i just got some potentially awesome news...

[Cirocco]

Right, I gotta post this, I'm too exited not to.

note that this post has nothing to do with KSP at all, I just need to get this off my chest. Feel free to skip/ignore it entirely.

I like space. I'm pretty sure most of us on this forum here do. As a kid, I thought space was the coolest thing ever and if you'd have asked me back then what I wanted to be when I grew up, "space engineer" would definitely have been extremely high up on the list (for some reason I wasn't that into being an astronaut, don't know why)

As I grew older however, I somehow lost interest in space (what with the decommissioning of the space shuttle, budget cuts to NASA and all that stuff)... When the time came to go to university and choose a field of study, I chose to become an engineer, but not one that is even remotely specialized in the space industry: I work as a quality assurance engineer in the pharmaceutical industry. Today, my love for space has been re-kindled and redoubled (thank you KSP!!!!!) and one of my biggest regrets is that I didn't choose an education in aerospace. Oh well, at least I still get to go to space in KSP and get all excited over launches and SpaceX's efforts to land a falcon 9. Can't win 'em all.

And then yesterday, something amazing happened to me.

I work for a consulting company, and yesterday was my yearly evaluation. Now, working in the pharmaceutical industry, I get to know sterile cleanrooms and sterile working conditions pretty well. I also know that in order to build space probes, you need a dust free environment which essentially boils down to very similar cleanrooms and working conditions as we use in the pharmaceutical industry.

So I tell my manager I'm open to projects in other sectors, and I hesitantly mention the space industry (hey, you never know, right?).

Well.... it turns out that the majority of our company's projects are, in fact, in the aerospace industry.

And that there's one particular client company that produces rocket and probe parts and who from time to time ask for experts on cleanrooms and cleanroom conditions.

And that the aerospace business managers also tend to ask their pharmaceutical colleagues if they don't have any consultants who know about cleanrooms since there aren't enough of them in their own sector.

And that she'd be more than happy to present my profile in the future should the opportunity arise.

...

I just sat there with the biggest grin on my face, unable to speak for like 10 seconds.

Guys... I might become a space engineer.

This is definitely long-term stuff for in a few years at the earliest and there are absolutely no guarantees that I'll be able to actually land a project with said company, but the possibility is definitely there. There is an actual, realistic possibility that I might just get my boyhood dream. I honestly don't think I've ever been more excited in my life.

Fingers crossed

[RainDreamer]

You might become a planetary protection officer! Like this woman: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/meet-nasa-s-one-and-only-planetary-protection-officer/

Kickass name for a job too.

[Endersmens]

Nice! Amazing job opportunity. This shows that you have to knock for the door to be opened.

[Camacha]

Nice! Amazing job opportunity. This shows that you have to knock for the door to be opened.

Yes, this. While you have to be careful not to overplay your hand or to wear out your welcome, it does not hurt letting people know that you have certain ambitions and are ambitious. If you are in an environment that likes its people to grow, people might think of your name when the need for someone arises. If you are in an environment that likes people to stay where they are, well, get out, unless you are happy doing what you do for the rest of your life (which can be a valid choice).

I am currently happy to be in a company that is eager to feed my ambitions. I make sure to do my current job the best I can, they help me get ready for the next tier by including me in things not part of my job. Those experiences make me in turn better at my current job. Everyone wins.

[MrWalrus123]

Good luck

[Cirocco]

thanks a lot guys

again, this is all very long-term stuff, but it definitely gives me a real goal to work towards. I'm gonna be in a good mood for weeks over this

[KerbMav]

Yay! It seems to be true, you just have to be good at selling yourself to get interesting opportunities!

Nice! Amazing job opportunity. This shows that you have to knock for the door to be opened.

Now, which door would an accountant have to knock on to get anywhere close to space ... :blush:

[Rath]

Wait till you work on some peice of a probe that finds life on europa, then you can have the ultime job to talk about at parties and use to pick up girls.

- - - Updated - - -

Yay! It seems to be true, you just have to be good at selling yourself to get interesting opportunities!

Now, which door would an accountant have to knock on to get anywhere close to space ... :blush:

Heres what you do: Find whatever crime, economic or otherwise that every anti-space congressperson committed to try and get most of them out of office. Then go up to the Pro-Space people now in office and say "Youre in office because of me. Quadruple NASAs budget. Now.

[Endersmens]

Yay! It seems to be true, you just have to be good at selling yourself to get interesting opportunities!

Now, which door would an accountant have to knock on to get anywhere close to space ... :blush:

Probably the exit.

[RainDreamer]

Yay! It seems to be true, you just have to be good at selling yourself to get interesting opportunities!

Now, which door would an accountant have to knock on to get anywhere close to space ... :blush:

Well, managing a budget for space program is not going to be a one person job, and unlikely going to be done by rocket scientists...so you may still get to companies like space X and such and be their accountant.

[KerbMav]

Well, managing a budget for space program is not going to be a one person job, and unlikely going to be done by rocket scientists...so you may still get to companies like space X and such and be their accountant.

Basically as far away from the real stuff as I am now ...

[RainDreamer]

Basically as far away from the real stuff as I am now ...

You still get to point to a rocket that has a budget you worked on and say "I helped made that happen!"

[Cirocco]

You still get to point to a rocket that has a budget you worked on and say "I helped made that happen!"

Edited September 30, 2015 by Cirocco