Pros

The company works on really interesting cutting edge technologies. Also, the benefits are great. There is a lot of opportunity to move around the US and the world in different jobs. Also, there is a lot of growth opportunities considering how hard Lockheed Martin will be hit by all of the retiring baby boomers.

Cons

At Lockheed Martin, it is expected that you do a good job, most everyone does. Because of this they have a some what backwards methodology for promotions and advancement. If you do a great job, and focus solely on it, then you will be a good employee and will be able to retire happy...at your current position, and with minute salary increases year over year. To really get ahead with this company you need to take stretch assignments and put yourself out there in ways that are outside of your day to day job. This way you can get noticed by the corporate level management and really move up the ladder....and make some real money. Otherwise, your friends working for companies that make consumer products will always be making more money than you. Also you can kiss Christmas bonuses goodbye with the economy the way it is...especially if you work on a government funded program.

Advice to Senior Management

Some recognition for a job well done is always appreciated. The mentality that every employee is expected to do a great job every day they come into work should not stop you from recognizing that.

Pros

Highest paid public works program going!

Cons

Lost incentive for engineering innovation. Projects lead by finance administrators. Get in more trouble if you don't spend all your budget than if you over run your budget. Overruns provide the opportunity for more money from the government.

Advice to Senior Management

Hire more engineers. We need the work!

Pros

It's hard to get fired unless you violate security procedures or there is a reduction in workforce.

Cons

Much bureacracy and red tape, innovation is stifled. Major salary compression, lousy annual raises. Too many processes, things that make total business sense aren't done and fighting for change is rarely successful. Many bad middle managers. Pervasive culture of not valuing their employees, this manifests itself in many ways.

Advice to Senior Management

Major change is needed and not happening quickly enough. Middle managers are lousy and don't execute visions of executive management. Need to start considering employees as the number one asset- valuing and respecting them. The best people are walking out the door.

Pros

1. The best reason to work at Lockheed is job security, hands down. It's a job that they simply can't outsource because foreigners can't get security clearances. So you feel very safe in your position and you know that you will always have a job. All of the downsides to working at Lockheed are offset by this one factor.

2. The next best thing is the relaxed environment. Basically if you do your job and get your 40 hours in, you're done. You can have a life outside of work! And you can wear jeans to work and nobody cares.

Cons

1. You're not going to make as much at Lockheed as you will at other leading computer software firms. I could have probably made $10-15k more if I had started somewhere else. Newsflash: life isn't just about money.

2. Since it's a large corporation there is lots of red tape and bureaucracy shenanigans. It's hard to get things done. Just remind yourself, your career is up to you. If you take control and work with what you've got, no one can stop you.

Advice to Senior Management

Get a clue.

Pros

Technical Challenges, Interesting Work, Great people

Cons

Strict Processes Controls and Procedures. No work at home opportunities

Advice to Senior Management

Management is doing a pretty good job. Opportunities to branch out seem limited.

Pros

Brand recognition for the next employer; Great benefits; Good salary; Good tools; Women and Diverse employees given equal respect, recognition, and opportunities; Safe Environment; Exciting projects

Cons

Laid me off at age 54, a few months prior to ability to retire with help towards the health insurance premiums upon retirement; largest age discrimination suit in history; very difficult to make changes..they look for the reasons NOT to rather than the reasons to make a change; follow rather than lead technology; reward following, keeping your head down, NOTsuggesting alternatives; cost driven rather than technology driven; treat the masses the same rather than truly distinguishing based upon performance; Very high turnover of new college grads, typically within 2 years of graduation when they can take their learned skills elsewhere

Advice to Senior Management

Listen better, encourage suggestions, reward entrepreneurial spirit

Pros

There is so much variety of work in the larger company that you're almost assured of finding something good if you look long and hard enough. The sheer breadth of opportunity means that a career can be a rich and varied experience.

Also, the work LMC does is often critical in protecting friends and loved ones from harm, which is deeply satisfying. It is easy to feel like your work makes a real difference in the grand scheme of things.

In the lower pay grades, employees are given the opportunity to prove themselves in challenging assignments as a matter of course, and the development resources for these employees are numerous. The better managers are constantly engaging employees, looking for feedback, and are genuinely concerned with employees' welfare and workload.

Cons

The biggest downside: Some branch of the U.S. Government is almost always the customer. The U.S. Government can be the most mercurial, bureaucratic, and, yes, downright petulant customer in the world, and often makes unreasonable or impossible demands. This is compounded by management's timidity and lack of support from higher-ups in dealing with these kinds of situations. It's manageable most of the time once accustomed to it, but a prospective employee MUST clearly understand this going in, or he/she will become dissatisfied quickly

Recognition is weak. No matter how hard someone works, or how far above and beyond he/she goes, the attitude is often one of, "Well, that's your job." It is not my job to go-go-go to the point of burnout. There is also too much usage of forced distributions for things such as performance appraisals, "merit" raises, and promotions. Worse is the use of "penetration" as a factor in merit raises--if you did well in previous years, you are punished for that success in later years in the form of lower raises once you get above the midpoint of your salary band, even though appraisals are supposed to cover a one-year period. The only way out of the situation is to be promoted, except that promotions, especially in middle and higher levels, are artificially limited (a cost-cutting measure, most likely) regardless of demonstrated ability to work above your grade or penetration in band. At the very least, more transparency in the process is sorely needed

It often feels like the company is constantly trying to get new college graduates at the expense of developing its existing workforce (again, they're cheaper to pay even though they're expensive to hire). This is especially true if you are level 3 (Senior) or higher.

Due to the bureaucracy of working for such a large company, even the best managers are often powerless to actually do much about concerns raised by employees due to the corporation's stubborn commitment to its way of doing things.

Advice to Senior Management

Learn to say "no" to the when it's required, and stand behind your people better rather than throwing them under the bus at the merest whiff of trouble.

If a person has demonstrated the ability to work at a higher pay grade, he/she should be promoted, rather than waiting for a slot in some arbitrary allocation system. It is not possible to be "rank heavy" if employees have demonstrated the ability to work at a certain level, regardless of what some Human Resources employee read in a book somewhere. If you don't commit to the development and advancement of mid-level employees (individual contributors) and above, they will go to an employer who will make that commitment. At the very least, more credence should be lent to the use of bonuses at merit time to reward employees who do well, especially "overpenetrated" employees.

Stop being so tone-deaf to the concerns of your employees. At least treat concerns with respect and understanding, rather than being dismissive.

Pros

Broad availability of technology that are used on programs. Ability to move around between different programs and even LM Companies.

Cons

The promotion and salary band is not readily apparent to be tied to performance; Sr Management "claim" it is, but general feeling is that it is all subjective at end of day.

Advice to Senior Management

Reevaluate salary banding and promotion criteria. Its too stringent and rubber stamp at this time.

Pros

Excellent, very interesting programs. Great job mobility, and many opportunities to grow and develop your skills. Pay and benefits are better than average. Ethics is important, as is diversity.

Cons

There are a number of ex-government managers with no experience or skills at running large program, since they were hired for their personal contacts rather than their progam management ability. They are dangerous.

Advice to Senior Management

Stop hiring less competent ex-government managers as Lockeed Martin managers. While they would be OK as consultants, they are clueless about how to operate a commercial business.

Pros

It is fulfilling to contribute to the defense of the United States. You may have access to technologies and projects that just don't exist in the private sector. Usually there is a good emphasis on work life balance. It is a huge company that has a lot of interesting projects. Lockheed makes missiles, satellites, ships, and the best military jets in the world. The benefits are above average. In general the people you work with are very patriotic and nice. There is a sense of pride in working for Lockheed Martin and you generally won't be ashamed you work for them.

Cons

You will see firsthand how much waste, inefficiency, and fanboy jingoism exists in the defense industry In the non-defense sector Lockheed would be eaten for lunch. Too bloated, too full of itself.

Advice to Senior Management

Stop feeling that you are superior because you work for Lockheed. In the non-defense sector Lockheed would be eaten for lunch. Too bloated, too full of itself.