Hacker News Reader

Comment by aplsoftwaredev | Hacker News Reader

Hi all, I work at JHU apl in the r&d department and wanted to say that we're hiring right now!

Pay isn't FAANG level but you get to do some really interesting work and you have a good bit of freedom in choosing what projects you get to work on. If you're a curious person that likes to constantly keep learning to tackle new challenges, it's a great place to work.

That being said, our hiring process is ancient and takes a good bit of time to go through and you'll probably need to be able to get a clearance of some sort.

View on HN

Any advice on getting through HR?

I had a great time visiting APL in 2016 or 2017, when I had nothing but a preprint and a prayer. Funding fell through for that job, but I've applied to several others. I feel like I'm a much stronger candidate now, but subsequent applications have just vanished into the ether without even a phone screen.

It really depends on what job you’re going for. There are seven big sectors with tons of variation in culture and processes between them. I’m actually trying to find experience full stack devs right now, so if that’s up your alley we can definitely talk. If you’re looking for something else, I can for sure point your resume toward the right department.

Thanks! I was looking at REDD--my background is machine learning + computational/experimental neuroscience.

My email is in my profile, feel free to shoot me a resume and I'll pass it along!

Definitely reach out — neuro-AI group is actively hiring :)

Thanks! I'll shoot you and NavBaker an email this afternoon.

I worked at APL for 3 years (2015 - 2018) and loved my time there. Although, the work got repetitive over time and was no longer challenging, the thing I loved the most was the social environment. Theres a lot to be said for having a good team/group of people around you. I still keep in touch with some of them.

Nice to see fellow APLers here! I have been at APL 5 years and like it a lot.

> probably need to be able to get a clearance of some sort.

Why is this the case? Is everything being worked on government funded? I would probably apply otherwise.

Yes; APL is a University Affiliated Research Center (UARC) and while we sometimes do work with industry, our whole purpose is to support the US Government. That doesn't necessarily mean you need a clearance, but much of our work is national security related.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_Affiliated_Research...

Yeah, I had no idea that was the case. No interest in building missiles or weapons anyway.

They make bombs, crazy spy stuff, crack crypto. Def needs clearance.

> Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

I thought it was APL the language :)

Probably implied, but I’m assuming this requires relocating to Baltimore?

It's located between Baltimore and DC in Laurel Maryland. I commute from central baltimore and the drive is around 40 minutes.

It's looking like some amount of in office time will be required (2-3 days a week) although some people have been working remotely since before the pandemic. If you're working on classified stuff you'll also need to be on campus.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com