Northrop Grumman
16,000-plus veterans already work for Northrop Grumman. With thousands of job openings to fill, the company wants more.
by Dan Fazio

More than 16,000 of the 120,000 employees working for Northrop Grumman Corp. today are military veterans. Considering the company’s history and current role in the defense industry, it’s not surprising that veterans comprise 13 percent of Northrop’s work force. The company started out in 1939 as Northrop Aircraft Inc., an aircraft designer and manufacturer that pioneered the flying wing concept, which culminated in the B-2 stealth bomber. Over the years, Northrop has integrated nearly 20 marquee companies into an enterprise that now spans the entire defense spectrum, from under the sea to outer space to cyberspace.

Today the global security company provides innovative systems, products, and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide. And with 3,000 open jobs to fill, company recruiters are looking for more veterans. “Their military background gives them more hands-on, relevant experience since they have performed these jobs in the field,” said Jesse Jackson, military relations lead for Northrop and a 22-year Army veteran.

G.I. Jobs talked to Jackson about why Northrop Grumman likes to hire military veterans, what advantages they bring to the table, what pitfalls to avoid, and how transitioners can find a great new career.

GIJ: What do prior military hires bring to your company that you like?

Jackson: Military hires bring a determined work ethic and consistently have the drive to continue accomplishing the mission at hand. They are disciplined and motivated leaders. In addition, they bring a unique set of skills that Northrop Grumman requires for the type of work that we do.

GIJ: What issues/surprises do you find that military transitioners/veterans need to be aware of when entering the civilian work force?

Jackson: Many do not realize how transferable their skills are from the military to the civilian work force. They will be surprised how much they can leverage their military experiences in an everyday work environment.

GIJ: What advantages do military personnel have over their peers of the same age and education level?

Jackson: Their military background gives them more hands-on, relevant experience since they have performed these jobs in the field. When Northrop Grumman hires them to work on related projects, they tend to be more knowledgeable and comfortable with the task at hand.

GIJ: What disadvantages do you find military hires are up against in their civilian job search?

Jackson: Many military veterans neglect to do necessary research about companies they are interested in working for. I suggest they research the type of work done by the company, locations, the position requirements, etc. The more effort, the better. Northrop Grumman’s Military Relations program is actively involved with Transition Assistance Programs (TAPs), which support transitioning members of the military with job searching. The TAPs involve résumé writing workshops, mock interviewing sessions and professional-dress-code classes to help ease the transition from the military environment to the civilian workplace.

GIJ: What are the most common mistakes you see on military/veteran résumés?

Jackson: Many veterans omit information they deem unimportant. Really, such information often is quite relevant to prospective employers and helps a great deal in landing a job.

GIJ: What are the most common mistakes military/veterans make in interviews?

Jackson: Most workplaces aren’t as structured and rigid as the environments many veterans are accustomed to, so when tasks are outlined for military candidates, the candidates often don’t recognize that they can accomplish more than is being described to them in the interview process. As a result, some candidates occasionally walk away from a possible position with us to pursue what they believe to be a more important role with a competitor. These candidates often end up trying to work for Northrop Grumman later, when they realize the position they’ve taken with the competition does not match what they could have had with our company. Unfortunately, by this time, often we have filled those positions.

GIJ: Do most military candidates dress appropriately for their interviews?

Jackson: In my experience, military veterans respect the role a professional appearance plays in important situations such as a job interview.

GIJ: How would you recommend a military candidate research your company to see if it is the right company for them?

Jackson: The best way is to go through our Transition Military Web site: http://careers.northropgrumman.com/ExternalHorizonsWeb/transitioning_military.jsp. If possible, reach out to someone who works at Northrop Grumman to get a better feel for the company.

GIJ: What types of positions does your company recruit military for?

Jackson: Northrop Grumman generally has 3,000 open, posted positions related to global security. To search for available positions, visit www.Careers.Northropgrumman.com.

GIJ: Describe the responsibilities of one of these positions.

Jackson: A computer systems security analyst works on tasking, processing, exploitation, dissemination, and integration issues in intelligence-community missions. He or she is responsible for obtaining and disseminating critical mission information based on analysis from multiple SATCOM and SIGINT systems. In addition, he or she oversees an intelligence-community network and must be capable of monitoring, developing and implementing procedures designed to protect accredited customer systems. Other duties include the management and execution of first-level response for reported or detected incidents in accordance with customer SOP and directives. In this position, one must be willing to support a rotating 24/7 schedule.

GIJ: Can a new hire stay in this position for an entire career or do you require new hires to “move up or move out” like the military does?

Jackson: With more than 120,000 employees worldwide, it’s difficult to generalize career paths. Northrop Grumman rewards strong performance. Technical advancement, management advancement, and transfer opportunities are all commonplace here. In a company this size, with so many opportunities, every year several thousand employees have the freedom to move around within the company to explore a new set of responsibilities.

GIJ: Are there any military/veteran specific programs at your company?

Jackson: Northrop Grumman has a Military Employee Resource Group, a Wounded Warrior Program (Operation IMPACT), and a military mobilization leave of absence (LOA) policy. The military mobilization leave of absence policy specifies that employees on military mobilization LOA receive differential pay, which is the difference between their base military pay and their normal straight-time earnings.

GIJ: Are there any other special non-military specific incentives that might interest military new hires?

Jackson: Northrop Grumman offers such comprehensive incentives as tuition-reimbursement, flexible spending accounts, 401(k) and savings programs, employee assistance and wellness programs, referral awards, and a company credit union.

GIJ: What are some of the programs your company has to seek out and identify military and veteran employees?

Jackson: We are very proud of our Operation IMPACT initiative (http://operationimpact.ms.northropgrumman.com/default.htm), a program that provides transition support and employment to service members severely injured in the global war on terrorism. Additionally, several of our sectors devote attention to recruiting military members and veterans, and we now have a centralized team which provides enterprise-wide resources and reach-back assistance to those recruiting arms.

GIJ: How has your company benefited from an active military-hire program?

Jackson: More than 16,000 veterans work for Northrop Grumman, which says a lot in itself. We are bringing people in who require little or no training for the positions they have been hired to fill. Veterans bring active security clearances and different or unique skill sets that positively impact the company.

GIJ: What type of educational experience do you look for in military candidates?

Jackson: Some of the positions require a bachelor’s degree, but in lieu of that, equivalent years of experience may be considered transferable. We are also willing to train and provide educational assistance to our employees.

GIJ: How many military veterans work in your company and what percentage of the total work force does this comprise?

Jackson: 16,300 out of 120,000 = 13 percent.

GIJ: Did any of the senior executives in your company serve in the military?

Jackson: Northrop Grumman’s corporate office alone has 17 vice presidents and 34 directors who are U.S. military veterans.