The interview process began with a phone interview with a junior engineer who asked basic technical questions. This was followed by a second phone interview with a senior engineer, also focusing on technical questions.

I submitted my resume in June. The first phone interview took place in early July, and the second in early August. In early September, I had an in-person interview at SpaceX.

There, I delivered a 20-minute presentation to the analysis group, followed by one-on-one interviews with individual engineers. These interviews involved technical questions, many of which required basic calculations.

The recruiter was very approachable, a laid-back Californian in a bowling shirt. The office environment was highly casual, with some employees wearing football jerseys and no one in a tie. The recruiter mentioned that SpaceX attracts a large number of applicants, allowing them to select from the top 2%.

My interview went very well. Most of the engineers I spoke with seemed impressed with my technical knowledge. As a senior-level engineer with considerable experience, I found the engineers to be very bright. I did notice a degree of cockiness among some of the junior engineers, which I believe SpaceX embraces.

Based on their technical analysis process, it appeared they are learning as they go. One engineer mentioned they do not conduct peer reviews, which I found unusual. Every workplace I've been to uses peer reviews as a sanity check for all technical work.

I believe I would enjoy working at SpaceX; the engineers seemed to collaborate effectively, keeping the ultimate goal of successful launches in focus.

My initial feedback from the recruiter indicated I performed well in the interview, and a senior engineer shared that the team highly recommended me. However, they were still interviewing other candidates.

Over the following two months, I was repeatedly told I was still being considered. Eventually, I stopped hearing back, leading me to assume the position had been filled.

Which type of mission would cause less crack growth: one with high stress levels followed by lower stress levels, or one that started with lower stress levels and then followed with higher stress levels?