor but hopefully with the way licesences are being done now there will be less chance of things getting stalled out like they did in the 80's.  I am just hoping the work force surge kicks in soon .

Rob

[Fermi2]

The late 80s and early 90s were a good time. Quite a few utilities were staffing NLOs. I had 15 interviews 2 of which I turned down, and I had 13 job offers.

Mike

[Roll Tide]

Oyster Creek is also advertising with the premier site for Nuke Workers!

http://www.nukeworker.com/job/view.php?job_id=2829

[ChiefRocscooter]

I saw that but for me moving to NJ is not option.  To much taxes, liberials, and snow!  Momma said Surry Is a North as we go, so I will have to look from there down.

But is bring up a question on the hiring front, are they hireing early (I have been some what led to believe most plant hire in fall to wimter cycle) because it is less a desireable location (and noI am not NJ bashing, beautiful place with best 4 season weather in the country). What I mean is because more people are looking to go south these days.  Am I off on that???  SO does this mean they are getting a jump on hireing for this fall for NLO clases in spring?? 
Just the wondering of a novice!
Rob

[ChiefRocscooter]

So what do you think the general hiring picture looks like now??

Rob