Graduating Aerospace Engineer - Where should I send my resume?

[cubinator]

Hello all,

I'm going to be graduating with a bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering next May after lots of calculus, vector math, and potential fields, and I am compiling a list of interesting companies/organizations that I might like to work for. I am interested in all non-military applications of flying vehicles and space technology, from personal electric aircraft to space stations to nuclear power and, yes, bug farming. So, have you heard of any interesting aerospace companies, large or small, doing something cool that has never been done before? In the news, in a documentary, or online? Just drop the name of the company here and I'll check them out. I'd greatly appreciate it!

[Kerbalistic1]

Congrats!

[mikegarrison]

19 hours ago, cubinator said:

I am interested in all non-military applications of flying vehicles and space technology

It's harder than you might think to completely avoid military applications. Militaries fund a lot of basic and applied research, and they buy a lot of commercial products.

[cubinator]

2 hours ago, mikegarrison said:

It's harder than you might think to completely avoid military applications. Militaries fund a lot of basic and applied research, and they buy a lot of commercial products.

I know how hard it is. As much as I can, I want to be sure I'm not hurting someone with things I invent.

[adsii1970]

13 minutes ago, cubinator said:

I know how hard it is. As much as I can, I want to be sure I'm not hurting someone with things I invent.

Think of it this way, any nation's military is also a huge humanitarian force. In most nations, it is the first government organization on the ground when it comes to natural disasters.

[Pixophir]

Military can help there but it is not their primary purpose, which is called defence in most countries. There are military units that can help in the case of catastrophe, for instance clean up destruction of fire, flooding, earthquake, volcanic eruption, ... because any war is a destructive catastrophe and clean up help is needed, but civil protection plays the bigger part in most countries, and is also better connected then the military.

Scientific help is more important for judging the various dangers connected with such events and give counsel on how and where to act to minimize effects on property and life. These are people from universities and research centres connected around the world as well as civil protection departments of governments at various levels. If additionally to civil protection, military units, when called to a scene, can be advised for instance to help collecting data on hazardous materials, or to find a way to cut off areas, when civil resources are bound elsewhere, for instance because fire and flooding struck at the same time.

Edit: just realized I'm slightly off topic :-)

Anyway, there's more than enough to do in civil applications and for spacey engineers (congratulations, @cubinator) on all levels. Combating (military wording :-)) climate change is the most pressing problem, and I believe all of the larger organisations have a foot in there, even if they also offer military products and services. I don't think it is difficult to find a job that fits the personal view.

Edited July 30, 2022 by Pixophir

[JoeSchmuckatelli]

44 minutes ago, cubinator said:

I know how hard it is. As much as I can, I want to be sure I'm not hurting someone with things I invent.

At least in the States, you will find companies that provide both civil and military products - but often they're in different divisions within the same overall corporation. If you object to that kind of split, it will be a challenge.  (Government funding is a huge source of revenue).  But if you want to avoid direct work for the government side - pick any of the big names in civil aviation and scroll through the openings. 

Otherwise you are looking at smaller companies that specialize in only civil aviation.  Space?  Mostly government funded is my guess.  I doubt any space company can be viable without hauling stuff for a government. 

 

... 

Recreational drone companies?  Drones are going to be huge. 

I don't have your education - but I know that any tech can be both civil or military, but that military has to be higher performance, in general.  You just need to decide how 'military adjacent' you can stand to be w/r/t any company. 

Talk to professors, recruiters, the placement office at your school, and maybe look for 'civil air shows' or 'rich people toys' to see who's out there 

 

GL 

Edited July 30, 2022 by JoeSchmuckatelli

[RCgothic]

23 hours ago, cubinator said:

Hello all,

I'm going to be graduating with a bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering next May after lots of calculus, vector math, and potential fields, and I am compiling a list of interesting companies/organizations that I might like to work for. I am interested in all non-military applications of flying vehicles and space technology, from personal electric aircraft to space stations to nuclear power and, yes, bug farming. So, have you heard of any interesting aerospace companies, large or small, doing something cool that has never been done before? In the news, in a documentary, or online? Just drop the name of the company here and I'll check them out. I'd greatly appreciate it!

In the UK I graduated from an excellent university in 2009 with a master's degree in Engineering Science. I had *ZERO* success applying directly to graduate schemes. Not one interview, and hardly any bothered even responding to my application. It was almost a year before I found employment.

(Nearly 15 years later I'm a senior chartered engineer at prestigious nuclear firm, but it took some working up by a slightly unconventional route).

I recommend putting your CV on as many jobsites as possible, being clear about what you're looking for. In my experience it's much more fruitful to get recruitment consultants to do the work of matching you with positions.

If you have any contacts who can find an opening for you, that's probably the best way to find a position. Nepotism works.

Edited July 30, 2022 by RCgothic

[kerbiloid]

Join USAF and retire.

[StrandedonEarth]

There are several companies in the US and Canada developing small modular reactors, if you want to work on getting a space-grade unit operational 

[Silavite]

AIAA has a huge job board: https://careercenter.aiaa.org/

AIAA also has networking events and local chapters.

Aerospace (though more on the "space" side) job board: https://rocketcrew.space/

For a fun twist, here's the scoreboard for the LA Aerospace Games this year. (With a list of companies/organizations attending.) https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10222010097137180&set=gm.10160034282721100

I'm in the same boat (T-1 year to graduation) so I can relate to your search.

[SunlitZelkova]

 

3 hours ago, StrandedonEarth said:

There are several companies in the US and Canada developing small modular reactors, if you want to work on getting a space-grade unit operational 

Note that things of this nature are being considered for use in powering Arctic military outposts, too.

[JoeSchmuckatelli]

4 minutes ago, SunlitZelkova said:

 

Note that things of this nature are being considered for use in powering Arctic military outposts, too.

The world and technology is sufficiently complex at this point, that dual use is hardly surprising.  Further, there is a rich history of military application things being the driver of innovation in the civil sector.

I certainly don't think OP has to resign himself to any military-centric company... but to try to be wholly separate from any possible military application of anything would be difficult.

That said, I'm not sure these guys are heavily focused in MilTech:

Glider - All the aeronautical manufacturers (aeroexpo.online)

 

[StrandedonEarth]

23 minutes ago, SunlitZelkova said:

 

Note that things of this nature are being considered for use in powering Arctic military outposts, too.

Not just military outposts, but it’s being considered for arctic settlements (indigenous communities) in general, which can use cogeneration for the heat as well as electricity, replacing diesel power.

It can certainly be used to power military installations, but not directly as a weapon to cause damage. 

[Hyperspace Industries]

On military systems, it depends what system it is. For example, a better bulletproof vest, a helicopter designed/altered for rescue/civilian evacuation, or a system designed for containing or protecting against bombs, all equally useful for saving lives as for a military.

Honestly, there is no such thing as an un-weaponizable system. A cargo plane can carry tanks to a military base, a gun can just as easily be used for hunting as for war, a drone that finds survivors under rubble could just as easily find enemies hiding away, or worse, serve its original purpose.

But, other than that, I think it is a good policy to not actively build those systems, if it is used for bad stuff you didn’t intend it.

As for companies, in the space sector, pick someone making actual good progress, not taking 20 years to get suborbital and then saying you’re going to finish that massive orbital rocket in a year or two. (Not saying they won’t do it, just that they are not going to do it soon.)

In aircraft: according to a conversation I had a while back with Sean, my classmate who is obsessed with piloting and planes: Stay away from boeing, they are apparently not good, and making no progress.

[RCgothic]

A further point - if your CV isn't working for you, change it. Don't persist in handing out a CV that isn't getting responses, that means there something about it  that is turning employers off.

Change the formatting, rewrite sections to give different emphasis.

As a new university graduate you aren't expected to have much job experience, though by all means mention any relevant employments.

Emphasise your education and the skills you do have, and how those would be of benefit to an employer.

[Spaceception]

Congratulations! Not sure if this is something you're looking for, and it's a pretty recent startup, but it's headed by a former JPL scientist, as well as other engineers, aerospace and otherwise. It's not directly related to space related applications, but the general idea of it could be adapted for destinations like Mars, where their idea is to make carbon capture into synthetic hydrocarbons economical with solar power.

https://caseyhandmer.wordpress.com/2022/02/03/terraform-industries-whitepaper/

https://caseyhandmer.wordpress.com/2022/03/22/maximizing-resume-snr/

https://caseyhandmer.wordpress.com/2022/07/22/were-going-to-need-a-lot-of-solar-panels/

Edited August 4, 2022 by Spaceception

[cubinator]

42 minutes ago, Spaceception said:

Congratulations! Not sure if this is something you're looking for, and it's a pretty recent startup, but it's headed by a former JPL scientist, as well as other engineers, aerospace and otherwise. It's not directly related to space related applications, but the general idea of it could be adapted for destinations like Mars, where their idea is to make carbon capture into synthetic hydrocarbons economical with solar power.

https://caseyhandmer.wordpress.com/2022/02/03/terraform-industries-whitepaper/

https://caseyhandmer.wordpress.com/2022/03/22/maximizing-resume-snr/

https://caseyhandmer.wordpress.com/2022/07/22/were-going-to-need-a-lot-of-solar-panels/

That looks like a step toward terraforming the Earth!