Where in the World Are NSTAR Employees?
May 15, 2018
By Shannon Hamilton, Corporate Services
Working for NSTAR Global Services comes with a lot of perks, but most of our employees will say that being paid to travel the world is by far the highlight of their NSTAR career! As an industry leader for placing technical professionals with top OEMs and high-tech manufacturers around the world, we place NSTAR employees on assignment all over the U.S., and even at a few international locations. For those interested in pursuing a career at NSTAR, here’s what you can expect when we send you on assignment.
As nice as it would be to pick your work destination, your placement is based on your skills and the project’s needs. We do our best to place you where you can successfully use your skills and interests, while keeping our clients’ goals and needs in mind. Currently, we have employees domestically placed in Arizona, California, Indiana, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Texas, Idaho, Virginia and Utah, and internationally placed in China, Germany, Israel and various Europe locations, such as Italy. We’ve even sent someone to Nagoya, Japan.
Assignments can range anywhere from one week to one year, depending on the needs of the client. While typical assignments last six weeks, some assignments do run longer. On occasion, employees have been on assignment for as long as 10 years! As travel assignments are project-based, they can also run shorter than that six-week period. For example, our employees could be sent on assignment to simply perform a specific task, like decommissioning a tool, and then return.
International travel can bring different challenges to the forefront. One challenge that we run into with overseas assignments, such as China, is that the employees on assignment are only allowed to be in the country for 60 days. When you reach the 60-day mark, you have to do a “visa reset,” wherein you have to leave the country for a three- to four-day period before returning.
Once your destination and assignment are determined, you’ll want to know about your accommodations. Normally, we place you in a hotel close to the job site. In some cases, you’ll be placed in an apartment, depending on the location and client. Additionally, if you’re traveling overseas, you receive per diems and a cost-of-living allowance in addition to your pay.
We want your traveling experience to be as smooth and comfortable as possible during your assignment. Before your departure date, we provide you with appropriate information about your destination, including the country’s culture, holidays, food, etc. During your assignment, we stay in touch with you through casual check-ins.
We also have our new “Ntouch” program, through which we contact on-assignment employees once a month regarding any questions or concerns you might have. Each month we incorporate a different theme to the program to highlight key matters within the company—safety, timecards or any relevant topic at the time.
While traveling for work is ideal for many people (what’s not to like about being paid to travel to different states and countries?), it does have its downsides. Family time is limited, and you can end up being separated from your loved ones for some time. So, if you get homesick easily, this probably isn’t the route for you. It takes the right type of person to take on such a task. The right skill set and a sense of adventure will make for a successful experience. Our ideal candidates are characterized as team players, have the ability to multitask and have a sense of safety awareness when on the job.
We’re constantly posting open positions that involve travel on various job sites (ZipRecruiter, Indeed, Career Builder, etc.), social media platforms (LinkedIn) as well as our own website. So, if you’re interested in pursuing a job with NSTAR that involves travel, simply fill out the online application. After completing several screenings with our recruiters and operations group, you’ll be well on your way to traveling the world!
