I am currently working in the oil and gas industry out of Ohio as a field engineer who travels extensively throughout the Northeast region. I graduated Penn State in 2012 with a Nuclear Engineering degree and a minor in Engineering Mechanics. I'd like to get into the nuclear industry, even though it is rather slow right now; but so is the industry I'm currently in.
After being in a position that requires 100% of travel all these years, I would like to transition to the Pittsburgh, PA area (within 50 miles works as well) at a more stable career. I still enjoy traveling, but would like to keep it under 50% of the time. The trouble I'm having is convincing people I'm worth it when my experience isn't nuclear-related and every job posting seems to have 5+ years of experience required with experience needed in rather specialized programs (I still apply to these postings anyway, just in case they are willing to take a chance on me).
If anyone out there has any tips for searching for careers in the nuclear industry, I'm all ears. I am aware of the major players around that area and have applied to many positions, but was wondering if anyone knows of any available opportunities from smaller companies that I may have overlooked. Or if people could give me some insight into some starting positions that could help get my foot in the door to grow later. I know expanding my searches to other areas would help, but I am currently just trying for the Pittsburgh area for personal reasons.
A quick summary of my skills and qualifications are below. (Many of the skills I picked up from my previous job that I interned at for all 4 years of college and worked full time for 2 years after that before swapping to where I am now.)
- B.S. degree in Nuclear Engineering with a minor in Engineering Mechanics from Penn State University, May 2012.
- Proficient in the use of CAD modeling applications, MS Office and Project, Rhinoceros 3D, AutoCAD, and MATLAB.
- Skilled in the creation of 3D CAD models of numerous systems, such as a nuclear, biological, chemical and radiological sensor system.
- Experienced in the testing of various products and prototypes, such as a modular surveillance system, for the U.S. Government.
- Experienced in the creation of project plans and monitoring of progress in their execution.
- Demonstrated excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
Thanks, everyone!
