Stories of Success

Transforming my career path through mentorship.

Shortly after being hired L3Harris, I was privileged to receive guidance from a senior manager who assumed the role of an informal mentor. The essential advice imparted to me was, no one will fight more for your future than you. He articulated that my future is my own responsibility, emphasizing the necessity of actively seeking enhanced responsibilities, new positions and promotions. The absence of such initiative would likely result in a stagnant career. He also recommended I adopt a proactive stance, to consistently demonstrate diligence and to maintain a heightened state of alertness to opportunities. This counsel significantly altered my professional outlook from one of passive expectation — that consistent work would naturally lead to positive outcomes — to a more assertive strategy of actively engaging in additional responsibilities and ensuring my efforts were obvious to the organization's leadership.

Mentors possess a vast array of experience and offer significant insights to guide mentees through their professional development, enhancing their competencies and facilitating more informed decision-making processes. The mentors I have had the privilege of working with consistently provided in-depth perspectives. They expanded my access to professional networks and assisted with identifying unique roles and opportunities for me. It was through the guidance of an informal mentor that I secured a challenging assignment which subsequently paved the way for my transition into my present position within subcontracts.