Angie Gonzalez

What was your degree, major and class year?

I graduated in May 2018 with a BS in Electrical Engineering and in Physics.

I work at Northrop Grumman in Palmdale, CA as a Global Logistics and Operational Support Engineer. I just started work so I don’t really know how to say what I do or what I like the most just yet, but I chose Northrop Grumman out of my offers because I really want higher degrees (an MS and/or MBA) and NGC offers tuition reimbursement. Also, I’m very passionate about defense/aerospace and diversity, and NGC embodies all of that. 

How was the job search? Was it easier or tougher than you expected to get a job? 

My job search was non-existent until I stumbled into a job offer at the SHPE conference. I really intended on going to grad school, so I thought I was interviewing for a summer internship when I walked into the interview booth... after I received that first offer, I decided to look into more companies and to interview with seven more at that conference. I also interviewed with two more companies at the oSTEM Conference.

It was honestly a lot easier than I thought, considering I wasn’t actively looking for a job and got a few offers and many opportunities to go interview on-site at other companies. But also, I came with a GPA over 3.25 (some companies won’t look at you without a good GPA), two years of summer intern experience, and US Citizenship, which is a requirement to work at a company like Northrop Grumman.

What tips do you have for seniors who will be looking for a job? For students looking for an internship? 

Go to conferences, networking events, and career fairs! Make sure you know about the company, including their vision/mission, industry, locations, current/past projects, and job positions prior to attending an event. The recruiter/hiring manager will be happy to know you did your homework and it’ll definitely make you stand out amongst other students.

Please be mindful that if there is a conference or event for a marginalized identity group and you attend, then you may be doing more to hurt that community than help it. If you’re attending an event or a conference as an ally, you should be actively trying to learn something to help that community - not just going for the career fair and free swag. As an ally, you should know when to step back and not take away opportunities for who they were made for.

If you could change one thing about your time at NYU Tandon, what would you do differently knowing what you know now? 

I wish I knew about attending conferences earlier, but I also didn’t learn too late - I attended over 10 conferences during my 5th year and I still will be attending conferences as a professional! I also wished I spoke to my professors earlier - they have so much knowledge and experience to offer. By meeting with my professors during office hours, I was able to learn more about their paths into academia (a lot of them were in the industry first or still are), because I aspire to be a professor one day.

Any comments/advice you'd like to share with fellow NYU Tandon students?

Get involved in student groups or have a hobby completely unrelated to STEM. Being a student leader made my entire college experience so much better - I was even named as a “Distinguished Student Leader” by OSARC last Spring.

If your job involved relocation, how tough was it to leave NYC? How do you like your new city?

It was really tough to leave NYC, because Brooklyn is where my mom, family, and girlfriend are, and New York (specifically, Long Island) is where my siblings are. But at the same time, companies like Northrop Grumman offer pretty nice relocation packages that make it easier to make the move! So far, I’m liking Palmdale, CA and the greater LA area. I’m only an hour or so away from beaches, studios, hiking trails, and more!