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NASA opens applications for astronauts every four years.
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Since there are thousands of applications, it can be difficult to stand out in the crowd.
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NASA’s selection program manager explained what to include in your astronaut resume.
NASA is recruiting astronauts until April 2. The job pays $152,258 a year and comes with the possibility of going into space, visiting the moon and traveling to Mars.
Anyone can apply and most will; When the space agency puts out a call every four years, it receives as many as 18,000 applications.
But only eight to 14 candidates made the cut, NASA astronaut selection manager April Jordan told Business Insider. This is an acceptance rate of less than 1%. In this case, it is easier to get into Harvard or MIT.
Each astronaut must meet certain minimum qualifications, such as having a STEM or pilot background, and be able to complete physical training requirements.
But beyond that, Jordan said there are a few ways applicants can stand out. One of the most important, he said, is to include hobbies and outside interests that you wouldn’t normally include on your resume.
“This is one of those positions where you bring your whole self to the job,” Jordan said, “and everything that makes you who you are is important.”
Basic astronaut qualifications
“As you can imagine, this is a really popular app,” Jordan said. It requires much of the same information as other government jobs, including references, experience and education.
“One of the first hurdles is looking at the minimum qualifications for applicants,” Jordan said. For example, candidates must be at least two years away from a master’s degree or doctoral degree. program in the STEM field. Medical doctors and test pilot school graduates can also apply.
“As we overcome each of these hurdles, the pool gets smaller and smaller,” Jordan said. The next step is what’s known as a rating panel of current astronauts.
They select about 120 people with the highest qualifications and then interview them. That’s when potential astronauts enter what Jordan calls the fish bowl.
Astronauts are part of a team
NASA invites its small pool of candidates to two rounds of interviews at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Parts of the interview process to become a NASA astronaut are similar to processes you’ll encounter in many jobs, Jordan said. But many other tracks sound much more intense.
For example, the selection team vets candidates during individual and team evaluations and simulations.
“You’re in a fishbowl where people pay attention to your behavior during simulations to evaluate what you might be like in real life,” he said.
Since astronauts may live in close proximity to each other for six to 12 months, there are certain characteristics that NASA looks for during these simulations. These include teamwork, the ability to work in high-pressure situations and self-regulation, Jordan said.
There are also medical and psychological evaluations. “We collect probably hundreds of data points on the applicant before moving on to the final selection,” Jordan said.
He also emphasized that the selection committee is not looking for individual astronauts. They are forming a team that will spend the next two years training together.
Creating a cohesive team often means choosing people from different backgrounds, Jordan said. “It also looks at how your life experiences make you unique,” he said. “The way you leverage these higher-level competencies may be slightly different from how others on the team do.”
That’s why NASA looks at more than a candidate’s work experience and education.
There is no such thing as a typical astronaut
In many ways, astronauts are the face of NASA. This is part of the reason for the rigorous application process.
“It tends to require a different type of resume than what you would typically submit for a non-government job,” Jordan said.
That’s why it’s important for applicants to think about the skills and experiences they have outside of their job and education, he said.
For example, rock climbers and hikers are accustomed to carrying everything they need in a small backpack, he said. This can be useful since you can’t bring a lot of luggage with you to space.
“Think outside the box a little bit as you show us who you are,” he said.
Candidates entering the elimination rounds need to be patient. Jordan said the entire process could take between a year and 18 months.
But he hopes everyone who meets the minimum qualifications will apply. Since the days when astronauts were all pilots, NASA has learned the value of having a diverse candidate pool, he said.
“If you look at our graduating class,” he said, “there is no typical astronaut.”
Read the original article on Business Insider