To get hired at SpaceX, show what you built, expect long hours, and know Musk may read your resume
Hands-on skill beats advanced degrees, but the price is stamina and loyalty, with company stock as the payoff.
Bloomberg Daybreak: US Edition · Uncertainty in Israeli Election; Bolsonaro Flees BrazilThe SpaceX candidate who gets hired is not necessarily the one with the most degrees. Recruiters say hands-on experience matters more than advanced degrees.
The culture starts at the top with Elon Musk, who defines the company culture. According to Lauren Grush, a reporter for Bloomberg Businessweek, getting hired "requires exceptional ability and may include having" Musk review a candidate's resume. Grush reports that "candidates must demonstrate their achievements from past jobs," and must understand that commitment to SpaceX means accepting that culture and showing loyalty to Musk. The reporting describes the company as seeking people with natural, inborn smarts.
According to recruiters, advisers, and people who have interviewed there, the dream of exploring space draws people to the company. As Carol Massar puts it, Musk "invokes that dream regularly to remind workers why they're there."
Prospective hires are told the work will require stamina, and SpaceX job ads state that candidates "must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed."
The payoff for that grind is ownership. Massar describes it as "payment in the form of restricted stock units that vest over time," a payout for staying, alongside the right to buy shares.
If you apply, try rewriting your resume the SpaceX way. You might move school honors lower and move what you made, what you fixed, and what happened next higher, in plain numbers.
Questions people ask
Does Elon Musk read every SpaceX application?
The reporting does not say how often he reviews resumes, only that the process may include review by Musk. That detail comes from Grush's reporting on SpaceX hiring, as described in the segment.
What is equity or a restricted stock unit?
A restricted stock unit is a promise of company stock that turns into real shares over time if you stay. At a private company like SpaceX, it is a way to share in any rise in value without being able to sell on a public market right away.
How do I show hands-on experience on a resume?
This is general advice, not SpaceX guidance, but you could try describing one thing you built or fixed, what was broken, and what changed afterward. You might add simple numbers or test results if you have them, and keep titles and courses brief.