Finding Work in the Space Industry
How easy is it finding work in the space industry?
Many people have ambitions to be part of the space industry, but how easy it is to be placed in a job position to begin with? NASA over the years has advertised jobs with very specific requirements that only meet to a small target audience. Back in 2010 they were looking for people who would be able to train astronauts. To be considered suitable for this job position you would have to have a degree qualified in engineering/ science discipline, be of an age between 27 and 37 years old and should already be a qualified pilot and you must be able to speak English with Russian being desirable.
Many people have ambitions to be part of the space industry, but how easy it is to be placed in a job position to begin with? NASA over the years has advertised jobs with very specific requirements that only meet to a small target audience. Back in 2010 they were looking for people who would be able to train astronauts. To be considered suitable for this job position you would have to have a degree qualified in engineering/ science discipline, be of an age between 27 and 37 years old and should already be a qualified pilot and you must be able to speak English with Russian being desirable.
This may seem like a lot of requirements but work within the space industry is becoming more accessible for people with thousands of jobs being created in 2011 alone. People often assume that working in the space industry you would have to be an astronaut, however, advice has been given to those keen to get in to the industry is to think imaginatively. Jobs given in the space sector range from engineers, mathematicians and physicists but also give good opportunities for writers and creative media experts who can cover space shuttle flights. This shows a clear understanding that working in the space sector does not just revolve around astronauts, as they would not be able to take part in such flights without the hard work from other sectors of the industry playing such a big role in making such big flights reality. Bearing this in mind it allows a wide range of people to be involved in the space industry rather than one specific type of person fitting each job description.
Jobs that are commonly available in the space industry are 80% aimed towards people with a technical or scientific background. Frequently hired academic disciplines include people from mechanical engineering, software engineering, electrical engineering and aerospace engineering but also including mathematics, physics and astronomy. The candidates who are then suitable for the job position usually have a master's level degree with the remaining 20% of people having qualifications in law or business.
Networking is crucial to being recognised in the industry, like many things getting yourself out there and allowing people to recognise you is one of the main ways to get in to this particular sector of work. Many people with postgraduate degrees come in at this point and this allows them to demonstrate their ability to be a good candidate for employment. The space industry is becoming increasingly popular making it more difficult for people to get in to the sector of work they wish to take part in, however, ways in which you can enter the industry have become more readily available as the years have gone by, The European Space Agency Young Graduate Trainee Programme is often seen as very competitive allowing those with greater academic achievements to come out best and are guaranteed work in the industry.
For further advice or information on Senior Roles why not call Collingwood's Specialist Space Industry Business Unit on 01829 732374
