By: Thao Ho, recruitment marketing intern

Stepping out of college, you’re juggling a lot of new things – new job, new people, a new chapter of life.

Questions may be swirling through your mind and anxiety could be building as you receive your first projects from your new manager. “How do I approach this?” “What’s my plan?” “What if I mess up?”

Pause. Take a breath.

With BAE Systems’ Leadership and Development Program (LDP), you’re not expected to know all the answers. The program is designed to help early-career professionals grow and build new skills.

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“The Finance LDP fosters learning in many different ways,” said Kendall Krenek, a FLDP participant. “The company doesn’t expect you to know everything right out of the gate. There’s a system in place that allows you to make mistakes in a safe environment. When I first started the program, I was given the opportunity to make an immediate impact by taking on a number of smaller programs while I learned the ropes of working for a large defense contractor.”

He continued, “While the program pushes you to solve difficult challenges, you are also given the support and resources to build your skills to meet those high expectations and become an effective team member.”

Making mistakes is part of the learning curve of the LDP. As a participant, you are encouraged to speak up and ask for help.

"I’ve learned that there is so much that I don’t know. But it’s okay, because you’re not expected to know everything. You’re actually expected to make mistakes,” explained Juliana Comer, an Engineering LDP participant.

She continued, “[If you make a mistake], the expectation… is that you understand why you made it and how to correct it. For me, learning how to use new applications has led to a lot of lessons learned. I’ve called a designer whenever I get an error that I cannot resolve no matter how hard I try. In college, I avoided asking for help as much as possible, because I didn’t like to admit that I didn’t know something. Working at BAE Systems has taught me that asking for help is inevitable. I’ve gotten a lot better at speaking up and asking questions.”

Most importantly, the opportunities and experiences within the LDP allow you to gain and learn new skills that will further enhance your career.

“There was nothing in my college courses that would have taught me about the systems that I currently work with on,” explained Matt Donahue, another Engineering LDP participant.

He continued, “However, I did have a technical foundation of the principles that were being used by the team. Even though I didn’t know the exact system being worked on, the expectation was that I would continue learning every day and be an active participant in meetings and discussions. The most important advice that I received from my hiring manager was to question anything that I did not understand. There is almost always a reason that a practice or a rule was put in place. By understanding the why, you’re better equipped to prevent a mistake in a situation where limited best practices exist.”

So remember, as questions swirl in your head – it's all part of the learning process. You’re not expected to know all the answers. Through mentorships, meaningful work, and a culture of self-growth and learning, the LDP will help you build the career you want.

The interview period is underway now for our 2024 LDP Cohort! Explore opportunities in engineering, finance, operations, contracts, information management, quality and human resources today. Read more experiences from LDP participants here.