If you haven’t already read Part 1 of this article, go check it out!
Transitioning from being an engineer to an entrepreneur building a business in talent acquisition has been incredible. Because I worked in the trenches at SpaceX and elsewhere, I know firsthand what it takes to get work done in the NewSpace industry. I have developed deep knowledge of space startups through the work I’ve done personally, working closely with colleagues with different expertise, and through my network of friends who are primarily people in the industry. Many of my friends from SpaceX worked in Avionics, which has given me knowledge for other roles I wouldn’t have interacted with in my time as a Propulsion Engineer. For many people, working at SpaceX means working and playing with your SpaceX colleagues, so there is cross functional learning in the office and on the beach or on the slopes.
Top Insights for Landing your Dream Job
My expertise and interest in learning means that I intimately know the product development life cycle, how to optimize the life cycle, and what attributes candidates need to be successful in modern hardware companies. I can also tell when a skill or specific program is truly needed, when it’s optional, or when there are translatable skills that are arguably just as relevant.
Having worked as an engineer and now hiring engineers, I’m happy to share insights on how to get hired in a technical role. For entry level roles, physically building hardware is so important to focus on. School tends to direct us to on equations and analysis but most jobs in our industry want you to get your hands dirty and learn by building and testing. Get internships at companies that will give you lots of responsibility and/or get heavily involved in student project groups before graduation.
Similarly, resumes are appealing when they clearly paint a picture of a candidate that has taken extreme responsibility and actually driven a project to completion. Ownership + results will win every time. What projects did you seek out, what did you do, and what was the result?
Quick tips to stand out on a job application even further:
- Highlight what you’ve accomplished by sharing a portfolio. Could be a ppt, pdf, or even a website.
- Have a modern, clean, and concise resume (one page is great or two pages max)
- Have an up to date LinkedIn profile. You can add more details than your resume but don’t get carried away
Finally, especially for more senior candidates, it’s worth understanding the value that having third party representation, like my company, AdAstra, provides. There are many recruiting agencies out there and not all will make your hiring process easier and more impactful. AdAstra not only provides a white glove service that removes roadblocks and keeps the process humming along, but we also have direct access to roles that have not been posted, relationships with hiring managers and have built trust with them, and know their roles deeply which makes us excellent advocates for your candidacy.
Check out my profile and my other articles and let me know what you think!
