Power Plant Operator

West
US Navy, E-6

I served in the U.S Navy for exactly 20 years and retired as a Gas Turbine Systems Mechanical First Class Petty Officer (GSM1). My last day of active duty service was May 24, 2007. Once I was sure of my retirement date, I started networking with acquaintances. I then received an Orion International mailer on the ship that I was stationed on and went to their website where I registered in March 2007. Jim Lewis, from the San Diego office, was my recruiter. I first talked with him when he came out to the ship to meet me during a scheduled base visit in March. We had a good discussion about my military qualifications and needs outside of the Navy.

My number one issue was my unwillingness to relocate, as it was important for me to stay in the San Diego area. I knew this may be challenging, because San Diego is extremely competitive when it comes to opportunities available versus cost of living. Jim and his associates groomed me for the April 15/16, 2007, San Diego Hiring Conference by helping me improve my resume, acquire training materials, and giving me counseling on how to develop professional job interview techniques. The hiring conference was good interviewing experience.

On April 19, Jim contacted me for an interview with NRG Energy for a position as Power Plant Operator in San Diego. I interviewed with NRG on April 24 and received and accepted an offer for the job on April 30! My first day at NRG was May 29, 2007. It is the job I was looking for. My 20 years of Naval engineering experience made me extremely qualified for the position. The location and compensation will also meet my needs.

Here are some tips I gathered during my partnership with Orion for job-seekers transitioning from the military:

• It is very important to have a good resume as soon as possible when starting a job search.
• If possible, don’t wait until the last minute to start job search/networking.
• Be yourself, but take the advice of professionals when it comes to presenting yourself in a professional manner.
• Use every job interview as a good experience, even if you feel it didn’t go well.
• Have confidence in yourself!