Instrumentation & Electronics Technician

West
US Navy, E-5

I left the Navy in February 2009, right after I got back from deployment. I had began looking for jobs and posted my resume online before we left on deployment and had also contacted Orion but wasn’t very actively searching. I came across Orion’s website while surfing the web, but it wasn’t until a friend mentioned Orion to me that I actually contacted them.

I was a Nuclear-Trained, Surface Warfare Qualified Electronics Technician 2nd Class (E-5). When I began to look for a new career, I decided to stay in the same field, as I don’t have to worry about my job being outsourced to some country; in other words, I have good job security.

My Orion recruiter was Quang Truong, and he was awesome! He was very professional and calm, especially when I would call and bug him about my interviews…he never lost his cool. He listened, he remembered little details about me, even from before I left on deployment, and we had only spoken briefly. And he’s a sharp guy.

I went through a few conferences, and I actually got an offer out of the first conference, but I turned it down. I continued to go through the interviews, learning interview training tips, and I spent a lot of time with Q and Jay Koranda on the phone. They helped iron out the rough edges and organize my thoughts during an interview, so I could better answer the interview questions.

I’m now an Instrumentation and Controls Equipment Maintenance Technician for Edison Mission Group, so I maintain electronics and electrical equipment to support power plant operations.  In the Navy, as I mentioned before, I was a Nuke ET responsible for the Instrumentation and Control equipment to support reactor and propulsion plant operation….the only thing that has changed is the heat source, and I do work with newer technology, but the fundamentals are the same.

Orion exceeded my needs. Not only did they help me find a great job which I may not have been able to do on my own, but they helped me become a better person. I contacted other services, but I either got no response or they seemed a lot slower in their response time. When you’re looking or waiting to find a job, a couple of extra days may seem like forever…I would like to tell other veterans who are now in the process like I once was to not lose hope, not to lose focus of what you want, and not to worry, because Orion will come through for you as they did for me!