In this installment of our Employee Spotlight, we spoke with John Oswald, a Technical Writing Consultant supporting one of our major clients. John recently celebrated his 10th anniversary with Procedure Solutions Management.
At PSM, we value people. As management consultants, we interact with people all day, every day. We value each interaction, whether it’s with a client, student, or employee. So much of our website is dedicated to promoting our services that we thought it would be only fitting to showcase our most important resource–our people! Our employees are very important to us, and we are honored to have the opportunity to work with such talented individuals.
In this installment of our Employee Spotlight, we spoke with John Oswald, a Technical Writing Consultant supporting one of our major clients. John recently celebrated his 10-year anniversary with Procedure Solutions Management on June 29th! Read on to learn more about John’s experiences as a procedure writer!
Can you tell us a little bit about your professional background?
I started in the nuclear Navy as a Reactor Operator and Instructor. I worked on a fishing boat in California for a while, then went to college and got my BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. My first job was at Cooper Nuclear Station for 14 years. After that, I worked as a Transmission Line Engineer and Procedure Writer for FPL, then as a contractor for PSM and a reliability consulting company. I now work as a Mechanical Procedure Writer at Nawah Nuclear Power Plant in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
What do you enjoy most about the work that you do?
When I was young, I dreamed of being a writer. I enjoy writing and have a knack for technical writing. Although I haven’t made a living from creative writing, I do some on the side and pay the bills doing what comes naturally. I also love the opportunity to learn as I write procedures for various equipment and activities.
What have been some of your biggest accomplishments in your career?
- Teaching at a nuclear prototype
- Getting my SRO Certification in commercial nuclear
- Writing the first procedure for FPL Transmission Engineering
- Creating a pilot program for analyzing single failure vulnerabilities at nuclear plants
- Changing careers to become a procedure writer
What drew you to PSM?
I took the Procedure Writer Certification Course from Steve and Darlene after transferring within FPL in Wind Generation. I told myself, “Someday, I will work for that guy.” The rest is history. PSM has proven my assumptions true — that we are a professional company with competent people offering a valuable service and leading the field.
What do you enjoy about working for PSM?
The people, management style, template and technical support, and flexibility are excellent.
What advice would you give to someone starting a new career?
Figure out what you like to do and what comes most naturally to you. Never stop learning and strive to be an expert at it. Doing something just for money isn’t enough.
What are some of your hobbies outside of work?
I’m getting ready to build a timber frame home in Oregon. I’ve done a lot of construction, and if I had a second choice for a career, that would be it. I also like fishing, hunting, boating, and writing.
Where has been one of your favorite places to live?
Northern California and southern Oregon. They have mountains, beautiful rugged coastlines, wildlife, friendly people, and good weather.
Where would you find yourself if you could go anywhere in the world?
When I was a little kid, I promised my parents I would take them to Rome someday. A few years ago, I was fortunate to keep that promise. We spent a few days there, but Rome is a place you could explore for months. I want to go back someday.
In the past five years, what’s the most important thing you have learned?
The world doesn’t revolve around me.
FAST FACTS! What is your:
- Favorite movie?: Fandango
- Favorite food?: Indian
- Favorite music genre/artist?: Like most people, my favorite genre is rock. My all-time favorite band is Rush.
- Favorite vacation spot?: Philippines (my wife’s home country)
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