The best way to learn is to tackle new challenges. At Northrop Grumman, we put new challenges in your path every day. Sometimes that challenge is within your area of expertise—but sometimes it's not. Working outside your comfort zone is one of the benefits of our cross-enterprise collaborative environment.

But don't just take our word for it. Meet a few of our recent hires. They'll tell you in their own words how they're discovering their passion at Northrop Grumman.

Christy

Education: Master's degree: Engineering Management, George Washington University
Bachelor's degree: Computer Science Engineering, University of Colorado at Boulder
Bachelor's degree: Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, University of Colorado at Boulder
Current Job: Program Manager/Systems Engineering Associate
Past positions: Project Manager and Planner 1 (Technical), Program Manager
Time with the company: Five years
Interests: Travel, photography, collecting anything with a Northrop Grumman logo on it!

What type of careers/jobs were you looking for when you graduated? Did you have a strong idea of what you wanted to do?
I always knew I wanted to be an engineering program manager. How exactly I was going to get there I didn't know right out of school. When looking for a job out of school, I told my interviewers I wanted to be a program manager, and Northrop Grumman actually gave me that opportunity.

How did you find out about Northrop Grumman?
The Society of Women Engineers National Conference.

What made you decide to choose Northrop Grumman?
I liked Northrop Grumman's reputation for how they treat their employees. I know that they are a force in the communities they are a part of, and I particularly appreciated their presence at the Society of Women Engineers Conference. The fact that they offered me a challenging and rewarding job was a nice treat too.

How would you describe your career path within Northrop Grumman? Did you always know what your next move would be?
I have been given opportunities with increasing responsibility at Northrop Grumman. I didn't always know what my next move would be, but I took advantage of some wonderful opportunities that came my way. It is good to be flexible and open to stretch assignments and new roles as they present themselves. As part of the Systems Engineering Associate program, I rotate every six months to a new Northrop Grumman program. Even though I don't know where my next move will be, I know it will be quite an adventure, and Northrop Grumman has always been very good to me.

How did you find out about most of your internal job opportunities? Do you have any recommendations for new grads looking to progress in the company?
Being active and networking around the company. Organizations like Connect1NG offer a great venue for people to meet other individuals not in their line of business and learn more about the company and other internal opportunities. Being active with these networking groups can really open doors. Also, the Systems Engineering Associate program is a tremendous network of engineers across the company that has been absolutely invaluable in my career progression.

Knowing what you know now, what do you wish someone would have told you when you graduated?
First, network, network, network. It's not who you know, but who knows you. Second, make it known what you want, and make it known you're willing to work hard to make it happen.

Jodi

Education: Master's degree: Electrical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University
Bachelor's degree: Electrical Engineering, University of Maryland
Current Job: Test Design Engineer 3
Past Position Titles: Test Design Engineer 1, 2
Time with Company: Seven years
Interests: Ultimate Frisbee, hiking, snowboarding, house projects, playing piano, and singing

What type of careers/jobs were you looking for when you graduated? Did you have a strong idea of what you wanted to do?
When I graduated, I had already been working at Northrop Grumman as a test design engineer for a year and a half as a co-op; since I really liked my job, I knew that I wanted to continue with it full-time.

How did you find out about Northrop Grumman?
Northrop Grumman received my resume through my college career center and contacted me about a co-op opportunity. I initially chose to accept the co-op position to gain a notch on my resume, but after I started, I found that Northrop Grumman was a great place to work with benefits such as flexible working arrangements and an education assistance program.

How would you describe your career path within Northrop Grumman? Did you always know what your next move would be?
Although my job title at Northrop Grumman has not changed, having one job title doesn't bind you to one role. Each program has presented different opportunities to gain experience and develop as an engineer. I was given the opportunity to perform system integration and box-level testing on my previous program, and on my current program, I have temporarily joined the software group to do software development. These opportunities have given me a well-rounded base of experience and perspective, which gives me several career options. I haven't always known what my next move would be because unexpected opportunities have presented themselves throughout my career.

How did you find out about most of your internal job opportunities? Do you have any recommendations for new grads looking to progress in the company?
If your co-workers enjoy working with you and can depend on you, then they won't think twice about recommending you for future programs. This has been the catalyst in finding out about most of the programs that I have worked on.

Knowing what you know now, what do you wish someone would have told you when you graduated?
Soak up knowledge and ask questions from anyone who is willing to share—don't be afraid to approach them with questions.