SpaceX Interview Questions

Application

I applied online. I interviewed at SpaceX.

Interview

Lengthy. Applied online, waited two months, then started reaching out to 2nd-degree LinkedIn connections. Once I finally managed to get the interview process started, it took another three months to get an offer. There were three phone interview rounds. First with a recruiter, then with a potential co-worker, then with my potential boss. After passing all three, I got a take-home assignment which took me about 50 hours of work over the course of a week. It was a project very similar to the work that would be done if I got the position. Finally, I was brought on-site for the final interview round. I got a brief tour of the facility in Hawthorne, then had to present on some of my past work, then had a long series of technical interviews for the rest of the day. Even after passing that, there was a background check, a reference check, and finally I had to write an executive summary of my top technical accomplishments, to be finally approved by Elon himself. My advice: stay patient and be persistent.

Interview Questions

Application

I applied online. I interviewed at SpaceX (Hawthorne, CA).

Interview

I applied online. I was sent a link to an online timed test. After passing that I got a call to screen then invited to a panel interview. After the interview I received an offer.

Application

I applied through an employee referral. The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at SpaceX (Hawthorne, CA) in June 2017.

Interview

I interviewed for a Fall 2017 internship in the Flight Reliability Division. After 2 employee and 1 professor referrals, I was contacted by the Hiring Manager and HR to schedule 1 technical 30 min phone interview. A week after the technical interview, I was offered the job.

Interview Questions

Application

I applied online. I interviewed at SpaceX (Hawthorne, CA) in June 2017.

Interview

Justina and the interview panel were very accommodating with my schedule. I had 7 interviews on both the east and west coast during the two weeks after she contacted me, and a small facial reconstructive surgery done the day prior to my interview (I maybe should have addressed that white elephant in the room as to why I looked like I just left a fight, but I doubt that was the deal breaker). Gave a presentation to a group of would-be peers and managers. The team asked questions and then I did a couple one on one interviews directly after, which was ultimately cut short of the final couple when it was decided I wasn't the best fit for the role. Justina was very candid with the feedback from the team and I appreciated the honesty (as opposed to some long, drawn out process, as is the case with most companies). I'm still hoping to secure a position with the Company, but it is unlikely it will be in that realm. Overall, I enjoyed the break-neck pace of trying to handle my own professional and personal items, along with having the chance to interview on short notice - definitely the type of tenacity I like to see with others in organizations I work with.

Interview Questions

Application

I applied online. I interviewed at SpaceX in May 2017.

Interview

Casual interview. I had the initial screening, technical interview, and now am patiently/hopefully waiting for the next step which I'm being told consists of a deeper coding challenge. General questions for a full-stack position. Interviewers were very informative and collaborative in answering any questions that I had.

Interview Questions

Application

I applied online. I interviewed at SpaceX (Vandenberg AFB, CA) in May 2017.

Interview

Started out with a phone screening from the recruiter in Hawthorne,CA. That went forward to submitting my profile to the quality team. From there I was granted a phone interview with the quality supervisor and after was invited to SpaceX for an onsite interview with four managers/supervisors as well as a tour of the facility. After that I had a phone screening with a high level executive.

Interview Questions

Application

I applied online. I interviewed at SpaceX in May 2017.

Interview

First a screening HR phone interview, followed by two technical phone interviews. The technical interviews included questions on my background and some first principles "brain teasers" type questions.

Interview Questions

Application

I applied online. I interviewed at SpaceX (Hawthorne, CA) in May 2017.

Interview

The interview process was pleasant, I had a talk with a recruiter followed by a technical interview. After this was a coding challenge that was simple, I cannot share many details, however it was a 3 hour test where I sent my code to be tested, after the 3 hours you are given an additional 30 minutes to iterate if needed. I unfortunately had a minor time management issue and did not proceed further than this phase of the interview process.

Interview Questions

Application

I applied online. The process took 5 days. I interviewed at SpaceX.

Interview

Contacted via phone and e-mail on Monday evening. I had other offers pending - HR department was incredible and set-up a phone interview the following day (Tuesday). I waited a single day and heard back on Wednesday night that I was selected for an internship. After submitting pre-offer forms, I was sent on offer on Friday night and accepted. SpaceX's recruiting team is impressive given the sheer amount of people they are dealing with.

The communication in-between was lacking, but totally understandable: they are dealing with tens of thousands of applicants. The majority of the e-mails and phone calls were late evenings (Pacific time).

The phone interview lasted 30 minutes and was focused on my previous/current internships, a little bit on my previous coursework, and my background in other jobs (I am an "old" student). The interview was fairly casual and free-flowing. I had many, many questions about SpaceX's materials department and asked them during and after the interview.

The phone interview went well enough that a second interview was not necessary (the other offers also created a time crunch, which probably also impacted their decision).

Overall, the interview was "easy" but mainly because I demonstrated an extreme interest in the company and... this my dream position. Come prepared with a great deal of curiosity on what SpaceX is doing now and in the future - show you are prepared and interested in helping them advance their vision. There are countless intelligent and hard-working engineering students with the picture perfect resume - show that you are the special case that is committed to helping SpaceX get people to Mars, permanently.

Interview Questions

Interview

Got contacted by a SpaceX recruiter on LinkedIn. Got flown to LA. You're in for a treat.

First, tour of the factory which is awesome. Give a 30 mins - 1 hr presentation to a group of engineers and managers. Then break off into ~30 minute 1 on 1s. If you do well on the presentation, you're in for an experience of a lifetime (if you like rockets like me). Either way stick to the basics and know your fundamentals. Be prepared to strut your stuff too. Time flies when you're having fun!

My advice to any new graduates looking at their first job: Think about what type of lifestyle will make you the happiest. SpaceX is awesome, but its not the right fit for everyone! Just be sure to chat with your hiring manager after the interview and manage expectations. Great communication is the key to many fun things in life, like Rocket League ;)

Interview Questions