From: afwendy@lims02.lerc.nasa.gov (WENDY WARTNICK)
Subject: Re: What's it like at NASA.
Followup-To: sci.research.careers
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center
Date: 29 Jul 1992 15:56 EST  

In article <1992Jul28.184708.24292@nas.nasa.gov>, eugene@wilbur.nas.nasa.gov (Eugene N. Miya) writes...
>In article <BrwEnM.FqL@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu>
>england@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (julie england) writes:
>>I've noticed that many people who work, or have worked, for NASA have
>>been posting.  I've already asked this question directly to someone in
>>another post, but I was wondering if those of you who have worked for
>>NASA could tell those of us who are interested what it is like to work
>>for NASA?
> 
>NASA is a mixed blessing.  Probably like working anywhere.  You will find
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

very true!

some stuff deleated
> 
>Beats designing thermonuclear warheads or smart weapons.
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

VERY, VERY True!!!!!

>>What sort of degree are you expected to have to do the
>>kinds of things that are assumed (or that you enjoy?)?
> 
>The first big salary step is just to have a college degree at all.
>This is regardless of whether you are a civil servant or a contractor.
>They'd like to have PhD.  The managers like to count the number of PhDs
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Maybe if you intend to do research, not so true if you are doing Project 
Engineering.  Project engineers do just fine with a BS, but are strongly 
encouraged to get a masters.  A project engineer with a PhD is 
overqualified.  

As an aside, one does not need a PhD to be an astronaut either!  A person 
can be chosen with a masters and (I think...) just a bachelors.  That 
person just has to put more time into his/her field of study before he/she 
can be considered qualified.

Stuff about patents and inventions deleated...again, true for researchers.

> 
>>Do you have to have a Ph.D., and if so, what area is best suited?
> 

> 
>>I guess I am asking whether it is necessary to have a Ph.D.  Is an MS or MA
>>sufficient?

Depends on what you plan to do...see above
> 
>Oh, these are fine.  Just be smart.
>                      ^^^^^^^^^^^^
Always a good idea!!!!

>>I know that no one can predict the future demand for
>>specialists in any particular area, so I apologize for my general
>>questions.  But I've always had a dream since I was a kid of working
>>for NASA, or some aspect of the space program.  What's involved in
>>doing this kind of work?
> 
>Oh, I had that as well.

ditto!

> 
>What is involved is some luck, some timing, certainly some amount of the
>right kind of knowledge in the right place.

Hm...this sounds like "how do I become an astronaut" not "how do I get a 
job with NASA".  Completing a science degree at an accredited (sp?), 
showing yourself to be a well rounded person, an applying are a good start!
> 
>Place: NASA and its contractors are located in certain areas of the country
>from when land was cheap and swampy.  
           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Hm...that explains Cleveland! :-)
> 
>NASA is about SOME RISK.  People die the course of working for this Agency.
>I don't mean driving to work.  Planes and spacecraft crash, tests fail, etc.
>Even some of the computers have risk.

Not to mention equipment failure!
> 

stuff deleted
> 
>As a government Agency, NASA is without question, one of the better agencies.
>It is a civilian rather than military high tech agency.  It is not a
>Cabinet post, but reports directly to the White House.  So it can speak
>openly about most things (civil and military contracts excluded).
>It is still regarded with high confidence with the public at large.

there is a high degree of pride among workers for just this reason (IMHO)
> 
>Disadvantages: salary and cost of living side toward the negatives.
> 
Only in California!!!!!!  I'm living rather pretty here! (no Cleveland 
jokes please!  Come check this place out before you make Cleveland jokes...
it ain't all that bad--and I'm a native Minnesotan!)

>Advantages: some "freedom" typically project dependent.  Always
>mission-oriented.
> 
Personal freedom, too.  My time is pretty much my own.  I have no problems 
getting days off if it doen't conflict with my work, and if I have the time
.
>>I apologize for my naivete.
> 
>None needed.  This is the Usenet.
> 
>This is one of the reasons why I stopped trying to attract people specifically
>to NASA.  People will come anyway.
>
True!  

For those of you who are not familiar with NASA-Lewis, we do mostly wind 
tunnel testing of aeronautics--very little space stuff (though we do have a 
Space Station Division--it almost got axed in the budget crunch).

				wendy
Newsgroups: sci.research.careers