Aerospace technology corporation Lockheed Martin showcased available jobs, internships, and co-ops in the global security and aerospace industry to students in Bey Hall on Wednesday, Oct. 30.
Opened to only computer science and software engineering students, representatives from Lockheed Martin aimed to present students with information regarding their company, products, and possible available positions, according to an informational press release for the event.
The presentation began with a video titled “Integrated Air & Missile Defense Solutions,” which previewed developing security and defense technology through CGI. Innovations shown in the video are examples of the company’s holistic approach to what they call a “Complex Threat Problem,” the video detailed. This includes new developments in artificial intelligence and autonomous defense units designed for the US Military.
A key point of the presentation was a discussion about internships and career opportunities for up-and-coming computer scientists and software engineers. As Edison Perez, an engineer for 18 years at Lockheed Martin, explained, the company is “a solid, quality-focused company.”
Regarding the application process, Perez continued, “Yes, the resumes are important, but we’re more concerned with the quality of the person.”
Representatives emphasized good leadership and a group mentality as key character traits of their ideal candidate. “We’re looking for leadership experiences; things like athletics or pep band,” said Tom O’Hara, a software engineer at Lockheed Martin.
The information session also included a look at internships and co-ops offered by the corporations for current undergraduate and graduate students, as well as the perks that come with them. These perks include student loan refinancing for undergraduates, Master’s degree reimbursement for graduate students, and comprehensive healthcare benefits from the outset.
Tameah Young, a junior software engineering student, said, “I’m feeling more confident in my major and more open to doing a lot of different things with my degree. There’s so much I can do, and I learned that here today.”
Joe Monaco, a senior software engineering student and President of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Club, helped to plan the session. Regarding the impact the presentation had on his career search after graduation, Monaco echoed Young’s feelings, “The event definitely opened my eyes to the wide range of careers I could have with software engineering experience. I especially liked the idea of leadership development programs.”
These leadership development programs, according to the presentation, are used to foster leadership skills in preparation for higher management in different sectors of the Lockheed Martin hierarchy, like finance and communications, as well as engineering. O’Hara explained, “A lot of out co-ops stick around and end up with full-time jobs.”
Jeffrey Mass, Assistant Director of Career Services at Monmouth, praised the representative’s abilities to engage with students on a personal level.
“I’m a big fan of info sessions because it’s a chance for students to talk to a real live individual,” said Mass. “The folks here today from Lockheed offered some really good insight about summer internships and training development programs,” he continued, “but it’s also a chance for the students to ask questions about how to stand out in the application process.”
Mass added that a lot of the computer science and software engineering students in attendance “come equipped with prior experiences like internships and management positions at their jobs,” potentially giving them a foot in the door at Lockheed Martin.
O’Hara summed up the mission of Lockheed Martin with his own experience: “Around our office, we all have the same motto: Always do your best, because anything less than that is a waste of your talent.”
PHOTO TAKEN by Alex Dyer
