In the military, the unit is more important than the individual, said Northrop Grumman’s D.N. “Doc” Massard. But that’s not the case in private industry, where you must stand out as an individual to get hired.
A Northrop Grumman military recruiter, Massard was at CSULB Thursday to provide resume advice for engineering students who are military veterans. The company also supports a study room where the College of Engineering’s 120 veteran students can gather.
“We care—genuinely care—about you finding a career that you love,” Massard told the nearly two dozen students who attended the workshop. “There may be no job in industry that would provide as much personal satisfaction as the military. However, we can pay you a little better.”
Massard describes his resume formula as “Name, Contact Information, Brag Brag, Brag, and Prove It.” A concise and impactful summary placed right after the contact information is crucial. “What I want is the sexy stuff upfront. You only have 15 seconds to show why you’re better than the other candidate.”
Bullet points are “the life blood of the time-saving resume,” he said. Points to emphasize include your clearances and what makes you different from other candidates. In addition, you need to make sure your resume can be clearly understood by laypeople.
“People wo read your resume may not have been in the military. If you don’t say it clearly, they won’t know,” Massad said.
University recruiter Margaret Paulin discussed current opportunities with the company. Northrop Grumman being named prime contractor on its long-range strike bomber, the B-21, has opened up opportunities in Melbourne, Florida, where it’s being designed, and in Palmdale, where it will be built.
The company this summer will hire more than 1,500 interns, and expects about 3,000 new hires to come on board. “We’re growing with this program. There’s a lot of work,” she said.