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Comment by lutorm | Hacker News Reader

You guys know we are looking for software people, right?

http://www.spacex.com/careers

The HR screen was a bit off. I applied as a Python developer and was given a purely C memory-leak multiple-choice quiz. Sort of annoying, considering I told the recruiter explicitly that I don't know C.

EDIT: My broader qualm is this. If you've got hundreds of open req.s, but fail a candidate based on a quiz that you know the candidate doesn't know (but which aligns with one specific job posting), you're maybe doing hiring wrong.

You guys regularly fire some portion (3% to 5%) of your employees every year yes? I love what you're doing and I'd love to be part of it, but the press doesn't make it out like a great place to be an employee. It makes sense I guess, given the risk involved in launching rockets, but this kind of work environment is probably not for everyone.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-spacex-employees-lawsu...

Being fired for low performance is okay — if you feel you're continually perform poorly, you should start to look for another job well ahead of this moment. California is not a particularly saturated market for software developers.

Not following the legally required procedure is bad, though.

> Being fired for low performance is okay

The problem is that companies following the "fire at least 10% every year in every department" Jack Welch philosophy tend to let some good people go. It's a management philosophy that just assumes that there's no such thing as a really good team, full of worthwhile players.

Its an attitude that works better in professional sports, where hyper-competitiveness is more often an asset than a liability. The knock-on effects of a bunch of coworkers trying to outdo one another to make the cut seem as though they'd make for a crappy work environment, which I believe is what VieElm was talking about.

It's not appropriate for me to comment on company HR policy. All I'm going to say is that my impression of the atmosphere on the software team is not at all "a bunch of coworkers trying to outdo one another to make the cut".

lutorm, I should have put a disclaimer in there. I know nothing about SpaceX policy and so I wasn't trying to cast any aspersions. (and frankly, the 3% figure VieElm mentioned sounds more like attrition than Neutron Jack policy)

Well it's well documented that what happens is that the system ends up being gamed. For example managers hire people to fire so they don't have to fire the people they've friended. See Microsoft Stack Ranking.

http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2012/07/microsoft-downfall-em...

I applied to the same Linux Admin position in Cape Canaveral 3 times over a year that sat vacant, having 14 years of Linux experience and willing to take the ~60%+ paycut. No response ever.

> To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Optimistic that in the distant future we will be eligible.

Do you have any particular insights how to get a reply from the HR? Applied twice through this form to a super relevant position with matching skills -- no reply, not even a negative one.

All at the time when I'm rejecting other offers expecting to have a chance to talk to SpaceX.

Hey, I work at SpaceX, and made the initial contact through HN. What kind of position are you looking for? If it's software, I can at least make sure someone internally looks at your resume.

Hi, thanks for the reply! Yes, software development. Seattle office. My mail is spin.stabilized in the public google mail service.

I actually went through a few stages of the interview process at SpaceX but was offered only a fraction of my current income.

Regardless, I greatly admire the company's ambition and goals. The methane powered Raptor engine for the MCT is just sheer insanity. I love it. SpaceX inspires many of us, young and old.

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