SpaceX is an American company that manufactures space vehicles and renders space transportation services to clients. In this article, we have provided information that will assist you in getting a job at SpaceX. So what must you do to get a job at SpaceX?
To get a job at SpaceX, you must apply for the job through SpaceX’s website and attend all the interviews that the company arranges for you. Elon Musk recently commented that SpaceX gets the majority of its talent from the top engineering programs worldwide. Start excelling early with math and science so you can apply to one of the better Colleges. Apply for a SpaceX internship while in college.
To increase your chances of getting hired at SpaceX, you need to understand some things about the company, its work environment, mission, accomplishments, and other things that can help you answer every question at the interviews. Please keep reading to see some strategies for applying at SpaceX, the nature of the job in the company, and some things about the company itself.
How to get a job at SpaceX?
If you intend to get a job at SpaceX, you should follow all the steps that we have mentioned below. The majority of SpaceX jobs require at least an Associates Degree for technicians, or a Bachelors Degree for Engineering positions.
Most job applicants must satisfy the U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations(ITAR). The requirements are being either a US Citizen or permanent resident or State Department approval. SpaceX has more detailed information on its job board.
Apply for an Internship while in College
SpaceX has a robust and comprehensive internship program for college students enrolled in a 4-year program. Getting accepted will allow you to build some company relationships and improve your odds of future employment with SpaceX. You can find additional information on the SpaceX website[Link Here].
Search the company’s website for available positions that match your skills
Since SpaceX is still expanding, they often have new job openings for the right candidates. SpaceX will hire you only if you have the skills for the job you are applying for, so you should apply only for the right job.
To find the position that suits you best, you should go through the company’s website. Most of the positions are tech-related, but a few ones are administrative in nature. Once you have found a position that matches your skills, you should proceed to the other steps below.
Prepare an outstanding resume and cover letter
You must bear in mind that you won’t be the only person who will apply for a job at SpaceX. With this fact in mind, you must find a way to stand out among the multitude of applicants. Your resume and cover letter can help you to stand out and hence increase your chance of getting the position.
Let’s talk about the resume before we talk about the cover letter. A good resume should contain all the skills you have that match the job you are applying for. Also, it must contain your accomplishments and experience. Choose your words carefully and let them project your passion for the job.
Let’s talk about the cover letter also. Your cover letter should explain why you intend to work for SpaceX. Through your cover letter, you should let SpaceX know how your skills can help them achieve their missions. Once you’ve prepared your resume and cover letter, you should submit them together with other necessary documents.
Get ready for interviews
A good resume and cover letter can only qualify you for interviews but can’t grant you automatic employment. The kind of interview at SpaceX is a little bit different from the ones at most of the other companies you see around. Most of the time, you’ll be interviewed several times before you finally get the job you applied for.
Don’t be surprised when SpaceX interview you briefly on the phone before they interview you face to face. We recommend that you start preparing for an interview immediately after you’ve applied for the position. Be prepared to answer both the general interview questions and some technical questions.
Be smart at the Interviews
Through a series of interviews, SpaceX can know more about your skills, interests, personality, and a few other things. If you answer questions smartly and demonstrate your skills smartly, your interviewer will see some reasons to employ you. Ensure you dress well and act confidently on the days of the interview.
Go for the interviews as many times as SpaceX arranges them for you. Once you’ve attended all interviews, you should patiently wait till you hear from SpaceX.
What Degree Do You Need To Work at SpaceX?
It would be best to have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university to work at SpaceX. People with higher degrees like a master’s degree and doctoral degrees can also work at SpaceX. Aside from having the right degree, it would be best if you also had some essential abilities.
You should be able to accomplish tasks rapidly, even when the resources around you are limited. Your interpersonal skills must be strong because you’ll have to work cooperatively with other people when you finally get employment at SpaceX.
Also, you must have some knowledge of Windows Operations Systems. The Microsoft Office packages like Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Word are parts of the things you should be very familiar with.
To qualify for employment at SpaceX, you must have gained some practical experience through engineering projects, lab research, work experience, or relevant internship. SpaceX needs people who can easily apply theoretical concepts to solve real-life problems.
As long as you have all the qualities we’ve mentioned and the right degree, you can apply for a position at SpaceX. Please note that there is nothing like a minimum CGPA requirement, but SpaceX prefers a CGPA of 3.5 or higher.
How Much Does a SpaceX Employee Make
The employees at SpaceX receive competitive salaries. Here is the average amount that some SpaceX employees earn:
| Job Title | Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Laser technician | $42,441 |
| Composite technician | $54,027 |
| Quality assurance inspector | $65,542 |
| Welders | $78,749 |
| Manufacturing engineer | $87,485 |
| Test engineer | $87,568 |
| Structures engineer | $88,624 |
| Launch engineer | $94,147 |
| Avionics engineer | $95,093 |
| Mechanical engineer | $95,264 |
| Propulsion engineer | $95,481 |
| Production supervisor | $103,238 |
| Software engineer | $111,638 |
| Engineering manager | $126,,043 |
Kindly note that each of the amounts above can either increase or decrease by a small value. The factors that make these amounts vary include certifications, experience, location, additional skills, and the number of worked hours. Some employees, especially the technicians, are paid per hour.
What is the Highest Paying Job at SpaceX?
If we exclude bonuses, software engineers earn the highest amount at SpaceX. Some software engineers at SpaceX can earn as high as $163,000 in a year. The least amount that any software engineer at SpaceX earns is $80,000 per year.
How Many Hours a Week Do SpaceX Employees Work?
An average employee at SpaceX works for about 10 hours per day. That means an employee will work for about 50 hours from Monday to Friday. A few employees work on Saturday. If you intend to work at SpaceX, you should expect to work for about 40 to 80 hours per week.
What Duty Do Employees at SpaceX Perform?
Employees at SpaceX have various duties to carry out. The employees at SpaceX are always busy with one duty or another, even at a time when the public may not be noticing any obvious project development in the company. Let’s talk about the duties of some employees at SpaceX.
Propulsion
Those who work in this area include but are not limited to propulsion engineers, launch engineers, and mechanical engineers. The engineers in this area are the ones who build the spacecraft and rocket propulsion systems. Often, they refine existing designs to get new ones that are more advanced. When it becomes necessary, they create new designs right from scratch.
Information technology and security
The sets of people who work here are the ones who design, build, and manage information and security systems. They build and maintain the SpaceX site. They protect their company’s information from cybercriminals. They also work cooperatively with other units to discover how they can improve the service they render.
Software development
Those who work in this area include avionics engineers, software engineers, and other related engineers. They are the ones who code, design, test, and maintain flight software. They also design and maintain web applications. The sets of people who work in this area apply several advanced mathematical concepts to make things run well.
Build and flight reliability
Those who work in this area include structures engineers, manufacturing engineers, and several other engineers. They are the sets of people who analyze vehicles to ensure reliability. Without these people, the rate of disasters among space travelers could be high.
The workers in this area subject vehicles to certain tests to see how they perform. Their overall goal is to ensure the safety of space vehicles.
Why Can’t a Non-U.S. Citizen Work at SpaceX?
For some security reasons, the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) restrict SpaceX from hiring individuals who are not from the United States. The reasons for this restriction are logical.
All kinds of information about U.S. military technology are not to be exposed to other countries. One may be wondering what some space projects have to do with the U.S. military technology, but the truth is that they have so many things in common. For instance, orbital rockets and intercontinental ballistic missiles work on similar principles.
Also, SpaceX intends to work with the U.S. Air Force in the area of satellite launching, so it makes sense to hire only individuals who won’t take the country’s technology to other places.
What Benefits Do SpaceX’s Employees Have?
The employees at SpaceX enjoy a lot of things such as paid holidays, life insurance, paid sick leave, free foods, drinks, and lots more. Even if these benefits don’t amaze you, how about the nature of the job itself? Watching a vehicle launch into space while you know that you’re among the team that made the launching possible is a form of reward on its own.
If you work at SpaceX, you’ll have the privilege to work with exceptional people who will bring the best out of you. Some of the people who have worked at SpaceX even had to share their working experience in media and magazines.
Is There an Internship Program at SpaceX?
SpaceX is aware that some students have the potentials to promote the company’s goal, which is why the company welcomes all qualified students to its intern program. The program gives students the opportunity to contribute to space exploration and help humanity transform into a multi-planetary species.
You must currently be studying an engineering or business course at an accredited four-year college or university before you can apply to join the program. Those who graduated from college or university not more than 6 months ago can also apply. The company says it prefers students with a minimum CGPA of 3.5, but those who don’t have up to that can also apply.
Application is open only to U.S. citizens, individuals protected by the U.S law, legal permanent resident of the U.S, or individuals who have obtained authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.
What Benefits Can I Enjoy When I Join the Intern Program?
There are several things you will gain from the internship program. Since the program will expose you to so many challenging tasks, you will end up developing excellent problem-solving skills. The program gives you the privilege to work with the most talented sets of people in the world.
Aside from the knowledge you will gain, you will also get financial compensation, housing assistance, and you will enjoy all the events organized specifically for interns. If you manage to have good records with SpaceX during the program, your chance of securing a befitting job after school will become high.
What Is the Culture at SpaceX
Every company has a culture that defines the company’s environment and employees’ attitudes. At SpaceX, passion and hard work are prominent in the attitude of everyone. The employees love what they do, so they render only the best services.
All the employees work cooperatively to achieve the company’s mission and goals. No matter what an employee’s roles are, he or she will contribute to the progress of all other employees. Everyone at SpaceX has a strong sense of purpose, which keeps them moving. Elon Musk, the founder of the company, also lays down good legacies for all employees to follow.
What Projects Has SpaceX Worked On?
Since 2002 when SpaceX came into existence, the company has worked on a number of projects. Here are some projects they have worked on:
Rocket engines
The company has designed various kinds of rockets that serve different purposes. For instance, SpaceX has developed a family of rockets that they named Merlin. Merlin is used for propelling launch vehicles. The Merlin engine can be recovered and reused at sea.
The Draco is another family of rockets that SpaceX developed. The Draco engines serve as reaction control system thruster on one of SpaceX’s spacecraft. A Draco thruster can produce up to 400 newtons of thrust.
Launch vehicles
Falcon 1 was the first launch vehicle that SpaceX sent into orbit in 2008. After the company improved the technology behind the Falcon 1, they were able to produce Falcon 9, a vehicle that can carry a 22,800 kilograms mass to orbit. The Falcon 9 was the first commercial space vehicle to dock with the International Space Station.
Reusable launch system
SpaceX is already a leading company in the area of the reusable launch system. The company started testing the system in 2012 before they achieved the first successful recovery in 2015. Presently, the company can recover only the first stage of the rocket engine, but after some time, they may start to recover other stages also.
Dragon spacecraft
The Dragon spacecraft was built to carry astronauts to International Space Station and bring them back to earth safely. In 2010, SpaceX tested Dragon spacecraft. The spacecraft completed two orbits and returned safely to earth.
In 2012, Dragon spacecraft delivered cargo to the International Space Station. The company has greatly improved upon the first Dragon model. The Dragon spacecraft can now transport up to seven passengers to earth orbit and return them safely.
The Dragon spacecraft has 16 Draco thrusters for orienting the spacecraft. Each Draco thruster can produce up to 400 newtons of thrust. Also, the Dragon has a parachute system to stabilize and decelerate the spacecraft while landing.
SpaceX hasn’t stopped improving each of the projects above. Also, they are developing new projects like the Starship, a gigantic launch system that promises a higher level of reusability.
What Are the Impacts of SpaceX’s Projects on Space Travel?
Elon Musk, the CEO, mentioned that one of the company’s goal is to reduce the cost of transportation to space. Also, the company intends to improve upon the reliability of the existing space vehicles. Thus far, SpaceX is making rapid progress on these goals. If the company achieves its goals fully, space travel could become available for almost everyone.
Presently, SpaceX has successfully developed a rapidly reusable launch system. With this system, space travel will not only become cheap but will also become less strenuous. Before the reusable launch system was developed, engineers often had to build a new launch system each time they needed to launch things or people into space. This made space travel to be a time-consuming process.
Presently, SpaceX is handling 66% of NASA’s launches, which include research payloads. SpaceX is presently testing Starship, a heavy-lift rocket that could transport people to Mars. When Starships becomes perfect, they could carry heavy science experiments into space at a little cost.
Sources: https://www.spacex.com/