Smooth Landing
Nearly 90 percent of aviation companies are hiring in 2011, and they need more than pilots and mechanics.
by Kathleen Ganster

The aviation industry was a natural for Steve Henderson. A Marine veteran with more than 20 years experience in aeronautics, it was an easy transition to become a field services engineer with Northrop Grumman Corporation.

But as Henderson is quick to point out, not all careers in aviation need a background in planes, jets and helicopters. “Of course, my aviation background was helpful, but so were my skills in interaction with other people, my ability to focus on a mission and a multitude of things – all things I learned in the military,” he said.

Good Year for Aviation
According to recent statistics released by JSfirm.com, opportunities in aviation do look good for 2011. Sam Scanlon, managing partner, said most of the companies surveyed expect to hire this year. “We are certainly encouraged by the fact that nearly 90 percent of companies surveyed expect to hire in 2011,” Scanlon said. “Over 325 aviation companies participated in the survey and we have learned the greatest hiring period in 2011 will likely be in the second quarter.”

The survey projected the greatest number of jobs to be in the maintenance sector, with pilots and avionics coming in next. But there also will be opportunities in dispatch, sales and marketing, line service, customer service, engineering and administration.

Careers at Northrop Grumman Corporation
Northrop Grumman Corporation has a variety of job opportunities at its Aerospace Systems Sector. According to Cris Cristina, talent acquisition strategy analyst, there are jobs nationwide with the major development and production sites in California, New York, Florida and Mississippi. “In my sector, Aerospace Systems, we have hundreds of current opportunities in Southern California, specifically El Segundo, Redondo Beach, Palmdale and San Diego,” he said.

Opportunities with Northrop Grumman include positions in software engineering, cyber security, advanced aircraft, spacecraft and sensor systems. The company also needs aircraft mechanics, electricians, global supply chain specialists and subcontract managers. Northrop Grumman has opportunities in other divisions, Cristina said. Salaries and experience vary depending on the location and positions, but are competitive.

Due to the nature of Northrop Grumman’s work with the government, U.S. security clearances are essential. “These requirements may be more problematic than the educational criteria. So even if candidates have the requisite education and skills, they may not possess (or be eligible for) the type of clearance required,” Cristina said. “One obvious advantage that transitioning military personnel have is the fact that many of them already possess the right level of clearance.”

Veterans are attractive to Northrop Grumman for other assets as well. “One of the reasons Northrop Grumman values veterans (as potential employees) is their ethics,” Cristina said. “Notions like honor, duty and responsibility are part of their makeup. These qualities make the veteran attractive to us as a potential employee,” he said.

Jobs With Impact
Cristina also advocated the Operation Impact program. “This is a Northrop Grumman initiative designed to provide career transition support to military service members who have been severely injured,” he said. “I would urge those who may be eligible to visit our website.”

 It was the Operation Impact program that sold Brandon Deal on Northrop Grumman. After a career-ending injury in the U.S. Army, Deal looked for companies friendly to wounded warriors. “I was interested in companies with defense contracts and Northrop Grumman was recommended to me. It was a good match,” he said.

Deal, 25, is a hardware engineer. A key element for him is the network of other wounded warriors that he has met through the impact program. “Knowing that there are a handful of people that have been through what I have been through and that I can go to for assistance has been vital to me,” he said.

As he adjusted to civilian life while working full-time, going to college and balancing family life, Deal felt secure enough at Northrop Grumman to recommend it to another wounded warrior. “To know that I would recommend this company to someone who would lay his life on the line for me and vice versa tells you how much I believe in them,” he said.

Sell Yourself Fast
Henderson, 44, lives in San Diego and joined Northrop Grumman right after he separated from the Marines. “Northrop Grumman is a good match, not just because of my background, but because there is a large population of prior and retired military from all branches – it makes the transition a little easier if you have others who know what you are going through,” he said.

He found his job through a friend, an element he stresses for others who may be making their own transitions to civilian life soon. “Network, reach out to those in the industry and practice your 30-second elevator speech so you can sell yourself fast,” he said.

In addition to the valuable experience Henderson acquired in the aviation field thanks to the Marines, he was also able to complete his bachelor’s degree just before he retired and is currently pursuing a master’s degree. “I recommend getting as much education as you can,” he said, “I’m lucky because Northrop Grumman also has educational benefits which really help.”

Cristina echoed Henderson’s best job-seeking tip. “The key lessons can be summed up this way: networking, networking and networking. Use the web, cultivate your contacts and work with them every day,” he said. Visit www.northropgrumman.com/careers for more information.

Easy Transition with Boeing
When Stephen Majewski retired from the U.S. Navy, the transition was as easy as simply changing the direction of his morning commute. “Logistically, it was wonderful because I was already stationed here and knew I wanted to stay in this area. I was lucky that there are so many companies here,” he said of the Seattle area.

Majewski, 43, a support planning engineer with Boeing, put the company on his “short list” when he starting planning his retirement. “I grew up in this area and a lot of my friends had parents who worked at Boeing, so I knew their reputation,” he said.

Since Majewski had worked as a naval aviator for more than 20 years, the match made sense. As a pilot, he knew and understood that aspect of the industry, but as an engineer, he knew that side of the industry as well. “I had found that the aviation industry was very fulfilling to me, so when I was comparing options, I knew I would enjoy it,” he said.

Military Spouse Corporate Career Network
Matt Aubuchon, director of human resources, Boeing Military Aircraft, said most opportunities at Boeing right now are in the career fields directly related to airplanes and aircraft. Currently the company is seeking flight mechanics, aviation mechanics, quality assurance technicians and other operations mechanics; and on the salaried position end, engineers from various areas including propulsion, IT, structural and design, cyber and intelligence. “We do have other opportunities, but most of our opportunities are in these areas,” Aubuchon said. For more information about opportunities at Boeing, visit www.facebook.com/BoeingCareers or www.boeing.com/careers.

Since Boeing works with the U.S. Armed Forces, many veterans are already familiar with their products, making it an ideal fit. “Who better to serve our products than those who use them?” Aubuchon said. And like Northrop Grumman, Boeing finds that military clearance is extremely helpful.

Boeing and the military also serve the same mission, Aubuchon said. “We share the passion to defend our country and work together to achieve this mission.”

Boeing was also one of the founding companies in the Military Spouse Corporate Career Network, helping to place veteran’s spouses, another reason the company is attractive to veterans. Visit www.MSCCN.org for more information.

Southwest Airlines:

Working and playing hard

“We work really hard, but we play really hard,” said Tina Clanton, recruiter for Southwest Airlines. “We do whatever it takes to get the job done and we treat our employees like family. It makes it a great place to work.”

In an industry that has seen ups and downs over the past few years, Southwest has been stable. Clanton said they have been profitable for the past 38 years of the company’s 40-year history. “We are a stable company and have great benefits,” she said, including “very rich” medical and dental, 401(k), employee profit sharing and a huge benefit for many – free flights. “For example, if you have a family of four and make one or two trips a year, that can add thousands of dollars to a benefit package,” she said.

Wide Range of Jobs
Available jobs vary from day to day and Clanton urges those interested in a career with Southwest to check the website at www.southwest.com/careers. “We have jobs in everything from the front line to headquarters to pilots. There is a wide range of jobs with very competitive compensation packages.” A quick search shows positions in engineering, customer service, human resources, operations agents, and health and wellness program management.

While many of the jobs are at the company’s headquarters in Dallas, others are in airports throughout the country, 72 locations in all. “We also hire people in our Customer Support and Services centers. We have six centers around the country,” Clanton said.

A military spouse herself, Clanton knows the value of hiring veterans. “The military has the same core values that Southwest has,” she said, “Plus, we take care of our ‘family’ just like the military does.”

Parlaying Military Experience
Stephanie Christopher, 27, is a corporate buyer with Southwest, an Army veteran who still serves in the Army Reserve. Like Deal, she was attracted to her employer by its reputation of working with veterans. “The more research I did, the better they sounded,” she said.

Although she has only been with the company a year, Christopher likes the atmosphere of the company, something that results in happy customers. “Southwest is dedicated to keeping their employees happy and we can pass that on to our customers,” she said.

Echoing Clanton’s thoughts, she said, “We have a lot of fun at work. We have challenges that make it interesting, but we also enjoy our jobs.”

While she served in Iraq, Christopher served as a purchasing officer, work that transferred well to her current job as a buyer. “My experience of securing items, managing bids, searching for products, it all set me up for a buyer role here. It is the same type of work, just a different language,” she said.

Much more than airplanes

And like Henderson, she urges new veterans to “think outside the box” when it comes to aviation careers. She said career options include payroll administrations, human resources, administration positions and others. “Airlines need so much more than just pilots and mechanics. We aren’t just airplanes.”

Northrop Grumman Corporation
HQ: Century City, Calif.
Aerospace Systems Sector based in Redondo Beach, Calif.; Northrop Grumman has major development and production sites in California, New York, Florida and Mississippi.
Employees: More than 75,000; about 23,000 in Aerospace Systems
Veteran Employees: About 18,000 (15%)
2010 Revenues: $34.8 billion
www.northropgrumman.com

Opportunities include positions in:

• Software engineering
• Cyber security
• Advanced aircraft
• Global security
• Spacecraft and senior systems
  

Jobs include:

• Global supply chain specialists
• Subcontract managers
• Aircraft mechanics
• Electricians
  

Pay
Salaries and experience vary depending on the location and positions, but are competitive.

Visit www.careers.northropgrumman.com for more information.

Jobs
Most opportunities at Boeing right now are in the career fields directly related to airplanes and aircraft. Currently the company is seeking:

• Flight mechanics
• Aviation mechanics
• Quality assurance technicians
• Operations mechanics
• Engineers from various areas including propulsion, IT, structural and design.

For more information about opportunities at Boeing, visit www.facebook.com/BoeingCareers or www.boeing.com/careers.

Pay
Salaries are competitive but vary according to job responsibilities,required experience and education.

Southwest Airlines
HQ: Dallas
Employees: 35,000
Veteran Employees: 5,143 (15%)
2010 Revenues: $12.1 billion
www.southwest.com/careers

Jobs
Opportunities include jobs in:

• Engineering
• Customer service
• Human resources
• Operations agents
• Health and wellness program management

Pay
Salaries are competitive but vary with location, experience and education. Company officials describe benefits packages and profit-sharing as “generous.”