I have been here about a month, and will share my experiences so far:
Great Work Life Balance- I started in mid-November right before Thanksgiving. First week had Friday off, next week 2 days off (thanksgiving and day after, Paid), The next week had Friday off again. This is my first full working week and it has been great. Fridays are generally easier because people are out. I have met some people that never work Fridays too.
Vacation Time- 3 weeks paid vacation starting, 25 off Fridays, 11 paid federal holidays. 5 sick days and 3 personal days.
Great Co-Workers- I was blessed to be with a pretty young crowd, mid to late 20's early 30's. Of course there are some a bit older, but it's a good mix.
Team Environment- Happy hour every Thursday before our off Friday. The last Friday of every month we celebrate that months birthdays with a small party (food and drinks).
Monthly Cooking Competitions.( last month we had 50+ different salsas and dips) January is desserts
Nice Equipment- I was given a nice laptop and case my first day. Lots of office supplies, 2 computer monitors, Ice/Water machine..
No Micro-Management. Have yet to feel like my manager is constantly watching over me.
Work Environment- Probably the best part about Lockheed Fort Worth, this is where we assemble the JSF F-35 Lightning II and the F-16 Fighting Falcon. I can take a 5 minute walk and be staring at complete fighter jets (that will actually be flown, possibly in combat, and are not sitting in a museum). It is incredible
Products: We build the worlds leading technology. There are many more, but to name a few:
1) Orion Spacecraft that flown 12/5/2015 around the earth, may take people to mars, and was the farthest flown Man-able capsule in 40 years
2) SR-71 Blackbird, the fastest air breathing manned aircraft ever
3) The worlds first and only Nuclear Fusion reactor
4) F-35 Lightning II
All built by Lockheed Martin
The Worlds Largest Defense Contractor and a Fortune 500 Company- Number 59 in 2014
Compensation- I received offers from BAE Systems, OHA Private Equity, and Warren Douglass. Lockheed had the highest salary, and a sign on bonus. Started at 55k with 1k sign on. ( BBA in Accounting 3.4 GPA from A&M in 2.5 years)
Generally Upbeat- Any person you meet is willing to help you. My 3rd day here I was lost looking at a fire evacuation map on the wall (having no sense of direction) a woman stopped and asked me if I was lost, I told her I was, and where I was trying to go and she walked me directly to the office. She didn't just point and say some directions that I likely couldn't have followed; we walked together, and showed me some landmarks incase I got lost again. We had a great conversation too.
9/80 Schedule- 9/80 means you work the following schedule:
M-9hrs, T-9, W-9, R-9, F-8; M-9, T-9, W-9, R-9, F-OFF.
Most corporate jobs require 9 hours a day anyway, and never get Fridays off.
Flex Time- If you need to leave early one day, or know you will be leaving early in the future you can work extra an extra hour or two one day and take off early the next. Mostly use it only when you need to.
Hours- If you come in at 6 you can leave at 3 (with no lunch). I get in at 7 a.m. and usually leave at 4:30-5.
Retirement Plan- We have a pretty great retirement package, a top competitor of any Fortune 500 Company. The total company contribution is roughly 7%. Capital Contribution 3%, SSP Company match up to 4% (at 8% employee contribution), so maxing out your marginal contribution totals up to 15% toward retirement. Considering that the average American saves <5% per year, Lockheed is pretty good.
Telecommuting/ Work From Home- I have yet to work from home but there are some in my office that do, and I was told in my first day lunch meeting with my manager that I will be able to after about 6 months. Some departments let you work one day from home every week, just depends on your department. My HR rep was one of those that did.
Last Thing- Don't believe all you hear about not being noticed and the company being too big to succeed. If you work hard, and get stuff done you will move up fast. I was concerned about this when I started but after asking around I found that you will typically jump a level every year to 15 months which means a minimum of 10k raise, plus a yearly performance bonus of about 4%. A girl in my office jumped 2 levels in 18 months. Transferring to a different business unit can make that process go faster, and usually will get a bigger than a 10k raise (unlikely to be more than 15k) until you have had 7-12 years of service and are getting a manager, senior manager, or director role. Pay raises are based on how much effort you put in. I have met some people that have not attempted gain access to the computer systems after over a month of being here, (which is critical to get actual work done) yet I got all my security clearance and system access in 4 days. I also ask for work to do, and am happy to do the repetitive tasks that slow down my teammates.
