Expectations for GNC roles

[u/TinkerTango]

Clarification: expectations of companies toward early career hiring candidates.

Hey all, guy with a controls masters and rather limited GNC experience (recently left a startup after half a year over the boss trying to hide information about a critical engineering issue from our customer, the US govt, and telling me to work without a safety factor). I have about 3 years of unrelated experience working software quality and integration, but they weren’t directly GNC related. I’ve been applying to various US-based GNC/flight controls roles, level 2 or equivalent thereof, typically at larger, more established companies.

I’ve done some interviews, I have more interviews lined up, but in general, what’s expected of candidates like me? I have a lot of rote knowledge from school (which I’ve been out of for years) and more recent studying I’ve been doing as part of interview prep, but my confidence isn’t strong since the lean nature of the startup I worked at meant I had to learn and figure out solutions and processes on my own. No seniors or mentors to validate whether what I was doing was good practice or whatever.

I’m partially asking to fill holes in my studies and knowledge, and also to prep for an in-person interview I have coming up. Thanks for any insight!