Name: Anthony
Years at Lockheed Martin: 1 year
Current Position: Systems Engineer
Day-to-day Responsibilities: Provide systems engineering analysis and technical monitoring for various systems
Can you tell us about your journey?
I had to be flexible ever since my career began. I was born, raised and attended college in Southern California. I never lived in different places nor had I ever been east of the Rocky Mountains while growing up. After my undergraduate studies I experienced unemployment until I accepted a job in Huntsville, Alabama working for the DoD. It would be the first time in my life I had to move from my hometown and experience a very different culture, climate and geography from what I was used to. Nevertheless, I wholeheartedly embraced the change and to this day never regret making such a dramatic life-changing move.
After more than a few years supporting the DoD I felt it was time for another major career and life change. While working for the DoD was a great experience in that it instilled a strong sense of belonging, I felt I could better support the warfighter in the private aerospace sector, so I took a contract job with a major defense contractor in the Phoenix area. Unfortunately, the job change proved to be rocky in that I was laid off in a short time. This began a three-year span in which I was very actively testing the aerospace job market on a weekly basis. I had to make ends meet by being a rideshare driver for Uber and Lyft as well as delivering food for Postmates, Door Dash, Grubhub, Amazon, Uber EATS, and Instacart for 80 – 90 hours every week. In that time-span I lived in four states: Alabama, Arizona, California and Texas.
After many attempts, I was extended a job offer at MFC in August 2018. I continue to be a rideshare driver and food delivery courier as a fun side job because of the many valuable life skills and experiences that I can obtain outside of the workplace.
If there is any advice I will give, it is to always be willing to break out of your comfort zone, embrace change, and maintain flexibility in your lifetime. Doing that will make your life more fulfilling.
Are you interested in making a change and working with exciting people? If so, a career at Lockheed Martin might be for you. Click below to search for positions in your area.