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NextGen Collective spotlights Boeing engineer Benneth Perez. Read on about his early career lessons, his daily routine, and more.
Where are you from?
I was born in Houston, Texas but I’m of Guatemalan descent.
What do you do today?
I’m a wire harness design and installation engineer for Boeing at Kennedy Space Center.
What lesson did you learn early in your career that still serves you today?
I learned that access to information is the key to success. It’s what you do with that key that will determine how far you go in your career. It took me some time to understand how to use the Internet to better my resume, soft skills, and confidence. While many get social platforms to share images, moments, and memories, I was trying to figure out how I could watch someone speak on the topics of interviewing.
What are some of the biggest challenges you see for Latinx professionals early in their careers?
A lack of mentors or guidance is a huge challenge. I did not know what engineering was or how to pursue a career in it. Even after I graduated I did not know what the industry had to offer. Once I started understanding what the aerospace industry entailed, I still had no clue what companies were out there. It was a case of not knowing what I didn’t know. Lucky for me, we live in an era of access to digital information. Within a few seconds and clicks I was able to access videos that talked about what engineering was, the companies, the industries, and so on. I had to look up words and understand the terminology but I knew that if I ever wanted to work in the aerospace industry, I had to find a way to compete against graduates who come from a long line of engineering professional families.
How can Latinx professionals better advocate for themselves?
Find mentors that are willing to share real personal experiences, seek information online, and get involved with your community’s events. I did not have any mentors growing up because no one told me to find one or even mentioned the word mentor to me. Looking back at all that I could have done with the right guidance still surprises me. I have been mentoring friends and family and they all been able to accomplish what has taken me years. Attending professional conventions is a great way to find mentors. Often the professionals attending enjoy helping and it really is a honor for us to be someone’s mentor. This year I’ll be back at Society of Hispanic & Professional Engineers (SHPE) national convention and I’ll be giving out advice, tips, and hopefully becoming a mentor for a few students. A lot of the great things I been able to do in my career have come to be because I’m actively participating in community events.
What is part of your daily routine that you look forward to every day?
I really enjoy working out. It’s an opportunity to plan out my weeks, goals, and career moves. Most importantly, it is the feeling of accomplishing something that day and knowing I made progress towards a personal fitness goal.
When you get a new idea what’s the first thing you do with it?
I really enjoy new ideas because I am very goal oriented. Often when I have a new idea, I jump right on it. Sometimes I just get something done right away, even if it’s a mess. I focus on getting all of my ideas out on the table to see what’s in my imagination. Once I have it all drafted, I work on cleaning up the idea, fixing the small details, inspecting every point of view, or restarting all over. I really enjoy being able to come up with my own projects and the feeling of a good, finished project.
What behavior or personality traits do you attribute to your success?
My mother always said I was stubborn, kind-hearted, and also very resilient. I began learning that some of my bad habits were also the key to my success. I’ve failed not once, twice, or three times but several times in my life. I realized that, like most video games, you have to learn the patterns in life and use that to learn from in order to move to the next level. Rather than being stubborn about senseless things, I became stubborn to find a way to get to where I wanted to go. Often, I had people tell me I was doing good, that I should just relax, but to me good has never been enough. I’ve always wanted the next big challenge or difficult task. I set out to get into the aerospace industry because I knew only the most passionate and curious minds regarding space got accepted.
Which causes are you passionate about?
I’m extremely passionate about giving back to my community. I believe in helping others achieve their career dreams. I know how it feels to believe “You are not meant for that type of life” or that “You are not good enough.” I hope by telling students my personal story that they realize dreams can be possible. I want to inspire every student who thinks the odds are against them to keep on pushing forward and never give up.
What’s one thing we’d never be able to guess from your LinkedIn profile?
I think a lot of people figured I probably went off to college, had a few engineering roles, and made my way into the aerospace industry. My story is quite unique in that I worked over twenty jobs before becoming an engineer. I had two jobs for the good part of eight to ten years before I became an engineer. At times both of the jobs were full time while going to school full time. I started at places like Burger King, Firehouse Subs, Chipotle, call centers, retail stores, waiting tables, etc. I knew the value of a dollar before I knew what an engineer did for a living.
