I have an interview but...

[melbornj]

I submitted a resume for a simulator instructor position at XCEL in Minnesota.  I am flying out for a practice teach and interview in a week.  I want to feel it's a good sign that they are spending the money to fly me out there and pay for a rental car, food, gas and a hotel room.  Does anybody have any insight on this?  Are you a top candidate and likely to get a job if they fly you out or are you just one of many people that they flew out and this means nothing?  I'm just kind of freaking out here.  I get out of the navy in a few months and really need a good job to support my family.

[MMM]

Honestly, if they're flying you out, you're a decent candidate. By no means does it guarantee you'll get the job. Exelon flew me out to Chicago for 3 days for testing and interviews for an SRO position that I didn't get. What is your background?

[jams723]

A company will not pay for an interview trip if you are not a qualified candidate for the position.  The door is open, it is up to you to convince them you are the top candidate.

[triti-yum]

not sure if your interview will be like mine in canada, but....here goes!

- safety is everything. have any experience related to safety? flaunt it!
- problem solving is a close second. anywhere else you worked, how did you solve problems, make things better and save the company money?
- show a strong interest in nuclear technology. research the plant you are applying to in depth.
- the interview i had started with a simple concept and took it as far as i could go in increasing technical detail- remember, sometimes the correct answer is 'i don't know'. they don't want people that are going to make stuff up, they want people who are willing to learn!
- having some background in the nuclear field, they went hard on me. can't promise you'll get this kind of abuse, but they wanted to know how i would respond under pressure. i had the 'good cop, bad cop' routine. one interviewer was very kind, the other was a complete ass. when i was thinking on a question, the bad one was practically yelling at me to hurry up and stop wasting his time. i just smiled at him and continued on taking my time. don't let them shake you.
- research topics like system chemistry and corrosion (rust). how do you prevent corrosion anyways?
- they pulled another fast one on me: i gave them correct information regarding reactor physics and was told that i was wrong. how do you respond to that? i told them i was under the impression it was how i stated, but instead of doubting what i was told i would research it out of interest. i'll never know if they were testing me or just dumb!

that should give you a real edge if your interview is anything like mine was. it was for operator by the way. good luck!