Getting Hired PG&E

Getting Hired PG&E

Posted: May 6, 2010 11:38 AM by Steve Adamson
Updated: Oct 28, 2011 4:15 PM

PG&E has a local payroll of about $152,000,000 and employs nearly 1,600 people. 1,200 of them work at Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant. This year, the company expects to make 50 to 60 new hires. The positions include nuclear operators, engineers, and security officers. Salaries range from $50,000 - $80,000 annually, and that's before overtime.

Abdul Kadir works as an operations foreman for the company. He oversees the control room of Diablo Canyon. It's a highly skilled job, but he didn't need a degree to get it. "I don't have a degree, but there's some very specific technical classes I've had to go through. I learned nuclear power in the Navy and I've been doing it ever since at different stages in operations."

PG&E says it's constantly recruiting for people to keep the plant running smoothly. Cary Harbor, Director of Maintanece Services at Diablo Canyon says, "We continue to hire as an ongoing process. We have a lot of people to maintain the facility. We hire everyone from engineers, and engineers in various disciplines, from mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, and nuclear engineers. We also hire folks that are mechanics to maintain the facility, and welders, and riggers. There's just a wide variety of folks that we hire. It's like a little city."

The only way to apply for these jobs is through the PG&E website. For every opening, they get about 1,000 applicants, which makes it unpractical for the company to respond back to every application. So how do you stand out among them all?

Hiring personnel say there is one quality in particular that they are looking for when folks come here looking for a job. "Folks that are engaged, they want to learn, because at the power plant, you're going to be learning new things," said Cary Harbor.

You'll also have to prove you have the technical skills to do the job, because all applicants in their screening assessment will take take tests to show their skills in technical areas. The tests will vary depending on what particular job you are applying for. All together, it typically takes about three to six months for the company to make a hire from the initial interview and through the rest of the screening and testing process.

Once and occasionally twice a year, the plant will have a scheduled outage where quite a bit of maintenance will take place. In those instances, the company will hire about 500 temporary workers for various jobs. The company will accept phone calls regarding those jobs, but remember, all regular full time jobs advertised by the company have to be applied for online using their website. There will be a scheduled outage this upcoming fall where those temporary jobs will be available.