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NASA opens its applications for astronauts every four years.
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Since there are thousands in operation, it can be difficult to stand out in the crowd.
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NASA’s selection program manager explained what to include on your astronaut résumé.
NASA is hiring astronauts through April 2. The job pays $152,258 a year and comes with the possibility of going to space, visiting the moon, and traveling to Mars.
Anyone can apply, and many people will — each time the space agency puts out the call every four years, it receives up to 18,000 applications.
But only eight to 14 candidates make the cut, April Jordan, NASA’s astronaut selection manager, told Business Insider. That’s an acceptance rate of less than 1%. That way, it’s easier to get into Harvard or MIT.
All astronauts must meet some minimum qualifications, such as a STEM or pilot background, and be able to meet the physical training requirements.
Beyond that, though, Jordan said there are a number of ways applicants can stand out. One of the most important is to include hobbies and outside interests that you wouldn’t normally put on your résumé, she said.
“This is one of those jobs where you’re going to bring your whole self to the job,” Jordan said, “and all of those things that make you who you are, are important.”
Essential qualities of an astronaut
“As you can imagine, this is a very popular application,” Jordan said. It requires much of the same information as other government jobs, including references, experience and education.
“One of the initial hurdles is looking at minimum qualifications for applicants,” said Jordan. For example, candidates need a master’s degree or must be at least two years into a Ph.D. program in the STEM field. Medical doctors and test pilot school graduates can also apply.
“The pool is getting smaller and smaller as you go through each of those obstacles,” Jordan said. The next step is called a rating panel, made up of current astronauts.
They select around 120 of the most highly qualified people who are then interviewed. That’s when aspiring astronauts enter what Jordan calls the fishbowl.
Astronauts are part of a team
NASA invites the small number of applicants to two rounds of interviews at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Some parts of the interview process to become a NASA astronaut are similar to what you would encounter for many jobs, Jordan said. However, many other parts sound much tougher.
For example, the selection team scrutinizes candidates during individual and team assessments and simulations.
“You’re in a fishbowl for a bit, with people paying attention to your behaviors during those simulations to assess how you might do in the real world,” she said.
Since astronauts may live in close quarters for six to 12 months at a time, there are certain characteristics that NASA looks for during these simulations. These include teamwork, the ability to function in high-pressure situations, and self-control, Jordan said.
There are also medical and psychological assessments. “We probably collect hundreds of data points on an applicant before we move to the final selection,” Jordan said.
She also pointed out that the selection board is not looking for individual astronauts. They are putting together a team that will spend the next two years training together.
Creating a cohesive team often means choosing people with different backgrounds, Jordan said. “It is also seeing, how your life experience makes you unique,” she said. “The way you use those best abilities might be a little different than someone else on the team.”
That’s why NASA looks at more than just a candidate’s work experience and schooling.
There is no such thing as a typical astronaut
In many ways, astronauts are the face of NASA. It is part of the reason for the rigorous application process.
“It tends to require a different kind of résumé than you would normally submit for a job outside of government,” Jordan said.
That’s why it’s important for applicants to think about the skills and experiences they have outside of their jobs and education, she said.
For example, rock climbers and hikers are used to carrying everything they need in a small backpack, she said. That could be useful because you can’t take a lot of luggage with you to space.
“Think outside the box a little bit when you’re showing us who you are,” she said.
Candidates going through the rounds will have to be patient. The entire process can take anywhere from a year to 18 months, Jordan said.
But she hopes anyone 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, she said.
“If you look at the class we graduated from,” she said, “there is no typical astronaut.”
Read the original article on Business Insider
