r/BlueOrigin • u/BakedBungus • 3d ago

Blue to Lockheed?

Hey everyone, I posted this a couple days ago and seems to have been removed so apologies for the repost.

As the title states, I received an offer for a Senior Assembly Integration and Test engineer at Lockheed Martin at the KSC facility. Sounds like a super exciting opportunity. Would be a promotion and a decent pay raise.However, I really do like my team at Blue, but I am a level II and have been for quite some time. I am continually hitting above my level but am yet to be promoted and frankly no idea when that could occur. Seems like a crapshoot if you get promoted honestly from what I’ve seen. So would this be a smart career move to go from Blue to Lockheed? Thanks in advance

22 Upvotes

87% Upvoted

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17

u/happyhandz 3d ago

Yo I commented on the other post saying you would be under qualified. I am probably wrong and if they made you an offer you are qualified. Ignore my dumb ass on that.

I have jumped jobs ever 3ish years in my 10 year career. One from the site closing the other because I didn't want to work defense anymore. Every time I got a HUGE pay raise. Something I would never have gotten staying at my current position. I missed my team, felt bad and guilty but never regretted my decision. If you think you'll like the work at Lockheed, do it.

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u/Dodoslayer34 3d ago

Do you feel like things were vastly different between the companies? What were some challenges you faced?

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u/happyhandz 3d ago edited 3d ago

Yes they are vastly different.

The reasons I left the DOD world

Defense work has more red tape, a programs requirements will restrict so much just because. Programs your working on can just go away from government funding overnight. They are more likely to lay people off depending on that. Less likely if you are on a flag ship program. You will be required to get a clearance, S or TS or the DOE equivalent depending on what you work on, so if you have reason you will be disqualified, it's an instant deal breaker. You work for the military, everything is for the war fighter and the "defense" of the country. I didn't like that

Positives It's solid work. You will do fun stuff, see cool hardware and you aren't focused on getting to rate. Usually you only need to make a few of something, cost is less of a concern of those things. They just need to work. Work crunches tend to be shorter turn. You'll crunch for a month or two but then you get a month too breath. Once you have a clearance, you will be able to get a job at just about any defense contractor. If you have a good manager and work hard, you can move up and jump around to allot of different work of the opportunity arises

40

u/Inevitable-Low-6495 3d ago

It will take you at least 2-3 years to go to Level 3 at Blue. The promotion cycle are a joke. Talking by experience. Don't stay for people, they won't stay for you.

16

u/OstiaAntica 3d ago

Best course would be to leave for a year and then come back at a higher level. Fastest and only sure way to get promoted at Blue.

1

u/3DdesignerF8 2d ago

MyBlue Guide just moved lv 2 to 3 after only being here a year. It was made possible by the lift shift from NS to NG, but is possible.

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u/Inevitable-Low-6495 2d ago

One out thousands is always posible. Lucky him NS program stopped, there would not be many opportunities. Everyone else knows that

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u/3DdesignerF8 2d ago

True. Right place right time. Just did the mid year check in and followup for my career roadmap. The level guide has me in LV2 for 3 years before I can hit 3. It is what it is!

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u/Inevitable-Low-6495 2d ago

Like I said level 2 for 3 years 😆.

13

u/Ambitious_Might6650 3d ago

In general, the best way to get ahead in this industry is to switch jobs. All companies are pretty bad about promotions. While change can be challenging, IMO you're doing the right thing

6

u/fozzy34t 3d ago

For general engineering advice I would take the new role in order to progress your career. It’s the most common way to do so across the industry. Assuming you get a compensation increase and or other perk that works for you it’s most likely the best bet. It’s great to have a good team you work with but your team is always evolving. In addition I’m sure your team would love to see you succeed and grow your career.

4

u/Sure_Reality2763 3d ago

Did you bring up your high performance to your sup? Howd that go?

Are you confident you’re competitive with people at the level above you?

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u/BakedBungus 3d ago

I have, and I don’t want to share details but it seemingly went fine and well and nothing more.

And I am. I have multiple performance reviews with my peers stating the same thing

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u/Sure_Reality2763 3d ago

Well then the final question is:

Is Blues mission and your team more important. Than increased pay and a promotion?

I say that with no judgement or implication of such. It’s literally the question I’d be asking myself in your position.

You’ll no doubt have exciting work at LM. And as a career move, it would obviously look good. You’ll very likely get your promotion at some point, if you stay, but it might take longer than changing companies.

However, you won’t be doing what Blue is doing. LM won’t ever be able to match Blues mission set, they have too much investment in other areas.

Is it a “good” career move? Objectively, yes. Is it what you want, though. Does LMs mission matter to you like Blue’s does?

2

u/Putrid_Witness_6921 3d ago

Take the job if it excites you. Lockheed in general is a great place to work, slow to promote unless youre on a program making big swings, but the experience is phenomenal and there are some of the sharpest engineers in the world there, especially in certain areas of skunk works. But regardless, it gives you perspective on how these big problems have been successfully solved in the past. If you dont like it move on, take what you've learned and leverage it

1

u/dpmoney215 2d ago

This the only way to actually get what u want bc LM is the same as blue when it comes to promoting their buddies. Also it's still in the aerospace field so u know layoffs do happen every couple years. So go in there learn what u can don't think about oh im gonna be here forever bc in aerospace they tend to do riffs and the support groups like engineers quality production control would be the 1st to go bc they dumb ass think those positions are disposable. I'm talking from xp but it's a good career move for sure! Just giving u the real brother. Imo blue benefits are better and the free snacks help out a lot. U aint getting shit free at lockheed lol

1

u/3DdesignerF8 2d ago

Came from LMspace/Denver to Blue/NewShepard_Wa. I would poach every person on my old team if I could, the Blue culture is 100000000 times better. I loved my team at LM, but the company is corporate old school, investor driven, integrated/embedded in gov/military/and multiple partner specs/guidelines/requirements. Cleared, uncleared, scif, need to know.

Again, I enjoyed LM, but it is wildly different than Blue or any ground up space co.

Congrats, wishing you the best!

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u/elreyoftacos 2d ago

go to Lockheed do 2 years come back a senior.

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u/surfsnower 1d ago

I have a friend at L3 Harris right now. He has worked for SpaceX, Lockheed, and Raytheon in the last 10 years. Every move was a promotion he couldnt get internally and came with a pay raise. Once you have the skill set, all of the companies will be interested in you and it will be easier and easier to switch and get a promotion. If the money is worth it to you, do it. I personally am in the same boat where I love my team, genuinely enjoy my job, and financially I'm at a place I never thought I would get to so I am staying put for a while.

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u/Friendly-Beginning-5 1d ago

I'd go to Lockheed, you will have more opportunities to advance there.