I got out also! :D

[pianokeys]

I'm a plant operator myself, in Canada. Third Class Power Engineer by trade. I'm in the oil sands and, well, if Canada is anything like the US, this little industry is begging for operators, even outside of the oil sands. Adobo's write up is pretty much spot on, I'm both inside and outside (control panel and field) and its a job that requires a lot of troubleshooting skill, and demands that you know as much as you can about the plant. You're responsible for solving problems before they get out of hand, and sometimes you may never see the same problem ever again. Lots of other trades and professionals like Professional Engineers rely off of your work and knowledge to fix problems or make things better. 12 hour rotating shifts and lots of time off, and its compensation is handsome.

However, if you're looking for a job thats goal orientated, or one where you can see the fruits of your labour, this isn't it. The only thing I see thats a result of all our hard work is a value from the flow meter measuring how much bitumen were sending down the pipeline. It's hard to see 1500m3/hr. Unless its spewing all over the ground. Some nights its absolute boredom, feet up and falling asleep, and then maybe for one or two hours, its 100% pure unadulterated terror when everything is going to hell and you pray that the professional engineers calculations are correct so the place won't blow up.

The handsome compensation allows me to learn how to fly and I'm thankful for it. One of the reasons I love flying is because I can see the result of my hard work when the airplane is back on the ground in one piece. The other reason I love flying is thanks to the disease/bug.

Congratulations though guys! Operating is a swell gig, you're always learning, you have to be on your A game, the skills are valuable anywheres from heating plants to refineries, and its in demand.

 

[Tram]

However, if you're looking for a job thats goal orientated, or one where you can see the fruits of your labour, this isn't it. The only thing I see thats a result of all our hard work is a value from the flow meter measuring how much bitumen were sending down the pipeline. It's hard to see 1500m3/hr. Unless its spewing all over the ground. Some nights its absolute boredom, feet up and falling asleep, and then maybe for one or two hours, its 100% pure unadulterated terror when everything is going to hell and you pray that the professional engineers calculations are correct so the place won't blow up.

Lol.. Yep.

But, flying an airline is a lot like that as well.

 

[Adobo Pilot]

Update for you guys. Second full year at my job, I made 110k and my bonus was over 10k with not much overtime. How are you still liking the nuclear side Tram?

 

[Adobo Pilot]

Big thanks to Adobo Pilot for posting this. I just got on with a major company. I'll be adding my side to this too in a year or so.

Hey Mat, how's training going?

 

[Tram]

Update for you guys. Second full year at my job, I made 110k and my bonus was over 10k with not much overtime. How are you still liking the nuclear side Tram?

I'm not complaining one bit. I still fly, but I don't miss the job.

 

[mat]

Hey Mat, how's training going?

Everything's great so far. It's a little slow but it's pretty thorough. The USW contract stuff put us on pause for a while, so we still have 3 weeks left. We don't know what units we're going to yet but half of us are going to refinery services and half to process units.

I did find one thing kind of strange. Out of our class of 12, I'm the only one that completed the 2 year process tech degree.

 

[Vector]

Atimes, flying for the Airlines seems like a house besieged. Those inside want to get out and those outside want to get in. God help us!

 

[Tram]

I did find one thing kind of strange. Out of our class of 12, I'm the only one that completed the 2 year process tech degree.

Nuke's may be different, but in my class of 24 only 3 of us had prior training in a field that made sense and those 3 were navy nukes.

 

[Low&Slow]

Nuke's may be different, but in my class of 24 only 3 of us had prior training in a field that made sense and those 3 were navy nukes.

My class was the exact opposite! All navy nukes except 3. I was one of the three exceptions.
I'm not an operator anymore though. I liked it okay for about the first five years, but then it started to change. After the next five years, I absolutely hated it and wanted out.
Every day was worse than the day before. I began to fantasize about doing just about anything else and I was planning to turn in my two week notice, but managed to weasel into a different department instead, with the hope that things will be better now.
It was a little bit better, and I excelled in my new position, but I still had to deal with a lot of the same egos and politics. So, I got trained for a new trade doing something that greatly interests me, aircraft structure repair. Then last year, after 15 years in nuclear power, I started working full-time as an airframe mechanic/technician instead.
And, I freaking love it! I've never had a job that I actually, genuinely enjoy and am excited about doing.
The people are awesome, the work is fun, I'm home more, I have about twice as much vacation time, my schedule is dayshift only (and I make my own schedule), I won't ever ever ever get called in to work ever again, no more outages, pay is surprisingly a little better, benefits are way better, I don't get harassed about being gone for Army duty, and they "strongly encourage" me to maintain a high level of fitness and allow me to workout and/or run while I'm on the clock to encourage that habit/behavior. I could go on and on.
The thing is that, I don't feel like I'm at work at all when I'm there. I feel guilty sometimes, like I'm cheating in life or something. It feels less like I'm working and more like I'm getting paid for hanging out with friends, doing arts and crafts, and working out. I feel happy and have a sense of belonging for the first time in forever. It's freaking amazing!
The only downside that really bugs me about this job so far is that it occasionally makes me regretful and sad to realize that I have wasted the last decade of my life being miserable in a job I absolutely hated and that I can't get those years back for a do-over.
I knew I should have quit, but I stayed because I didn't think I would ever see that kind of income again. On hindsight, it wasn't worth it, I should have followed my gut instinct and left a long time ago.
Trying to comfort me and cheer me up one night, my wife told me that we all have regrets, and that I did the best I could with the knowledge I had, so I should forgive myself, move on, and enjoy what I have today. She's a wise woman.

 

[Adobo Pilot]

Everything's great so far. It's a little slow but it's pretty thorough. The USW contract stuff put us on pause for a while, so we still have 3 weeks left. We don't know what units we're going to yet but half of us are going to refinery services and half to process units.

I did find one thing kind of strange. Out of our class of 12, I'm the only one that completed the 2 year process tech degree.

That sounds pretty cool. I hope you get chosen to be in one of the process units. Are they union where you are at? Do you guys work the Dupont shift schedule over there? Are you on shift yet?

 

[Adobo Pilot]

My class was the exact opposite! All navy nukes except 3. I was one of the three exceptions.
I'm not an operator anymore though. I liked it okay for about the first five years, but then it started to change. After the next five years, I absolutely hated it and wanted out.
Every day was worse than the day before. I began to fantasize about doing just about anything else and I was planning to turn in my two week notice, but managed to weasel into a different department instead, with the hope that things will be better now.
It was a little bit better, and I excelled in my new position, but I still had to deal with a lot of the same egos and politics. So, I got trained for a new trade doing something that greatly interests me, aircraft structure repair. Then last year, after 15 years in nuclear power, I started working full-time as an airframe mechanic/technician instead.
And, I freaking love it! I've never had a job that I actually, genuinely enjoy and am excited about doing.
The people are awesome, the work is fun, I'm home more, I have about twice as much vacation time, my schedule is dayshift only (and I make my own schedule), I won't ever ever ever get called in to work ever again, no more outages, pay is surprisingly a little better, benefits are way better, I don't get harassed about being gone for Army duty, and they "strongly encourage" me to maintain a high level of fitness and allow me to workout and/or run while I'm on the clock to encourage that habit/behavior. I could go on and on.
The thing is that, I don't feel like I'm at work at all when I'm there. I feel guilty sometimes, like I'm cheating in life or something. It feels less like I'm working and more like I'm getting paid for hanging out with friends, doing arts and crafts, and working out. I feel happy and have a sense of belonging for the first time in forever. It's freaking amazing!
The only downside that really bugs me about this job so far is that it occasionally makes me regretful and sad to realize that I have wasted the last decade of my life being miserable in a job I absolutely hated and that I can't get those years back for a do-over.
I knew I should have quit, but I stayed because I didn't think I would ever see that kind of income again. On hindsight, it wasn't worth it, I should have followed my gut instinct and left a long time ago.
Trying to comfort me and cheer me up one night, my wife told me that we all have regrets, and that I did the best I could with the knowledge I had, so I should forgive myself, move on, and enjoy what I have today. She's a wise woman.

Sounds like you found your niche so congrats! I didn't know aircraft maintenance guys get paid that much. It's hard for anyone to find a job making 100k+ with even a 4 year degree. I think being a plant operator is a great job for someone looking to make alot of money without a degree and can't go back to school because of outrageous flight school loans. Haha.

 

[Vector]

The only downside that really bugs me about this job so far is that it occasionally makes me regretful and sad to realize that I have wasted the last decade of my life being miserable in a job I absolutely hated and that I can't get those years back for a do-over.
I knew I should have quit, but I stayed because I didn't think I would ever see that kind of income again. On hindsight, it wasn't worth it, I should have followed my gut instinct and left a long time ago.
Trying to comfort me and cheer me up one night, my wife told me that we all have regrets, and that I did the best I could with the knowledge I had, so I should forgive myself, move on, and enjoy what I have today. She's a wise woman.

That feeling of regret and wasted time if god awful. I hope you make up for with whatever is left of your adult working life.
I am also changing course and making massive rudder inputs!!

 

[Low&Slow]

Sounds like you found your niche so congrats! I didn't know aircraft maintenance guys get paid that much. It's hard for anyone to find a job making 100k+ with even a 4 year degree. I think being a plant operator is a great job for someone looking to make alot of money without a degree and can't go back to school because of outrageous flight school loans. Haha.

I should clarify. I make a higher hourly rate now then I did while I was in nuclear power, but less annually. This is because I work zero overtime. Zero.
It's a change that I would welcome over and over again. Trust me, being at home and having a regular, dependable dayshift schedule is worth more than all the overtime I used to make.

 

[mat]

That sounds pretty cool. I hope you get chosen to be in one of the process units. Are they union where you are at? Do you guys work the Dupont shift schedule over there? Are you on shift yet?

Got the main distillation unit. Operations and maintenance is almost all union here. Still have a week left of the class and then a month of training on 4 10s. On shift it'll be 2 on, 2 off, 3 on, 2 off, 2 on, 3 off.

 

[Adobo Pilot]

Got the main distillation unit. Operations and maintenance is almost all union here. Still have a week left of the class and then a month of training on 4 10s. On shift it'll be 2 on, 2 off, 3 on, 2 off, 2 on, 3 off.

Awesome! Distillation is a continuous unit, so it should be great most of the time. Most likely you'll be working with pumps, heat exchangers, vessels, and transmitters. Most of the work for distillation is done by the inside board guys. You're going to love it, I bet. Keep us updated on the progress!