From: bell@nssdca.gsfc.nasa.gov (E. V. Bell, II - NSSDC/HSTX/GSFC/NASA - (301)513-1663)
Newsgroups: sci.research.careers
Subject: Re: What's is like at NASA?
Date: 24 Jul 92 16:44:00 GMT
Organization: NASA - Goddard Space Flight Center
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

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?  

	Exciting, frustrating, wonderful, awful, and everything in 
	between. Much like other jobs, I suppose. Most jobs "with 
	NASA" are, like my current job, being employed by a contractor
	which NASA pays for doing a certain job. Therefore, working
	for one of these contractors is much like working for any
	company in terms of benefits and corporate activities. 
	However, our customer (NASA in my case, other federal agencies
	for other people in my company) is much different than for 
	those companies which deal mostly with other companies or with
	the general public. It does make things more interesting at 
	times.

>What sort of degree are you expected to have to do the
>kinds of things that are assumed (or that you enjoy?)?

	Any and all types. Of the people who work under me, I have
	people with masters, batchelors, associate, and high school
	backgrounds. (I just don't happen to have any Ph. D.s working
	for me at this time.) There's a niche for almost everybody.
	However, the tendency is that the lower the background, the
	more "menial" or "repetitive" the job.

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

	Depends on what you want to do. Engineers and physicists are
	probably the most common background, given the nature of work
	at NASA, but there are a variety and nearly every kind of
	Ph. D. in science and mathematics (and probably some in
	liberal arts and political science) are represented *some*
	place.

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

	Again, it depends on what you want.

>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?

	NASA is like any federal agency in that, although it has a 
	"specific" set of activities in which to involve itself (space
	and aeronautics), a variety of people are needed, 
	including accountants, clerical workers, public relations 
	people, graphic designers, scientists, engineers...you name it,
	they're employed here. However, keep in mind that contractors
	far outnumber the federal employees in NASA, so if you want
	one of the federal jobs, competition can be fierce.

>I apologize for my naivete.

	None required.


>Julie
>-- 
>*-------------------------------------**-------------------------------------*
>| Julie England, Database Coordinator || Workshop in Political Theory and    |
>| england@silver.ucs.indiana.edu      || Policy Analysis, Indiana University |
>*-------------------------------------**-------------------------------------*

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|  Dr. Edwin V. Bell, II	|  E-mail:				       |
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Newsgroups: sci.research.careers