Cue the Homer Simpson jokes. But in all honesty, nuclear power reactor managers don't need a degree. People usually start as equipment operators and, after some years of on-the-job training, get certified by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Dale Atkinson got his start in the U.S. Navy, and says that prepared him well for the demands of the job. "Most people would find it stressful," he says. "Most plants work a 12-hour shift and when you are on shift there are a lot of technical demands. We have procedures, oversight and fatigue rules. If you are going to operate a system, there is a procedure for everything and typically there is another person that monitors for error prevention."
But, there are days of great achievement, Atkinson says. "Putting the main generator on and seeing it produce energy is an enormous feeling of accomplishment."
NEXT: Director of security
