Here's What You Need To Know Before Applying To SpaceX's Internship Program

The space exploration company hires interns on a year-round program and are open to people on both technical and non-technical college degrees. Spaces in the May to August program at seven sites across the US are listed here.

If you want to “tackle some of the hardest challenges on the planet” and gain “hands-on experience that you can’t learn in a classroom”, keep on reading. If instead, you are after a summer of rest and relaxation, this internship might not be for you. SpaceX interns are expected to pull their weight and then some. Talent enrolled in the University Program are asked “to play a direct role in transforming space exploration and helping us realize the next evolution of humanity as a multi-planetary species”.

Successful candidates will receive financial compensation as well as relocation, housing assistance, and access to events held specifically for interns. The internship can also be put towards course credit. On the job, SpaceX says they "will be given as much responsibility as our full-time engineers and will be an integral part of the team."

So, what is required to nab one of these highly sought after positions?

First up, there are certain criteria all wannabe space explorers must meet. To apply for the internships, students must be enrolled at an accredited four-year university or college or, if applying for one of their business operations or software positions, be within six months of graduating at the start of employment at SpaceX.

Next, there are some “preferred” qualifications that could give you an edge over your competitors. SpaceX is looking for students with a GPA of 3.5 or higher as well as strong interpersonal skills, a team player mentality, and the ability to work quickly and with little assistance. Intermediate level skills in Windows Operations Systems and Microsoft Office will also serve potential candidates well.

Successful candidates should also be able to show hands-on experience or previous work experience placements in their chosen area of expertise. For technical roles, this could include student engineering groups and lab research.

There is an opening for an associate engineer, available to graduates who are enrolled or have completed a bachelor’s or graduate degree in engineering from an accredited college six months before starting at SpaceX. Successful candidates “will be responsible for both autonomously and collaboratively working on actual space hardware development projects.”

For more info on what is actually involved in the internship, watch the video below.

SpaceX

Feel inspired yet? Good luck!