Significant Career Lesson From A Supply Chain Specialist At Northrop Grumman
Marissa's career journey highlights the value of practical experience before pursuing further education, stating that "it really helped me understand what I wanted to do," and emphasizes the importance of active engagement through thoughtful questioning and meticulous note-taking to excel professionally and become a valuable resource within their organization.
Career Development, Communication, Problem-Solving, Practical, Actionable Tips
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Marissa Simone
Principal Supply Chain Subcontract Specialist
Northrop Grumman Corporation
Pepperdine University
Arizona State University (ASU) - W. P. Carey, MBA in Supply Chain
Political Science, American Studies
Aerospace, Aviation & Defense
Operations and Project Management
Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient
Video Highlights
1. Taking time before applying to grad school helped solidify career goals and improve grad school performance.
2. Asking thoughtful questions shows engagement and helps one get noticed by employers.
3. Taking thorough notes improves information retention and can make one a valuable resource in the workplace.
Transcript
What is one lesson that you've learned that has proven significant in your career?
I'll probably do more than one lesson, if that is okay. There are a couple of things I'd like to share.
First, I always wanted to go to grad school and further my education. I think a lot of people do nowadays, and it's the expectation of a lot of companies if you want to move up. I'm really glad I did not go to grad school right after undergraduate. I worked for about five years, and I think it really helped me understand what I wanted to do, where my strengths were, and also what my weaknesses were. It also made me a better grad student because I had the nine-to-five work ethic and experience that I could apply to my education. So, personally for me, it really worked to wait to go to grad school. The degree I ended up getting was totally different than what I thought I would get in undergrad when I was a poli-sci major.
Two more quick things. One, people have told me it's good to always ask questions, and I think that's really important. They say there's no such thing as a dumb question. When you ask questions in a job, you show that you're curious. Also, if you ask good questions, you get noticed. So, I think that's good advice I've gotten and something that's served me well is asking thoughtful questions.
It shows that you're engaged, but it's also a good way to get noticed as a candidate or a new hire.
The last thing that has served me well is taking notes. I think from a lot of school, I've been a good note-taker. Something I've always done in my jobs is take notes in meetings, phone calls, etc., for myself. It has really helped me because not only am I able to retain information better, but then also sometimes people lean on me for that information. That's also really important if there's turnover. So, I think having that knowledge and retaining it is really important.
So, those are the things I would say: take your time considering grad school and go back to work, or start work, before you go back to school. Ask questions and take good notes.