I applied online. The process took 3 weeks. I interviewed at SpaceX (Hawthorne, CA) in Dec 2013
Interview
Applied online, had a phone screen with a recruiter, was brought on-site for a bunch of 1:1 interviews, had a phone call with a VP, and shortly afterward was given an offer.
1:1's were pretty casual, and they didn't drill into too much technical stuff. I think they were mostly looking to see if I fit the culture.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Why SpaceX?
Are you comfortable working long hours?
I applied online. I interviewed at SpaceX in Mar 2026
Interview
My interview experience at SpaceX was disappointing. The expectations felt extremely high, even for mid-level roles. Missing even one or two questions seemed to stop the process, and there was little tolerance for not knowing something.
It felt like they prioritize candidates who already know everything rather than those willing to learn. Overall, a very rigid and negative experience.
Round 1) Recruiter Phone Call
Round 2-4+) Phone call with Lead Engineer, Manager, etc.
Round 5) On-Site with Technical Presentation and One-on-Ones
I found the questions in the in-person one-on-ones were equal or slightly harder than the phone screening questions
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Why SpaceX? (Was asked this during all four phone screenings)
1 on 1 interview standard fundamental mech questions from coursework fluids, statics, structures, heat transfer, thermo etc. asked lots of questions and follow ups to get a gauge of thinking
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
fixed cantilever beam point load p at the end what is the defleciton eq?
