Hoai-Huong Nguyen, Systems Engineer @ Lockheed Martin

What does it look like to build a career that doesn’t fit neatly into one box? For Hoai-Huong aka HH, it means embracing curiosity, staying open to new possibilities, and never being afraid to ask, “What’s next?”

As a Systems Engineer at Lockheed Martin, HH works at the intersection of technical problem-solving, collaboration, and big-picture thinking. Her career has also taken her beyond traditional engineering, from exploring the possibilities of artificial intelligence to pursuing her M.S. in AI at Johns Hopkins University.

Along the way, she’s learned that there’s no single path to a successful career—and that some of the most important skills aren’t always the ones listed on a job description. From finding mentors and building community to advocating for yourself and staying willing to learn, her experiences offer a thoughtful perspective on navigating an evolving career while staying true to what makes you curious.

1) What is the last thing you were curious about? 

I’ve been getting back into reading lately, and after watching The Odyssey (great movie, btw — 10/10), I’ve been wanting to read the original story and explore the different translations.

As I started going down that rabbit hole, I found that the translation you choose can actually make a pretty big difference — especially depending on whether the translator is male or female. There can be subtle differences in the nuances, language, and overall feel of the writing.

So now I’m trying to decide whether I should read both versions.

2) We’re a non-profit focused on empowering women. Could you share which significant female figures (role models, mentors, etc.) have impacted your career and how they’ve shaped who you are today?

I have a couple of role models and mentors, both in my real life and people I follow online.

I have a work mentor who has been incredibly influential in my career. We connect almost every other month, and she’s helped me tremendously—not only by giving me career advice, but also by helping me expand my network and connect with other people in the industry. I think one of the biggest ways she has shaped me is by validating my experiences. Sometimes, you just need someone—especially someone in a more senior role—to tell you that what you’re experiencing isn’t necessarily typical and that it’s okay to reach out for help.

One of the harder lessons I’ve had to learn in the workplace is that you don’t always have to figure everything out on your own. There are experiences where you need support, and you shouldn’t feel like you have to face them alone. As the eldest daughter, I grew up feeling like I needed to be independent and figure things out myself, so learning how to ask for help was something I really had to work on. My mentor played a big role in helping me understand that asking for support isn’t a weakness—it’s part of growing.

I also have a few online role models I really admire, including Vivian Tu (@YourRichBFF), Mitchie (@_misomelon), and Chloe Shih (@chloe.shih). When I was first starting my career, I felt pretty lost—not just about my career path, but also about how to navigate my finances and figure out what was important to me. Their content helped me explore my options and gave me practical tools for navigating that stage of my life.

From Vivian, I learned about things like saving, investing, stocks, and HSAs. From Mitchie and Chloe, I learned that you can be ambitious, build a successful career, and still pursue the things you’re passionate about. Their career and life advice taught me a lot about speaking up for myself, navigating the corporate ladder, and finding my voice as a woman in the workplace.

3) For those who may be unfamiliar with the field, can you tell us what you do as a System Engineer at Lockheed Martin and what a typical day or project looks like?

Well, I guess to start with some context, I’m not just a Systems Engineer—I’m also my team’s Scrum Master. According to Google, a Scrum Master is “responsible for ensuring the team lives Agile values and principles and follows the practices that the team agreed they would use.” In practice, that means I help keep my team organized, remove roadblocks, and make sure we’re working effectively.

As a Systems Engineer, I specifically focus on Requirements & Verification. The way I like to explain my role is to think about something like a car or an airplane. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of individual components that all have to work together for the final product to function and ultimately be safe and sellable to customers. Each major component has a set of requirements it needs to meet, and as designs evolve or new customer needs come up, those requirements also have to evolve. My job is essentially to help define those requirements and then verify that the final product actually meets them. My team is involved at both the beginning and the end of that cycle.

My day usually starts with a Daily Scrum that I lead as the Scrum Master. I check in with the team, see what everyone is working on, and identify any roadblocks that might be getting in their way. From there, I’m usually balancing a mix of projects, meetings, and whatever fires happen to come up that day.

Some days, I’m focused more heavily on the Scrum Master side of my role—things like PI Planning, managing workloads, coordinating across teams, and making sure we’re staying aligned on priorities. Other days, I’m deep in the Systems Engineering work: preparing for design reviews, participating in stakeholder meetings, working with design and architecture teams, or writing and editing requirements to support customer needs.

Honestly, not every day looks the same, which is one of the things I enjoy about my role. Some days feel more like project management, some are focused on technical requirements and verification, and other days I’m just trying to put out whatever random fires come up for the team. It’s a pretty constant balance between the technical side of Systems Engineering and the people, planning, and coordination side of being a Scrum Master.

4) What advice would you give to someone interested in breaking into Systems Engineering? Are there particular skills, experiences, or mindsets you’d recommend developing early in their career?

I feel like if you want to break into systems engineering, try to have an idea of what type of Systems Engineer you want to be. Systems Engineer is such a broad term it can mean you do Design & Architecture work to what I do (Requirements & Verification) all the way to doing some software work.

One thing that’s important to understand about Systems Engineering is that collaboration is a huge part of the job. You’re rarely working in a silo because Systems Engineers are often focused on the bigger picture—understanding how all the different pieces of a system fit together and making sure they’re working toward the same goal. Depending on the role, you may even be the person helping drive that bigger-picture vision and coordinating across different teams to make it happen.

5) Throughout college, you were deeply involved in organizations including the Asian & Pacific Islander Association, Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers, and Asian Pacific American Student Services. How did being involved in these communities shape your college experience, career trajectory, and sense of belonging?

Coming from a small high school, these organizations gave me an opportunity to embrace my Asian heritage in a way I hadn’t really experienced before. They encouraged me to reach out to more people and brought out a more extroverted side of myself that I didn’t even know existed.

My time as President of the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers was especially memorable because it showed me that I could make a meaningful impact in my community. Through these organizations, I also became much more comfortable with networking—from cold DMing people on LinkedIn to learning how to build genuine relationships and understanding what having a mentor could look like for me.

Beyond networking, these experiences really deepened my leadership skills. I learned how to advocate for myself and others, take up space, and not be afraid to lead—especially as an Asian woman. They gave me the confidence to see my identity as something that could strengthen my leadership rather than something I needed to overcome.

6) You speak fluent English and Vietnamese, as well as having working proficiency in Italian and Spanish. How has knowing multiple languages influenced your personal or professional life? Have there been moments when your language skills opened a door or helped you build a meaningful connection?

I wouldn’t say that my language skills opened a door but it has allowed me to give some interesting facts about myself to people. Makes a great “ two truths and a lie” :) 

7) You’ve built expertise across both mechanical engineering and AI. What drew you to these two areas, and how do you see them intersecting in the future?

For mechanical engineering, I’ve always loved being hands-on. I’ve always been fascinated by the intricacies of everyday technologies and machines, and I felt like mechanical engineering would be a great way to understand how those things work and how I could contribute to building them.

For AI, I felt like there was so much untapped potential. It’s such a rapidly evolving field, and I wanted to give myself time to understand how it could fit into my career before committing to a master’s degree. I actually gave myself about three years of working experience to explore and figure out whether pursuing a master’s in AI was the right path for me. The more I learned, the more I felt like AI still has so much room to grow, especially when it comes to applications that people may not have even considered yet.

In the future, I could definitely see mechanical engineering and AI becoming increasingly connected. Even when I was in college, I saw students using machine learning in really creative ways—for example, analyzing dance patterns and using movement to determine what songs would be a good fit. Experiences like that showed me how AI can be applied beyond the traditional technology and software spaces, and I think there’s a lot of exciting potential at the intersection of AI and engineering.

8) What are some misconceptions you’ve encountered about careers in mechanical engineering or AI, and what do you wish more aspiring professionals knew?

Myth: You need to be super smart to work in AI or Engineering.

Truth: There will always be someone who knows more than you, and that’s okay. What matters most is your willingness to learn, grow, and keep challenging yourself. 

If you have that drive and curiosity, you can go a lot further than you might think.

People come into AI and engineering from all kinds of backgrounds, experiences, and degree programs. There isn’t one specific path you have to take to be successful.

Some of the best engineers I’ve met aren’t necessarily the people who know everything—they’re great teachers, strong communicators, and, most importantly, they’re teachable. They’re willing to ask questions, learn from others, and share what they know. To me, that willingness to keep learning is far more important than being the smartest person in the room.

9) As you look ahead, what are you hoping to learn, explore, or build in the next chapter of your career?

Well, right now I am working on my M.S. in Artificial Intelligence at Johns Hopkins University, so I have my hands a bit full with that. I am hoping to learn a lot from the various classes I am going to be taking and meet new people to connect with! 

10) Is there anything else you'd like to share—whether it's a personal insight, a lesson learned, or something you've experienced—that hasn't come up yet in the questions?

I think the biggest lesson I’ve learned throughout my career so far is: “Never stop advocating for yourself.” I used to hear this advice all the time in career videos, and honestly, I completely agree with it. You are your own biggest advocate, so don’t sell yourself short. A lot of the opportunities and growth I’ve experienced in my career have come from being willing to speak up for myself, communicate what I want, and make sure my work is being recognized.

One thing I also recommend is keeping a running list of your accomplishments and the work you’ve done throughout the year, especially for end-of-year reviews. It’s so easy to forget how quickly a year goes by. There have been so many times when I’ve remembered something I did and thought, “Oh, that was two years ago,” only to realize it actually happened earlier that same year!

Keeping track of your accomplishments as they happen makes it so much easier to reflect on your growth, advocate for yourself, and clearly communicate the impact you’ve had. Don’t rely on your memory to tell your career story—write it down as you go.