Tell us a bit about your current work and how long youve been at it.
My name is JD Kristenson; I am a Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy.
What drove you to choose your career path?
How did you go about getting your job?
What kind of education and experience did you need?
I originally enlisted in the Navy on my 18th birthday and was trained as a nuclear reactor operator.
I joined the Navy with the somewhat naive assumption that I would naturally continue on to an officer program.
The Navy screens for potential and then often provides both the education and experience.
I feel very fortunate that it worked out for me.
Did you need any licenses or certifications?
The minimum education requirement for the unrestricted line officer corps is a Bachelors degree.
What kinds of things do you do beyond what most people see?
What do you actually spend the majority of your time doing?
It can be thought of as being a part-time cop, part-time fire fighter, and full-time Sailor.
What misconceptions do people often have about your job?
The price paid by the military family is vastly under-appreciated.
What are your average work hours?
We make up for it with a generous compensation package that includes 30 days of paid vacation a year.
Working hours also vary widely depending on where a ship is in its readiness cycle.
Fridays are generally pretty light.
What personal tips and shortcuts have made your job easier?
What do you do differently from your coworkers or peers in the same profession?
What do they do instead?
The Navy is, for the most part, an egalitarian organization.
Whats the worst part of the job and how do you deal with it?
Being a Surface Warfare Officer can require a high pain tolerance.
One has to have a clear goal in mind to continue to stay in this field for a career.
The sea can be beautiful, but she can also be a cold and unforgiving place to work.
Whats the most enjoyable part of the job?
The United States Navy is the best in the world at what we do and it is not close.
I love the sense of purpose that comes from being associated with our nations nautical heritage.
What kind of money can one expect to make at your job?
I have a strong technical foundation from years of operating engineering plants (including nuclear).
Still, the retirement package is generous and the wage is fair.
Details are readily available online, but a mid-level officer in my position makes in the low six figures.
How do you move up in your field?
There are no young admiralsand for good reason.
The military promotion system is a closed system, however.
That is to say, that we promote exclusively from within.
This can mean that timing can have an outsized influence on who moves up within the organization.
This is changing though.
The changes internal to the Navy are encouraging and will result in a more capable force.
What do people under/over value about what you do?
It is nice to have the support of the population that we serve.
I hope to see more outreachincluding pieces like this serieshelp to bridge this gap.
What advice would you give to those aspiring to join your profession?
Even if you serve four years and elect to get out, you will be better for it.
As President Kennedy noted:
I can imagine no more rewarding a career.
The Kristenson is willing to continue this conversation by email:[email protected].
This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.
If youd like to share your career, email us at[email protected].U.S.
Navy photoby Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Raymond D. Diaz III (Flickr).
