by Sandy S.
Journey through the captivating career path of a young engineer, tracing their evolution from childhood tech fascination to navigating college decisions and embracing the challenges of a dynamic STEM career at NAVAIR. This interview unravels pivotal moments, from choosing between engineering disciplines to overcoming the hurdles of remote work during the pandemic. Valuable insights emerge for aspiring students entering the job market, emphasizing professional growth and fulfillment of passion over immediate financial gains. Delve into what this successful engineer has found is the formula to success in today’s evolving job market, making this interview a compelling exploration of a STEM career in constant evolution.
What was your career path like? Did you always know what you wanted to do, or did your goals change over time?
Since I was younger, I always preferred technology and electronics. I never knew what being an Engineer entailed until it was time to apply for colleges. Utilizing many websites, I would research what seems to fit my skills best to get an idea of what is recommended. Because I was constantly working with computers and enjoyed taking apart items and putting them back together, I eventually chose the Computer Engineering field. I went to school at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) with the intention of there being other opportunities if Computer Engineering did not fit well. Regardless, I knew I wanted to be an engineer but was uncertain which would suit myself better. In NJIT, I worked at a STEM Learning Center in Montclair, NJ where I conducted biweekly classes to students ranging between grades Pre-K to G-12. These classes varied depending on the interests, but involved 3D Printing, Robotics, Coding with Python, and Minecraft. All the research that was done to organize the lesson plans helped to understand STEM better, which made me certain that it was a field I wanted to stay in.
During junior year of NJIT, I attended the career fair where I spoke to representatives of NAVAIR. The only experience that I had which was somewhat relevant to the field was the STEM instructor job at Montclair but even that was still quite new and part-time. They eventually interviewed me and wanted to bring me onboard to join their team. My eagerness to learn, even if it were completely new to what I was used to, was what I believe led to NAVAIR hiring me after graduating with my undergraduate degree. Shortly after starting NAVAIR in August 2018, I started doing my Masters Degree at Drexel University for Electrical Engineering. Though I studied Computer Engineering for undergrad, I chose to study Electrical Engineering for graduate because I saw myself working in another department and wanted to work my way there.
Luckily, my workplace believes in rotations and trying to expand knowledge into different fields to see what suits an employee best. I used this to my advantage and ironically enough, one of the teams that I rotated into during my first two years at NAVAIR is the team that I work with now. I am currently supporting the Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) team for Aircraft Launch and Recovery (ALRE), which is used on Ford-class aircraft carriers. It is quite a pleasant feeling to be part of the team and supporting with any help during the first aircraft carrier in the class’s (CVN-78) deployment. It was not easy to figure out that this was the team I wanted to work in. We were required as new hires to have a mentor and do two rotations into completely different groups. After doing one rotation, I knew that I was not satisfied at the team where I was originally hired, which was Systems Engineering. I spoke to my mentor about opportunities to move and he guided me. For the first two months of working at NAVAIR, I debated between completing my Masters Degree in Systems Engineering or Electrical Engineering and my mentor assisted in what seemed like the better fit. I am extremely grateful to have that option and that I chose the option of Electrical Engineering.
It took quite some time to get into a groove to figure out where I wanted my career path to go and I am certain that in a few years it will change once again. But presently, I am satisfied where I am today. My goals are definitely different from what I thought they would have been 5 years ago, but the change was a result of many external factors that I did not consider prior. Sometimes I do wish that I knew exactly what I wanted to do to make the process easier, but in my opinion, the learning curve along the way makes it much more worth it. In the next 5 years, I am eager to see where I will be and if there will be any changes to my career. It will not only add on to any existing skill set and experience, but it will be nice seeing what other teams are out there and how they contribute to supporting the US Navy.
What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your career? How did you overcome them?
My career at NAVAIR has only lasted about 5 years, so my challenges are quite limited compared to individuals that have been there longer. However, within my 5 years at NAVAIR, one of the biggest challenges would have to be the pandemic. We were used to going into the office 5 days a week and were never allowed to bring home our laptops. It was actually extremely rare for individuals to have a telework agreement, which would be the only reason to bring home a laptop. Adjusting to the new working from home lifestyle was such a different change. In NAVAIR, majority of the employees were more experienced and rather have meetings in person or approach another individual at their desk to discuss any questions or comments. Utilizing MS Teams was beyond challenging and it took possibly two whole years to figure out a process. The VPN that we were using while working from home only allowed about 600 people to be on the network, but bases across the United States were using these networks. The only thing we could do was adjust. It involved a large amount of patience and time to explain the process to individuals that needed a bit more time and practice. The open communication that came from the frustration seemed to work in my favor because it was understood that we were all in it together.
Another challenge that I have experienced in my career has actually been a harsh team environment. Being so new into the company made things seem intimidating to speak up if there were any issues. I utilized having a mentor to ensure there was that open communication so that I could find where aligns with my strengths and the company overall can benefit as well. When times were very rough, I scheduled weekly meets with my mentor to give updates of any encounters that happened and necessary details. After some time, my mentor worked with me so that I felt shy less and would be open to speaking freely, but professionally. This helped a great amount because I was able to stand my ground and did not feel like anyone was overlooking my opinions due to my lack of experience.
What advice would you give to younger students who are just starting out on their career journeys?
The best advice I would give to younger students would be to not get discouraged with how long it may take to find a company or job title that suits you best. There is always something to learn in each job that gets you closer to where you want to be. Experience and skill sets are absolutely key and something that you only learn with time. Videos and books can only help guide you a certain percentage of the way but the remaining is best to be done in person and hands on.
Another piece of advice would be to avoid prioritizing salary but instead try to prioritize what genuinely interests the students. Personally, when I got brought onboard to NAVAIR, I knew that the starting salary was almost 50% less than what I could get from a private industry, but I chose job stability over the salary. I have absolutely no regrets doing so, meanwhile others that graduated with me have been changing jobs often because of the salary drive. Presently, I have been at NAVAIR for a little over 5 years and my salary is almost equivalent to the salary that I would get in the private sector with the addition of amazing benefits that come with a government job. Sometimes it is better to gradually get up there than to just take the fastest route, at least in my personal experience.
What are some of the skills or qualities that you think are most important for success in today’s job market?
Given the state of today’s job market compared to how it was a few years ago, some important qualities are to have open communication, honesty, and flexibility. Nowadays, there are more opportunities to work from home, but with that comes responsibility to actually get work done instead of lounging around. Often enough if employees are honest, then managers and supervisors can understand when unexpected situations happen and time off is needed, but if the track record is not the best or there is limited trust, this becomes difficult.
Critical thinking and problem solving skills are also key but can come with experience after working sometime in a company. Gaining knowledge can also be done through other individuals’ experiences. This is why having a senior engineer with great leadership skills is essential.
What are some of the things you’re most proud of accomplishing in your career?
I have worked at NAVAIR immediately after graduating NJIT with my undergraduate degree and it has been my only full-time job, thus my accomplishments are only revolved around my experience at NAVAIR. It is quite rewarding working for the government, compared to working for the private industry. As opposed to working for the company’s profit, working for NAVAIR has been to serve our warfighters and ensuring their safety for the United States military. We have successfully worked through countless of issues onboard the aircraft carriers, testing sites, and lab and have been able to successfully have Ford-class’s first aircraft carrier, CVN 78, out on her deployment.
What are your hopes for the future of your career?
I hope that I can try to prioritize having a balance between home life and work life. Especially with our work schedules now being in the office for twice a week and the rest online, it gets difficult sometimes turning everything off at a reasonable time.
I am utilizing LinkedIn Learning to find videos that can aid in becoming a better leader, specifically a team lead for my project. With the constant change of personnel in and out of the team due to rotations, I am frequently around different personalities, which is something that I am grateful for. By looking at videos and podcasts in addition to making use of having an experienced mentor, I can make the transition process a bit easier on both sides.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
It is never too late or early to learn new things. Utilize all the resources that are present to learn as much as possible about any particular subject that there is an interest for. This is not focused only professionally, but personally too. There is no harm in spending some time after work to learn skills or take on a new hobby. It might seem like a tedious add-on task that could be avoided, but in the long run it will benefit immensely.
Regarding a career path, it is absolutely fine to not know what to do in the long term. Everyone is trying to figure it out too at different ages and experience levels. But definitely try to prioritize yourself and make time for things that matter most (like friends, family, hobbies, etc.).
