Pros
- Exciting product and achievements - Challenging workload keeps you busy I only gave SpaceX 2 stars instead of 1 because of the exciting product and the experience of launching rockets.
Cons
SpaceX Cape Canaveral treats it's employees like throwaways. During my tenure, I worked most every holiday, 7 days per week, and at least 12 hours per day. Those who say the overtime is voluntary are working in design roles in California and have the luxury. At the remote sites, anything in operations or integration have mandatory overtime without additional compensation. Design engineering is king at SpaceX and quality is only there because of contractual obligation. The quality department is always the most under-resourced and least empowered. Management will bully and intimidate anyone in quality who questions engineering or management decisions about issues. For years, my department was supposed to hire more, but I continued to see the team work many, many overtime hours and days straight (at the expense of their families and personal lives) because of the lack of resources. Leadership is chosen based upon results-oriented perceptions and not on leadership skills, capability or experience in management. Needless to say, there are many bad managers. I once had a director condone posters placed all over the facility making fun of me and even make jokes about me in the morning staff meeting in a conference room filled with the posters. The director received no discipline and, in fact, has seen promotion. SpaceX will chew up and spit out whomever comes to work there. I put in my notice and was walked out with not even a handshake or a thank you. They have made themselves desirable as a place to work because of the hype and, in fact, it is an enjoyable place to work in California only. Recognition of all the hours sacrificed and hard work was marginalized by my immediate supervisor suggesting that I was "martyring myself" by expressing my desire to decrease the amount of hours I was working. It's a highschool environment of cool kids and cliques. You will not see advancement development unless you are a part of the "in crowd". In my tenure, I was not once given development training or any feedback on how I could improve besides being told that I was not good enough. Don't make the same mistake that I did - look somewhere else for employment if considering work at the remote sites. If you are offered a position in California, feel free as you'll be treated with respect and see many perks in addition to the many overtime hours.
