Zwe Maung on returning to Leidos after 9 years
Zwe Maung’s first “real job” after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in 2010 was working as a policy analyst for Leidos. He enjoyed nearly five years in the role and says his colleagues were the best part.
“They helped me learn what it takes to do well and gave me advice on how to grow as an individual outside of school. When I went to work every day, it was with people I considered close friends who I still keep in contact with to this day,” he says.
When his contract moved to another employer, Zwe accepted the option to remain in his role, but many of his co-workers chose to leave for other opportunities.
“The ‘good times’ came to an end, but fortunately my Leidos team had set me up for success,” Zwe says. “I was able to carry on their duties and introduce new processes with all the knowledge I had gained from my Leidos co-workers.”
Zwe’s time away from Leidos
While working at other organizations for almost a decade, Zwe took a proactive approach to developing his career. Not only did he pursue and earn his master’s degree but he also looked for practical ways to gain experience and build new skills.
“I knew I needed to evolve professionally either by learning new skill sets, getting a higher clearance or both, so I started researching new fields and opportunities where I could get on-the-job training. That’s when I stumbled upon the National Guard,” Zwe says.
When Zwe learned that the U.S. Army National Guard was expanding its cybersecurity program and needed recruits with foundational skills to help, he remembers that it felt like his calling. While serving, he also continued developing his career as a project delivery specialist and consultant.
In those roles and especially during his active duty assignment in an Army unit, Zwe remembers how well the analysis and problem-solving skills he'd learned at Leidos served him.
Zwe’s path back to Leidos
Following his active duty assignment, Zwe decided to search for various civilian cybersecurity roles to continue his work in the field.
“That’s when I learned that Leidos has one of the largest government cybersecurity contracts, so I thought I would try my luck and, thankfully, I got a role,” Zwe says, adding that he’s always excited to start something new and, for him, joining a new team is the best part.
“You get to meet new people and learn new skills and ideas from them. In my current role with Leidos, I work with many military veterans and reservists so we all have similar experiences to share and laugh about. It helps us get along very well.”
His current role as a cybersecurity analyst is a culmination of his experiences, drawing on skills from past jobs, training programs and his service in the Army. But it comes with a new experience for Zwe: “I work on a watch floor, and it’s my first time in this kind of environment. There are a lot more team members around and on multiple shifts, so I see new faces on different days and enjoy getting to talk to everybody during shift changes.”
He also appreciates the culture and pace for contractors at Leidos, which differs from his experience working as a consultant.
“When I was a consultant, I worked with multiple customers for short stints of time. The ramp-up to start a consulting assignment is fast, and I usually only worked with one other consultant for the duration of the assignment. There wasn’t much room for error.”
Coming back to Leidos, Zwe says he has the time and support to make sure he thoroughly understands the project and can better support it. While his first role at Leidos began 15 years ago, one thing feels the same to Zwe upon his return: “I really enjoy the people I work with. We all have mutual respect for each other and get along really well.”
If you’re a Leidos alumnus like Zwe, we’d love for you to keep in touch! Join the Leidos Alumni Network to hear about opportunities to rejoin the company or refer your family, friends and professional contacts through the External Referral Program.
