How to Become a Nuclear Engineer

Are you wondering, 'what do Nuclear Engineers do? Individuals who choose a career as Nuclear Engineers understand the science behind how nuclear facilities work.  Nuclear Engineering career involves analysing energy transmission, conversion, and storage systems and also solving operational problems with the reactor cores and shielding, hydraulic and electrical systems, and complex instrumentation such as monitoring equipment. Are you thinking 'what does an engineer at a power plant do?' Then, you must know a Nuclear Engineer manages staff and budgets for complex design, construction, maintenance, expansion, safety, and decommissioning projects. 

Career as a Nuclear engineer keeps the safety of people and the environment in mind. Nuclear engineers check security concerns regarding radioactive materials' use, transport, storage, and disposal. Nuclear Engineering requirements include data interpretation and responding to emerging issues. Individuals who choose a career as Nuclear Engineers prepare reports, project plans and other documents that provide information about new facilities, existing processes, problems and solutions, and safety exercises for co-workers in the company. Nuclear Engineer career involves discussion of engineering issues with people from other fields, such as construction professionals, power grid managers, and government officials. Nuclear Engineers plan and assist with the safe decommissioning of facilities that have reached the end of their lifespan, including temporary and long-term disposal of high-hazard radioactive material.

Communication

Communication is an important aspect of an engineering career, it helps in productivity. Nuclear engineers' work is heavily dependent on their cohesiveness to work with other technicians as well as other engineers. Good communication (including verbal as well as oral) skills are a must for a nuclear engineer.

Detailing

Nuclear engineers are responsible for supervising nuclear facility operations. They are also responsible for ensuring compliance to all laws and regulations regarding the workers' safety as well as the safety of the environment.

Solve problems

As nuclear material is hazardous, nuclear engineers must be able to anticipate potential threats as well as eliminate them before any mishap. Nuclear Engineers design power plants in a manner that they don’t produce greenhouse gases which then generate energy to businesses and power homes.

A Nuclear Engineering provides numerous career opportunities. Candidates can also opt to establish in Nuclear Engineering career sub-disciplines. We have mentioned the major alternative options of nuclear engineering career below. These jobs in Nuclear Engineering can prove a major alternative career option to function in other industries as well.  

Safety Engineers: Safety engineers inspect facilities, machinery, and safety equipment to identify and correct potential hazards. Safety engineers must have a bachelor's degree, typically in environmental health and safety, or in an engineering discipline. Safety is an important aspect of each profession. Safety engineer career is one of the important aspect of Nuclear Engineering. 

Petroleum Engineers: Petroleum engineers help find oil and gas for the country's energy needs. Petroleum engineers design and develop methods for extracting oil and gas from deposits below the Earth's surface. Petroleum engineers also find new ways to extract oil and gas from older wells. Petroleum Engineering is one of the the major sub-disciplines of Nuclear Engineering career. 

Civil Engineers: A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering and uses the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health.

Chemical Engineers: Chemical engineers develop and design chemical manufacturing processes. They apply the principles of chemistry, biology, physics, and math to solve problems that involve the production of chemicals, fuel, drugs, food, and many other products. Candidates can opt for a career as chemical engineer as it is a major alternative option for Nuclear Engineering career. 

Aerospace Engineers: Aerospace engineers evaluate designs to see that the products meet engineering principles. The design primarily aircraft, spacecraft, satellites, and missiles. They also create and test prototypes to make sure that they function according to design.

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Nuclear Engineering as a career involves designing equipment that may be used at nuclear power plants. A Nuclear Engineer typically works in offices but, their work setting varies with the industry in which they are employed. For instance, they are employed in power generation and supply will work in power plants. Nuclear career requires wearing protective or safety outfits, such as work boots or hard hats as nuclear engineers are often exposed to radiation. Unlike other professions they also work close to other people, such as when sharing office space.

Does Nuclear Engineer require travelling?

Not Likely

A career as Nuclear Engineer offers employment in types of workplaces such as labs, industrial plants or office buildings. However, some may spend time outside at construction or production sites. Some Nuclear Engineers must travel extensively to worksites across the country or abroad. So travelling is involved in  this profession however, not all nuclear engineers travel. Travelling totally depends on the nature of the Nuclear Engineer jobs.

Employment Shifts

Full Time, On Call

Industries in Nuclear Engineering hire Nuclear Engineers only on a full-time basis. The industry requires nuclear engineers to work responsibly for more than full-time hours to meet the deadlines of the projects. With more and more demands of a career in nuclear energy in the world nuclear engineers work more hours than their normal hours to meet the deadlines of the projects. There are no options of part-time or work from home as the career requires the physical presence of engineers to complete the projects. Individuals who choose a career as Nuclear Engineers are often required to attend on-call situations when working on complex projects. Nuclear career includes mostly working full time in an organisation. The nature of employment does not require candidates to work from home as the nuclear engineers have to be physically present in laboratories to research and analyse the findings.  

Employment Nature

Permanent

The nature of employment is on a permanent basis in the nuclear engineering career. Most companies hire individuals on a permanent basis as employees get more efficient at their jobs through familiarity with the processes. It is not necessary that every industry hire nuclear engineers on a permanent basis, they might hire engineers on a contractual basis according to their needs. In short companies look to hire more nuclear engineers on a permanent basis than contractual basis.

Work Place

Office, Lab, Nuclear Plant, Power Plant, Office Setting

Mostly metro cities can be considered as job hubs for the Nuclear Engineering career, as laboratories with hi-tech equipment are easily available in the urban areas. Cities such as Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and many more can be considered as hubs as jobs in these cities are easily available. These cities are considered as hubs because top institutions are providing educational knowledge along with job opportunities to aspiring students who wish to become Nuclear Engineer.

Also Read: Career as Chemical Engineer

Presence in Geographical Area

Rural, Semi-urban, Urban

Nuclear Engineering as a career provides work in a wide variety of nuclear industries and government agencies. A Nuclear Engineer work in labs, industrial plants or office buildings. However, some may spend time outside at construction or production sites. Usually, these work settings are present in the urban and semi-urban areas.

Time Pressure

Likely

Time pressure is considered moderate in the Nuclear Engineering career. Depending upon the work requirement and schedules assigned by the authorities, a Nuclear Engineer is required to work in certain shifts. Usually, most of the time, Nuclear career requires to work in day shifts within regular working hours. However, sometimes individuals who choose a career as Nuclear Engineers are required to work overtime or at night shift depending upon the project deadlines and its importance.

Overtime Details

The working hours depend on the type of industry. If a person is involved in project management or design, research, and development, you’ll typically work from 9 am to 5 pm. While those nuclear engineers who work in processing or a power station will experience a different work environment since these facilities run on a 24-hour schedule. A Nuclear Engineer may often be required to work on a seven-day rotation, including weekends, evenings, and nights.

Weekly Hours of Work

Min 45 Hours

Individuals who choose a career as Nuclear Engineers usually work for a minimum of 40-45 hours on a weekly basis apart from the overtime hours. Nuclear engineering career may or may not be compensated for the additional hours they put in the regular shifts, depending on the rules and regulations of the company. 

How to become a Nuclear Engineer? Well, there are several skillsets required in a career as Nuclear Engineers. We have mentioned below the major skills that candidates must possess in order to establish a Nuclear Engineering career. 

Communication Skills:  A Nuclear Engineer must understand the verbal and written information provided to them. A Nuclear Engineering career needs to read and understand work-related materials. A nuclear career needs to listen carefully to others and ask questions in order to resolve the queries of coworkers. They must speak and write clearly so that people can understand the information that they want to convey. 

Problem-Solving Ability: They analyse ideas and logic to combine information to come to a conclusion that is beneficial for the people. They recognize the nature of the problem and judge the cost to be incurred to solve it. They need to identify what must be changed in order to achieve the goal. They think of new ideas and follow the guidelines to arrange objects to make the ideas real. 

Mathematical Skills:  A Nuclear Engineering career requires to be aware of the mathematical and scientific skills to solve problems. A Nuclear Engineering needs to be accurate with the calculations in order to gain the desired solution to problems that they come across. 

Managerial Skills: A Nuclear career involves a great sense of management. A Nuclear Engineer requires to manage tasks with coworkers to achieve desired targets within the given timeframe. He or she must have the managerial skills to motivate, direct, and develop people. 

Decision-Making skills: This is one of the vital skills that must be possessed by managers in the Nuclear Engineering career. Nuclear Engineers are required to make right decisions at the right time to enhance the performance which results in the success of the organisation. The efficient and right decisions help in the effective and smooth functioning of an organisation.  

Delegation Skills: This is the act of passing on tasks related to work to employees or subordinates working in an organisation. Nuclear Engineers should assign tasks to employees that suits them in order to maximise the outcome to meet the deadlines. The proper delegation of work helps in getting quick and easy results. 

Conceptual Skills: These skills help in understanding the complex situation in order to develop creative and successful solutions. A creative mind sees a problem from different angles which helps to get a solution to complex situations. Everyone might have an opinion but not all have the capability to implement the ideas, so the ability to conceptualise the ideas is crucial for nuclear career. Abstract thinking is highly effective in top managerial levels. 

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We have mentioned below various certifications that nuclear engineers can opt to upgrade their skills.

What do Nuclear Engineers do? Do you still have the same question. Well, the industry is vast and provides types of jobs for Nuclear Engineers. We are here for to support you throughout your career path to help you establish a successful Nuclear Engineering career. There are several types of Nuclear Engineer based on their specialisations and skills. We have mentioned below the major Nuclear Engineering jobs with various titles and responsibilities. Individuals who choose a career as Nuclear Engineers can also find jobs in Nuclear Science after successful completion of an undergraduate academic programme in Nuclear Science.

Atomic Process Engineers: Atomic Process Engineers perform tasks on nuclear development projects or introduce nuclear science concepts and methodology to issues related to the production, regulation, and use of nuclear power and nuclear waste treatment.

Radiation Engineer: Radiation engineer conducts extensive experiments in a number of environments to monitor and analyze the effects of radiation. Experts in this profession also concentrate on programme, devices, or network output during and following exposure to radiation.

Nuclear Radiation Engineers: The methods, instruments, and devices often used to extract advantages from nuclear power generation and radiation are studied and analyzed by nuclear radiation engineers. Most of those Nuclear radiation engineers consider radioactive substances for industrial and pharmaceutical purposes.

Nuclear System Engineers:  Nuclear system engineers perform experiments on nuclear engineering problems or extend nuclear science theories and philosophy to problems connected to releasing, regulating as well as using nuclear energy and disposal of radioactive or nuclear waste.

Nuclear Engineering Salary

The Nuclear Engineering salary varies depending on skills and specialisations. The average Nuclear Engineering starting salary ranges Rs. 442,000 per annum. On average Nuclear Engineer salary in India is Rs. 900,000 per annum.

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Nuclear Engineering is all about the production and application of nuclear energy and the uses of radiation and radioactive materials. Nuclear Engineering job outlook is quite good. Most Nuclear Engineers design, construct and operate nuclear power plants, which generate electric power. The jobs for Nuclear Engineers are very lucrative as well as very risky also. Since they deal with risky jobs, they need an in-depth knowledge of nuclear physics. New Nuclear Engineers usually work under the supervision of experienced engineers. In large Nuclear Engineering companies, new engineers may receive formal training in classrooms or seminars. As beginners, Nuclear Engineers gain knowledge and experience, they move on to more difficult projects with greater independence to develop designs, solve problems, and make decisions. Eventually, Nuclear engineers may advance to become Technical Specialists or to supervise a team of Engineers and Technicians. Some may become Engineering Managers or move into sales work. Nuclear Engineers also can become Medical Physicists with the help of a master's degree in health physics, radiological sciences, or a related field. University of Michigan, Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences academic programme is quite popular in international Nuclear Engineering students.

There is a huge scope of Nuclear Engineering in India as well as in foreign countries. Jobs for Nuclear Engineers are only available in India is not true, but across the world jobs for Nuclear Engineers exist. We can say that the future of Nuclear Engineering is quite bright. Students taking Nuclear Engineering courses can also work in various other fields related to the Nuclear career. Students interested in designing other types of utilities and infrastructure projects, becoming a civil engineer might be a good option. Civil Engineers analyse needs, explore costs and other factors, test construction materials, and design structures such as roads, bridges, and water treatment plants. They also manage budgets, supervise surveying procedures, and oversee infrastructure repair and replacement work. Students can also choose to become Physicists. Physicists conduct research into areas such as the exploration of space, celestial object development, medical technology, scientific laws, and theories of energy creation. They discover new processes and theories that often lead to the development of new types of energy, laser technology, health treatments, communication systems, and electronics. So students have a lot of options available if they pursue Nuclear Engineering. 

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