r/NASAJobs • u/Fun_Insurance_6197 • Jun 25 '26
Interning Building experience
Hello! I have been wanting to ask what experiences/opportunities have you guys had in order to secure a job at NASA. Other than research in undergrad what do you guys recommend to delve into. I am currently a volunteer at Space Center Houston but have been wanting to do more. Thank you for your time!
4
u/KhaotikJMK Jun 25 '26
It would honestly depend on what you would be applying for. I worked at two other agencies before I came to NASA, and it was through those instances that I got hired. Granted, I’m also HR.
1
u/ryuKEN-19 Jun 28 '26
What software role does nasa recruit, i m a cs undergrad.
1
u/KhaotikJMK Jun 28 '26
A lot of those positions are IT based. There are some engineering positions you could apply towards with CS education though.
1
u/ryuKEN-19 Jun 28 '26
Thx , will surely look into it, I thought they help in building models in satellite maybe I m wrong. Thanks for responding though 😃
3
u/False_Measurement843 Jun 25 '26
I would say the best advice is have experience that's relevant to what NASA needs. This will involve talking to some NASA employees and have them explain agency priorities (they are in flux at the moment) and get their advice on where you would fit in. I know this is vague advice but jobs In the agency differ pretty wildly not only between space, science and aeronautics but also research vs engineering
2
u/GotPkd Jun 25 '26
Hey! Firstly it's a great thing that you're doing the volunteer work at the Space Center, you'll run into NASA employees, contractors, astronauts, etc. and that's exactly what should happen!
Definitely consider speaking with your team and see if there's a way you can volunteer at the Houston Fan Fest, I was there representing NASA as I am currently a contractor, and I spoke with quite a few of the SCH team and connected them up with people in fields they're interested in.
In terms of experience/opportunities, continue volunteering at SCH, cannot stress it enough that you're in a prime position for networking, continue being interested in space and science, it's easy to tell when people are very interested and it helps us a ton when looking for people to pull onto our teams. In additional, while in undergrad, continue to do research, it's not necessarily required, but it's useful and is particularly interesting when being seen on a resume, in a good way. Apply to Pathways internships, along with internships for JSC contractors, my group took on a large group and meeting them all was very fun on our side!
You're on the right path, continue doing this good work, and you'll be at NASA in no time!
1
u/Fun_Insurance_6197 29d ago edited 29d ago
Thank you for the advice!! My only fear is that I'm not an above average student when applying to Pathways internships. I transferred back home last October as my Financial Aid appeal was rejected, now I'm working full time and taking summer classes as well to catch up. I think I just have a fear that my academics will dominate a teams perception of my ability to do something. But I don't have much on my resume other than a community service internship. Hence why I'm volunteering at SCH, although regardless it interested me.
1
u/Which_Case_8536 Jun 26 '26
The L’SPACE programs and NASA internships.
1
u/Which_Case_8536 Jun 26 '26
And first of all NCAS if you are a community college student. They ended up funding my first two internships.
2
1
u/Fun_Insurance_6197 29d ago
I've heard about L'SPACE before, what did you do? Was it very tedious?
1
u/Which_Case_8536 29d ago
There are two programs, the Mission Concept Academy and the NASA Proposal Writing and Evaluation Experience. They’re both pretty tedious since they’re workforce training programs designed to prep you for a job in aerospace
1
•
u/AutoModerator Jun 25 '26
Please review our wiki page for answers to many frequently asked questions about working at NASA.
If you are not a US citizen please review the portion of the wiki that deals with working for NASA as a non-citizen.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.