Commissioning Engineer

West
US Navy, O-3

I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin in 1996 and also received a Masters of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Idaho in 2004. I was a nuclear engineer (LT) in the United States Navy and began searching for a job in November 2007 in anticipation of my separation from the Navy on January 31, 2008.

My Orion recruiter was Bill Fitzgerald. I was treated very well, and they always took into my input account. If the direction I was trying to head was not in my best interest, they would explain that in a tactful manner. I have a lot of respect for those guys.

I met Bill for a brief meeting and exchange of documents. I then met with the account executive for McKinstry. I continued to talk to Bill about other opportunities, to get advice, and to stay up to date on progress (McKinstry's hiring process is quite lengthy).

Orion's advice and knowledge of the company were always spot on. I cannot think of one example in which they said something that turned out to be inaccurate or in which they didn't know the answer to a question about the company. Bill was also very engaged in the negotiation of the offer, during which we were successful in bumping up the compensation.

I talked with Bill two to three times a week for over six weeks, which greatly exceeded my expectations, as well as exceeded the amount of engagement I experienced with another recruiting agency. Orion also met my needs in a superior fashion by having regional opportunities versus large nationwide and international firms for which I'd have to relocate. I insisted on restricting my job search to the greater Seattle area, and Orion did not hesitate to march forward with those instructions. Orion provided me with outstanding opportunities to meet that job search criteria. My position as a commissioning engineer in energy services with McKinstry is a perfect match.

My colleagues and I that were separating had not heard of Orion, but I now know several people working through them. I point everyone I know in Orion's direction. I love to share my Orion story! In fact, I sent an email to a friend who is still in Djibouti, where I was deployed, so he can spread to word to people separating after deployment. I thank Bill and the rest of Orion International for putting me in this position. The level of effort, understanding, and patience exhibited by Orion and the hiring company makes me feel comfortable that I will be working with a very competent team in a positive work environment. I'm very excited to get started!