SpaceX is an organization that’s shrouded in a sense of mystery and wonder. After all, these are the guys who are working on planning missions to bring humankind to Mars!
If the idea of jetsetting through the stars and colonizing other planets gets your heart racing, a job at SpaceX might just be for you. And in order to land that job, you’ll need to know what kind of interview questions at SpaceX, you’ll be expected to answer.
Many interview questions are behavioral and can get pretty technical. This guide goes into detail about the top interview questions at SpaceX, as reported by real interviewees.
1. Tell Me About a Time You Failed
SpaceX was founded by Elon Musk, who often cites failure as a way of innovating. In fact, he believes that if you’re not failing, you’re not innovating, which means you probably aren’t working out for his company.
With this interview question, SpaceX is looking to see how you handled the failure and whether you learned from it or not. Learning from your mistakes is how you gain knowledge and prevent making the same errors going forward.
For this question, you’re going to want to implement the STAR method to come up with an answer about a time you made a mistake. Be sure to give a brief overview of the problem and to focus on what you learned from your failure and how you’ve implemented that lesson going forward.
2. How Do You Define Success?
This is another common question at SpaceX, and the idea behind this question is to see what your attitude and perspective are like. Interviewers ask this question to see how well you’ll blend into the team.
For this question, you’ll want to look at what SpaceX’s mission and values are. You can also pay attention to things Elon Musk has said, such as his focus on innovation and persistence.
Do a bit of research into the company’s principles and tie them into your response. This shows that you have the same values as SpaceX does, and that you’d therefore make a good fit for the team.
3. Why Do You Want to Work at SpaceX?
Similar to the previous question, your answer to this query will give the interviewer an idea of how well you fit into the SpaceX family. Interviewers want to know that you’re passionate about SpaceX’s goals and mission, and that you share the same values.
The key here is to remember that SpaceX believes that exploring the stars is more exciting than not exploring them. To answer this question, check out SpaceX’s mission statement, vision, and philosophy. Reading up on these facts can help you figure out how to tailor your answer to show that your goals align with those of the company.
4. What Inspires You?
SpaceX is a company that believes in innovation and seeking new solutions, which is why staying inspired is so important. For this question, you’re going to want to focus on innovation and come up with a response that, once again, is customized to the SpaceX vision.
Try to talk about how the goals that the company is working towards excite you, and explain what you’re passionate about. Showing that you have a passion for space exploration can show the hiring manager that you’re passionate about helping SpaceX achieve its goals.
5. How Do You Manage Your Time?
SpaceX jobs are notoriously demanding, often loading people up with numerous responsibilities. Interviewers ask this question to see how well you’ll be able to manage those responsibilities without failing to meet goals and KPIs.
For this question, talk about a couple of different time management strategies you use. The key here is to emphasize that you’re good at multi-tasking and can work well under pressure, showing that you’d be able to handle the extensive responsibilities.
6. What Do You Think SpaceX Could Improve In?
SpaceX is a company that’s passionate about innovation and inclusion, meaning that they’re always looking for new ideas and voices. For this question, you’ll want to try to pinpoint something that you would change about the company.
Despite the fact that you’re offering criticism of SpaceX, try to keep your response light. You don’t want to come across as negative or overly critical of the company, as this could wind up working against you when it comes to making a hiring decision.
One way to answer this question without putting your foot in your mouth is to stick to science. Talk about how you’d need to gather data to come to any conclusive judgment or suggestion.
7. Are You Okay With Signing a Non-Compete Agreement?
Many companies in the aerospace industry require you to sign a non-compete agreement. As a result, you’re likely going to need to sign one in order to work with SpaceX. This is typically a non-negotiable, and you won’t get the job if you’re not willing to sign the non-compete agreement.
It also pays to know that if you’ve worked in this industry previously, you may already be bound by non-compete agreements. If this is the case, make sure to let the interviewer know so that you can work out any clashes of interest.
8. What Was the Biggest Aerospace Breakthrough in the Past Decade?
This question is designed to see how active you are in the aerospace industry. This helps the employer gauge whether you really do care about aerospace and whether you’re keeping up with trends and discoveries in order to stay relevant in your field.
Before heading into the interview, try to sit down and come up with an answer. Your best bet is to avoid discussing breakthroughs by a competitor and to instead focus on the achievements of SpaceX or government groups such as NASA.
9. Are You Okay With a Background, Credit, and Education Verification Check?
Similar to a non-compete agreement, SpaceX conducts background, credit, and education verification checks of all potential employees. Failure to comply with these checks will typically result in not getting the job or being dismissed from a current position.
Before applying to work at SpaceX, make sure that you’re comfortable with undergoing these types of checks. If you have anything you need to disclose about your past or your credit, you can do so during this part of the interview.
10. How Do You Plan to Balance Your Personal Life and Heavy Workload at SpaceX?
SpaceX is a company that’s extremely rigorous, often requiring employees to work overtime or extended workweeks. The result is that it can be tough for employees to balance their personal commitments and their work life.
For this question, you’ll want to demonstrate that you’re comfortable and confident with this type of work schedule. Give a few strategies you can use to stay motivated and maintain a healthy personal life while still giving your all at the office.
11. How Do You Believe Your Background Will Help You Succeed at SpaceX?
This question is sort of like the classic “tell me about yourself.” The goal here is for the interviewer to get an idea of your background and experiences, and to learn what you bring to the table.
For this question, you can give a brief elevator pitch of your past work experiences and education. From there, build on some of the lessons that you learned at each and discuss how they could be beneficial to you in a position at SpaceX.
12. What Resources Do You Use to Keep Up With the Aerospace Industry?
Interviewers may ask you this question to check whether or not you’re actively engaged in the aerospace industry. Employees who take an active interest in aerospace are not only more likely to take an active interest in SpaceX, but they’re also more likely to be able to support the company’s innovative workplace.
The good news is that there’s no right or wrong answer for this question. Just make sure to look into a few different resources that you could potentially use to follow news and major achievements in the aerospace industry. Then, list those out when the interviewer asks this question.
13. How Do You Demonstrate Leadership?
Although not all positions at SpaceX are traditional leadership positions, many still involve some degree of leadership. This is a big part of the company’s culture, which is why interviewers may ask you this question.
You can give examples of how you’ve demonstrated leadership in past roles that are similar to the one you’re applying for. Or, you can talk about general ways to show leadership, such as through example, to foster positive teamwork in the company.
14. How Would You Ensure Your KPIs Are Met?
Meeting expectations is a key part of any position you apply for, and it’s no different at SpaceX. Interviewers ask this question to see how you would ensure that you’re meeting and exceeding expectations.
To answer this question, give a couple of methods you’ve used to keep yourself organized and stay on track. Citing things like a planner or sticky notes can be a good way to showcase organizational skills and time management.
15. What Was an Unpopular Decision You Made?
Similar to the question about failure, this question gives interviewers a look into your personality and how well you’d fit into the culture at SpaceX. The key here is to not only talk about the unpopular decision, but to talk about the outcome.
If the decision wound up being a success, talk about how and why and discuss how you changed others’ perception of that decision. Or, if the decision was a failure, focus on the lessons you learned and how you’ve implemented them since then.
Launch a Career at SpaceX
SpaceX can be an incredible place to work and to grow a career, especially if you’re interested in aeronautics and engineering. Just remember these interview questions at SpaceX and try to practice your answers before you head in for the real deal.
With that in mind, you should have no problem blasting off to a new career at SpaceX. So, get ready to buckle up and reach for the stars in an aerospace career!
