The workplace can sometimes be difficult for employees to navigate especially if you are just starting out in an industry. That is why mentors are so important. From sharing tips on dealing with workplace conflicts to advice on taking the right career path, mentors can make a huge difference to our working lives. Leading global security company, Northrop Grumman recognises the role mentors take in helping employees navigate the corporate world.

Here, one of its mentor's, Courtney, LAS/Commercial Nozzle Quality Engineer, Brigham City, UT explains her role.

Becoming a Northrop Grumman mentor

"I had been with the company for just under two years when I started mentoring" explains Courtney. 

"I trained Annie, my summer intern, on quality engineering. We also focused on what she could expect to be responsible for as a full time quality engineer. I felt it was incredibly important that she shadow other engineering disciplines so I took an active role in coordinating job shadowing or tours with other organizations. Beyond training and the technical aspects of the job, Annie and I regularly discussed her future career options and what she could expect from the transition from interning to full-time position negotiations."

An evolving approach to mentoring at Northrop Grumman

"I started by listing out everything that I thought it would be important for Annie to see or learn during her twelve weeks with us. My own mentor was helpful in talking through my ideas for the internship and gave me advice on how to improve Annie’s experience. The best internships I had allowed me to control its direction once I had enough training and I wanted Annie to have that same opportunity. As the internship progressed, I shifted my focus to asking Annie where she felt the holes were in her understanding of the production cycle and we changed her workload to give her exposure in those areas."

Mentoring in today's workplace

"Today there is a lot more pressure to have experience before you apply to full-time positions. Many of the later career engineers I have discussed this with mentioned that they never had internships and were not really expected to when they applied for full-time positions. During my own application process with Northrop Grumman, I found that my previous internships and work experience were pivotal to being considered a successful candidate."

"However, once early career employees are in the workplace, I think many of those differences disappear. I have found that people are much too concerned about how to deal with “Millennials in the workplace.” The big answer is to treat early career employees as professionals and give them opportunities to grow."

Learning from each other for the best results

"I learned that sometimes clichés are true and you don’t truly know something until you teach it to someone else. Annie asked excellent questions and I discovered many areas I had stopped questioning base assumptions as often as I should. Mentoring pushed me to learn other organizations’ roles at a deeper level so I could give succinct answers about work flows and business functions. I also had to brush up on technical details I had not revisited in a while."

Join Northrop Grumman to see what you could learn

Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company and one of the most innovative in the industry. It is committed to the education and development needed to help its employees grow. Northrop Grumman nurtures the diversity of individuals and ideas. If you want to join, search and apply for one of Northrup Grumman's amazing career opportunities.
  

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