Er
ic Hanson’s Story:
A Navy Nuclear trained Submarine Warfare Officer (O-5) with a unique blend of supervisory and hand s-on experience acquired over a 24-year career with attack and ballistic missile submarines, training facilities, and research and development programs. While in transition after retiring from the Navy, his objective was to launch a new career within the electric power industry in the area of operations, engineering, or maintenance. After exploring potential career options and job positions with a variety of companies and industries, one of the common obstacles he faced was not having any industry credentials.
His journey with Power4Vets started when he was introduced to the program by speaking with David Miranda at a Corporate Gray job fair in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in February 2013. He subsequently learned more about the program through the IncSys website and decided to finally enroll on 8 August 2013. After steadily progressing through each of the online modules over a period of five months, he successfully obtained his NERC Reliability Coordinator (RC) Certification and took advantage of the job placement assistance provided by IncSys. On each application to a variety of system operator positions within the electric power industry, he highlighted his relevant training through the Power4Vets program and recent NERC certification. After only two site interviews, he accepted an offer from First Energy Corporation as a Transmission System Operator (TSO).
Congratulations to Eric for being persistent in his endeavors to achieve certification through the Power4Vets program and trusting in us to help him launch his new career in the utility industry!
“Words from Eric Hanson”
“What a long journey this has been for me. I clearly remember the day in February 2013 when I met David Miranda at a job fair in Virginia Beach. I am certainly glad that he was there to advocate this enabling opportunity. The well-structured, self-paced Power4Vets training program and his job placement assistance made it all possible, and gave me the necessary confidence to succeed. Even a corporate recruiter from my prospective employer remarked that completing the Power4Vets program was a “smart move” on my part. Thank you for choosing to support veterans like me with their transition. Several past graduates of the Power4Vets program now working in the utility industry were also a critical resource for my job search efforts and interview preparation. I networked with them via LinkedIn to better understand the different operator positions on a shift, operational relationships within the industry, and company cultures. Of note, I’ve already proudly returned the favor of being a helpful resource to other Power4Vet students.”
-Eric Hanson (U.S. Navy)