One of the best ways to get a job at NASA is to first work as an intern. There are many internships both working for NASA itself and for contractors that work for NASA. Many of these are paid positions and actually can pay very competitively…read more than you can make a most other internships or McDonald’s. Internships are a great way to get some exposure to NASA and see what it is all about. Many times the internships end with a paper or presentation about what you learned or a specific study you were doing. The people at NASA know you are new and trust, me they are there to help. None of us were born working there and we all had to work our way in one way or another.

Many times an internship will later turn into a permanent position. If you are a hard worker you will be noticed and they will let you know that you should contact them when you graduate. Another advantage to an internship is the great exposure you will get to all the things NASA does. While you are working an internship you will be exposed to various parts of NASA and you may find something that you really like. You can make contacts and learn where to apply, who to talk to etc. to get a position in a field or department you like.

NASA has an excellent Intern program which should be your first step in looking for a position. I have listed a few of them below:

https://intern.nasa.gov/ – This is the main place to look for an internship, It is called the One Stop Shopping Initiative.

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/education/internships/ – AMES Research Center

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/education/internships.html = Goddard Space Flight Center

It does take some work and effort but be sure to look at an internship. NASA has jobs all over the country and you don’t have to be near a center in order to find an internship. For example there are contractors who build hardware and write software all over the country. Be sure to find out what contractors are near you such as Lockheed, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, Ball Aerospace etc. All of these companies have intern programs to capture new employees.

Other Parts of this Series

How to get a job at NASA – Series Part 1 – Motivation

How to get a job at NASA – Series Part 2 – The Resume

How to get a job at NASA – Series Part 3 – The Interview