Thus it is here, the big move out to Colorado. Since I only slightly touched on my new employer in the last post, I'll go into some more detail on this one.
I'll be working for Northrop Grumman as a "Software Engineer of the Missions Systems Sector, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Division." And yes, that is indeed a mouthful, but I don't mind it too much since it sounds fancy. I'd love to be offering up more details about what specifically I am to be doing but the truth is I myself am a bit clueless. The job falls under the category of classified. What does this mean? Well, for starters it means that I've spent the last several weeks doing a variety of things to earn my government security clearance. This includes a drug test, some finger prints, and a nice elaborate pre-screening report with every employer, neighbor, and person who's known me well since I was 16. The feds are going to know more about me than I will know about my self I'm sure.
I start working on the 10th of September but I won't be working on my "real job" until I pass my security clearance, which they tell me is 60-120 days, provided there are no hang ups. Like I said, I know very little about what I'll ultimately be doing, but they have been able to mention the word 'satellites' to me. Since my first call from Northrop Grumman I've done a decent amount of research about my now employer. NG has made the B-2 bomber, parts of the F-16, and even the lunar lander. From what I gather they've got a pretty sizable space program located in Colorado. I'd like to think I'm going to be a part of that in some way really really cool.
I'm really anxious to get going. I've spent the last several weeks making my rounds Memphis, Kansas City, and back to Memphis again tying up whatever looses ends I've needed to and making sure I'm ready for this big shift. Northrop has been very generous with my relocation package and made the whole process alot easier. I honestly am not sure how I would have been able to afford this first couple months had it been somewhere else, especially a start up company. My apartment is ready for me, the moving truck came this morning to take all my stuff away, and the car has 2 new tires equipped for the long haul.
I'm leaving tomorrow at around 10AM and driving to St. Louis to pick up the dog and my girlfriend (who's helping me move this weekend) and spending the night in Kansas City. We'll be in Denver by early evening on Friday.
And thus I begin my biggest new adventure. Wish me luck!
-dp
8.29.2007
8.09.2007
Employment
It's been nearly 2 months since my last post. A whole hell of a lot has happened in that amount of time. It's been ups and downs, but the end result has been a certified up.
When I last posted Garmin was the leading contender for my employer. The interviews had gone well, the company seemed like a place I could see myself, and with the exception of it being located in Kansas City it seemed like a great fit. However, Garmin didn't see it the same way. A few days after my interview process had begun I received a rejection letter in the mail. I was shocked - momentarily depressed even - it seemed like this was going to be the one (job). I was so mystified as to why Garmin decided to pass me up I asked one of the HR people I'd interviewed with. A couple days later they got back to me saying that it was due to 2 C's from freshman year I'd gotten in Calculus. I couldn't believe it. You keep hearing about the "whole person" and "well rounded individual" that companies are looking to hire... to be turned down by that garbage made me frustrated to say the least. The job search continued.
Things were not all bad though as I was able to get my mind of things with a trip to Colorado. My roommate, Brad, got married in Golden, CO and I was a groomsman. The wedding was incredible and I had a GREAT time. Afterward my family flew in and we drove north to spend a week in Rocky Mountain National Park. We did some camping, hiking, rafting, and general exploring and I was reminded how Colorado was a place I could certainly see myself. In fact, Colorado was the only other State of desired employment besides California, I just saw myself in CA more because there are a much larger number of jobs there. On the way home I kept my eyes open for jobs I could apply to when I got back to St. Louis.
The next weeks were full of phone interviews, a resume refresh (which helped tremendously in finding offers), and more filling out applications online. I was getting 2 and 3 calls a week for various positions with varying degrees of excitement about them. I turned to Dice.com and put my application online there and was able to apply to some more California positions. I had a couple interviews with a startup company called SonicSwap in addition to some tech staffing places trying to put me at various St. Louis area jobs.
One week I got a call from a place in Aurora, CO. I didn't catch the company name the first time around and didn't want to ask again cause I figured that window of opportunity had passed, but I heard something about the Department of Defense. I did a phone screening with them, they liked me, and wanted to fly me out to Aurora for an interview. In a subsequent phone call I got the company name, Northrop Grumman. I didn't know much about them but one of the first things I learned was that it was a $30 billion company and the #3 largest contractor for the department of defense (behind Lockheed Martin and another I'd assume).
After being flown out to CO and interviewing I received a call about a week later with a very gracious job offer and I happily accepted!
In the end I interviewed with the following:
Google, Reuters, Garmin, Emerson, ExpressScripts, SonicSwap, Sandel Avionics, Elliot Data, Tek Systems, Apex Systems, and the list goes on...
I worked my last day at the John Cook School of Business at Saint Louis University on July 21st and am now unwinding and getting my things in order to move out to Colorado in early September. I'm trying to keep this post short since there's alot to talk about but for details about working for Northrop Grumman and moving to Denver be sure to check my next post!
-dp
When I last posted Garmin was the leading contender for my employer. The interviews had gone well, the company seemed like a place I could see myself, and with the exception of it being located in Kansas City it seemed like a great fit. However, Garmin didn't see it the same way. A few days after my interview process had begun I received a rejection letter in the mail. I was shocked - momentarily depressed even - it seemed like this was going to be the one (job). I was so mystified as to why Garmin decided to pass me up I asked one of the HR people I'd interviewed with. A couple days later they got back to me saying that it was due to 2 C's from freshman year I'd gotten in Calculus. I couldn't believe it. You keep hearing about the "whole person" and "well rounded individual" that companies are looking to hire... to be turned down by that garbage made me frustrated to say the least. The job search continued.
Things were not all bad though as I was able to get my mind of things with a trip to Colorado. My roommate, Brad, got married in Golden, CO and I was a groomsman. The wedding was incredible and I had a GREAT time. Afterward my family flew in and we drove north to spend a week in Rocky Mountain National Park. We did some camping, hiking, rafting, and general exploring and I was reminded how Colorado was a place I could certainly see myself. In fact, Colorado was the only other State of desired employment besides California, I just saw myself in CA more because there are a much larger number of jobs there. On the way home I kept my eyes open for jobs I could apply to when I got back to St. Louis.
The next weeks were full of phone interviews, a resume refresh (which helped tremendously in finding offers), and more filling out applications online. I was getting 2 and 3 calls a week for various positions with varying degrees of excitement about them. I turned to Dice.com and put my application online there and was able to apply to some more California positions. I had a couple interviews with a startup company called SonicSwap in addition to some tech staffing places trying to put me at various St. Louis area jobs.
One week I got a call from a place in Aurora, CO. I didn't catch the company name the first time around and didn't want to ask again cause I figured that window of opportunity had passed, but I heard something about the Department of Defense. I did a phone screening with them, they liked me, and wanted to fly me out to Aurora for an interview. In a subsequent phone call I got the company name, Northrop Grumman. I didn't know much about them but one of the first things I learned was that it was a $30 billion company and the #3 largest contractor for the department of defense (behind Lockheed Martin and another I'd assume).
After being flown out to CO and interviewing I received a call about a week later with a very gracious job offer and I happily accepted!
In the end I interviewed with the following:
Google, Reuters, Garmin, Emerson, ExpressScripts, SonicSwap, Sandel Avionics, Elliot Data, Tek Systems, Apex Systems, and the list goes on...
I worked my last day at the John Cook School of Business at Saint Louis University on July 21st and am now unwinding and getting my things in order to move out to Colorado in early September. I'm trying to keep this post short since there's alot to talk about but for details about working for Northrop Grumman and moving to Denver be sure to check my next post!
-dp
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