Finding the Right Path Through Perseverance and Co-op
Through his drive and self-motivation, David Long, E’78, mechanical engineering technology, made the most out of his co-op experiences, which laid the groundwork for a 40-year career in nuclear power.
For David Long, E’78, mechanical engineering technology, his co-op cycles were just as much a test of his resilience as they were an opportunity to build industry experience. After feeling unsatisfied with his first co-op and being laid off just before his second co-op started, Long was frustrated by the path his journey had taken. But by staying the course, Long found success in his third co-op and transformed that experience into a decades-long career.
Growing up, Long was inspired by multiple family members to become an engineer. “It was in the family blood,” he says. He was primarily influenced by his father, also a Northeastern alum and electronic communications engineer, who involved him in projects around the house at an early age.
“I learned how to do things, whether it be framing a bedroom upstairs or fixing the washing machine when it broke,” says Long. “You just gravitate towards it.”
Long’s familiarity with Northeastern through his father encouraged him to apply. He was especially interested in the co-op program, which he says had grown in notoriety at the time. “That was a big draw to the school for me,” Long says.
Originally a civil engineering major, Long’s first co-op was as a field engineer for Turner Construction, a role he secured very quickly as Turner Construction was urgently looking to hire. Although he had little technical experience on his resumé at the time, his familiarity with construction sites through working on projects with his neighbor made him stand out. “It was a comfortable environment for me,” says Long. “They wanted me right away.”
At Turner Construction, Long worked as a site timekeeper, keeping track of the types of tasks completed and time spent on them so that information could be used when bidding for new union contracts. Over the course of this co-op, Long became less interested in the practices associated with his role and realized something needed to change. He withdrew from Northeastern at the end of his co-op, which he said was vital to his future academic and career success. “It gave me time to clear my head and focus on my real goals,” he says.
Before re-enrolling at Northeastern, Long worked for a year as a draftsman for a small electronics company. His responsibilities at the electronics company, preparing assembly drawings for the company’s manufacturing facility to use while assembling products, mirrored those of a mechanical engineer, which drew him more to the field. By the time he returned to Northeastern, Long had changed his major to mechanical engineering technology.
When he returned to Northeastern, Long pursued multiple mechanical engineering roles for his second co-op. After a successful interview at Dennison Manufacturing Company, Long was offered a position, which he accepted. However, company-wide cutbacks forced Dennison to terminate Long’s role before his start date. Determined to make the most of his situation, Long worked full-time at a restaurant to help pay his tuition for the next semester while focusing heavily on his academics. Long says being self-motivated kept him from feeling discouraged by his circumstances and pushed him to work harder.
“I realized if I wanted it bad enough, I was going to have to work for it,” says Long. “That was motivation to me.”
Long’s work paid off when he reached his third co-op, a mechanical engineering position at Yankee Atomic Electric. At the beginning of his employment, he was given basic tasks, such as unjamming the copier, but Long says these jobs taught him to solve problems quickly. These tasks also allowed Long to build trust with his supervisors, which earned him more advanced jobs as his co-op progressed.
“You’re going to take baby steps, and as you meet new people, you start understanding where they’re coming from, and they gain trust in you,” says Long. “Then you start getting more and more responsibilities.”
By the end of his co-op, Long’s responsibilities had grown exponentially. In one project, he oversaw multiple engineers working collaboratively on a report, ensuring the contributors stayed on deadline and editing their submissions. In one of his last tasks, Long was made solely responsible for updating the drawings at one of Yankee’s plants. His performance in these tasks encouraged Long’s supervisors to keep him on as a full-time employee and paved the way for a successful career.
After graduating from Northeastern, Long continued his work at Yankee Atomic Electric, expanding upon his work from co-op. He then transitioned to Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station, a role he secured from a connection at Yankee Atomic. Long held a variety of titles while at Pilgrim, transitioning from a mechanical engineering role to operations and eventually becoming the superintendent of technical training for the plant. He worked at Pilgrim for 30 years until his retirement in 2014 but remained a part-time contractor until 2017.
In his retirement, Long continues to make the most of his engineering background, working on various projects around the house. When reflecting on his career journey, Long says, “Co-op was integral in teaching me how to network with others and work my way into gaining more responsibilities.” Most importantly, he adds, is that co-op allowed him to learn through hands-on experience, which gave him a complete understanding of his industry and the tasks assigned to him.
“Go out there and get your hands dirty,” says Long. “See what it feels like, what it smells like, and then you’ll know.”