I applied through an employee referral. The process took 3 weeks. I interviewed at SpaceX (Hawthorne, CA) in May 2015
Interview
I had excellent experience. The HR were professional. Everyone was timely and fast-paced. I totally enjoyed interacting with everybody involved! I was even a bit surprised because some reviews that I read here prior to my interview were not the most positive ones. Everyone at SpaceX was very friendly: from my first-line recruiter to engineers on the hiring team. The visit at Hawthorne facility was super! The part I enjoyed the most was presenting my project and discussing it with the team. Folks were pretty knowledgeable, including many aspects outside the typical aerospace/rocketry domain. So it was a great experience to talk to them. I learned a lot during my interview, and never thought it could be so enjoyable. Of course, very stressful too, especially during the visit, but overall pretty awesome! :)
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Really enjoyed all my 1:1 interviews! Mostly technical questions. Some were a bit challenging, but nothing unbearable. Most questions were in fact pretty interesting to discuss. General engineering thermo-fluid. Some questions about fundamental rocket concepts. Really nothing too bad. I got challenged the most by a structures question, because I haven't dealt with structures for a while.
I think a candidate who did well throughout all their undergrad/grad school, is strong in fundamentals, and has a reasonable background in propulsion (e.g. took propulsion classes and actually did well and feels comfortable about it) has good chances to prepare themselves and do well in an interview like this. At least from the technical perspective.
Another side of it is this: It might be difficult to prepare for something like this overnight. The type of questions and the discussions that take place really require you to have a thorough and solid understanding of the important concepts in your field, which is smth you learn in school (or a good job, e.g. in R&D), and it takes you a good several years to build and solidify in your head.
I applied online. I interviewed at SpaceX (Hawthorne, CA) in May 2023
Interview
First interview with a recruiter very positive, second interview with the technical lead with challenging mechanical engineering riddle/questions, fair questions but thought provoking. They also ask if you are okay working many hours.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Where is the highest point of stress in a simply supported beam
Was strenuous and a bit condescending at times. Position seemed a bit lower paying for the location, which was surprising. Before the technical interviews, I had an interview with the recruiter and she explained the roles available and their associated requirements.
I applied online. The process took 1 week. I interviewed at SpaceX (Hawthorne, CA) in Jul 2019
Interview
The first point of contact was through email followed by an introductory phone call. This was not the only position I applied for. I applied for many others and unlike other employers SpaceX is quick to give you a response. Their interview process is one of the most streamlined. I studied my notes a lot as well as SpaceX vehicle specs as my research indicated this was highly advised. Definitely will try and apply again some day...
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Why did you make certain design decisions for an engineering project?
