Elon Musk or: how I learned to stop worrying and love the Falcon Heavy.

[marctek]

That is awesome.

I missed my chance to see a shuttle launch back in 2002. My silly wife decided to have our first child around the same time the rest of our family was going to see a launch.

 

[Jolly_Green_Giant]

That is awesome.

I missed my chance to see a shuttle launch back in 2002. My silly wife decided to have our first child around the same time the rest of our family was going to see a launch.

Wow, and I bet she didn't even feel bad.


lol.

 

[Jolly_Green_Giant]

I just came across this. It's time marked. This is the best video that I was able to find that captured a near identical view and the excitement of the crowd was pretty much how we all felt. I wish videos and pictures could do it true justice.

 

[Jolly_Green_Giant]

SpaceX made a video. I'm pretty sure I'm in the video. Around 30 seconds and again at 50 seconds. I can't find me but maybe you can. HEY GUYS I WAS IN A SPACEX VIDEO! *Faints to the floor*.

 

[SullyQuindarius]

That's a great video :D

 

[Sraika]

Judging by your earlier pics, you are just out of shot to the left in the one at 50 secs, and I can't really tell at 30 secs, so you might actually be in that one :)

 

[Jolly_Green_Giant]

I had a phone interview with SpaceX at the beginning of March, before I took this new job in the Bahamas. Within the last 24 hours I was contacted again for another position and have a phone interview tomorrow afternoon. I like my job now, but oh my god I just want to send people to mars! I don't have anyone else to tell so I have to tell someone. I'm pretty stoked. Nervous funnily enough, but stoked none the less.

 

[EVPilot]

Good luck. I hope you get it then get us spots to watch launches closer.

 

[Sraika]

I had a phone interview with SpaceX at the beginning of March, before I took this new job in the Bahamas. Within the last 24 hours I was contacted again for another position and have a phone interview tomorrow afternoon. I like my job now, but oh my god I just want to send people to mars! I don't have anyone else to tell so I have to tell someone. I'm pretty stoked. Nervous funnily enough, but stoked none the less.

Damn, that's awesome! Hope you get it, mate. It seems like a damn cool place to work.

 

[Jolly_Green_Giant]

Okay, so I had the phone interview Friday Afternoon. I was really thrown off guard because it was such short notice, but I think I did better than last time. I'll find out more by the end of the week he said, so I really won't know how I did until then. I mean, I was excited and nervous and kinda unprepared, but it was Star Wars day so I mean, SpaceX interview on Star Wars day kinda means the planets are in line... right? Or aliens. Either way...

The job sounds interesting. I had no Idea but it seems I will be spending a lot of time on another island, even more remote than the one I'm on now. Apparently they have a launch site our in the Marshall Islands on their own Atoll which is part of the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Test Range owned by the US Army. It's near the atolls they used to test the atom bombs, and where spongebob lives. (Bikini Atoll --- Bikini Bottom).
My boss knows about the interview and was really cool about it, so I don't have that hanging over my shoulders. They wouldn't fire me from here as they have a hard enough time as it is keeping people. The job entails wiring up all of the sensors on the launch pad and to the rockets. I'm told to expect 10 hour days "and we try to give you at least a day off." They told me you will see the engineers sleeping in their offices when we have stuff to get done, but everyone loves coming to work, because at the end of the day we are modern day pioneers looking to send people to Mars. He's not wrong. So, I may be getting in over my head as I think I can handle it, but I'm not sure if I oversold myself, and until I get into the deep of it I really won't know how much work I'll be putting in and how exhausted I'll be. I'm willing to give it a shot and put in 100% though. They told me if we move forward, the next step will be to go before a board. When I was told that, my stomach knotted up. I remember in the military going for competitive boards and the amount of pressure you are under to show them your best and beat out all the other people who were selected as the best is just nauseating. I know I can get through it, I'm just worried about letting myself down, and again maybe getting in over my head.

Thanks again for those of you who take the time to read and listen to the trials and tribulations of Jolly's life. I'll be sure to update you on how this goes. :)

 

[BUTUZ]

Fantastic write up and story. Very inspirational.

Man - when the two land together that is what _really_ amazed me.

 

[DirectorGunner]

Is it weird I feel that'd be fun to ride from the outside?

 

[Jolly_Green_Giant]

I opened an E-mail from the recruiter today. It read something like this:


Good afternoon Jolly!


I got feedback from [REDACTED] – he’s a thumbs up to move forward to the onsite/in-person interview stage of this process. It’ll be a chance for you to meet with the whole team, and go through a technical practical in person.


Most likely about an hour long interview – give or take 30 mins depending on how things are going, and if the team wants to do anything else while onsite.


[REDACTED] – our recruiting coordinator – will reach out to you by 5/15, close of business at the latest, to set everything up (schedule date/time, etc.).


Once a date/time is set, I’ll be in touch to make sure you’re fully prepped for the onsite/in-person interview!


Thanks. – [REDACTED]


[REDACTED] | Talent Acquisition

1 Rocket Rd, Hawthorne, CA 90250

 

[Sraika]

I opened an E-mail from the recruiter today. It read something like this:


Good afternoon Jolly!


I got feedback from [REDACTED] – he’s a thumbs up to move forward to the onsite/in-person interview stage of this process. It’ll be a chance for you to meet with the whole team, and go through a technical practical in person.


Most likely about an hour long interview – give or take 30 mins depending on how things are going, and if the team wants to do anything else while onsite.


[REDACTED] – our recruiting coordinator – will reach out to you by 5/15, close of business at the latest, to set everything up (schedule date/time, etc.).


Once a date/time is set, I’ll be in touch to make sure you’re fully prepped for the onsite/in-person interview!


Thanks. – [REDACTED]


[REDACTED] | Talent Acquisition

1 Rocket Rd, Hawthorne, CA 90250

Nice! Good luck.

 

[Jolly_Green_Giant]

Nice! Good luck.

Thank you very much. I need everything I can get for this!

 

[Bambooza]

Thank you very much. I need everything I can get for this!

Just know that with all this support comes a cost. You'll have to make sure a test sticker is included in any launch you are a part of.

 

[Jolly_Green_Giant]

Just know that with all this support comes a cost. You'll have to make sure a test sticker is included in any launch you are a part of.

Trust me, If I can make it happen, it will happen. I'll be working on the launch pads so It would be much more likely to end up there. The rockets? Who knows, maybe if they send up another roadster or something of the sort on the BFR. I'll request to launch a bag full of TEST beer mugs and shot glasses up with it if they need another simulated payload!

 

[Jolly_Green_Giant]

I've been doing a lot of material gathering and doing research on stuff and things. I always love coming across this video and I want to share it with those of you who haven't seen it yet. It's best viewed on a large screen.

 

[Bambooza]

I've been doing a lot of material gathering and doing research on stuff and things. I always love coming across this video and I want to share it with those of you who haven't seen it yet. It's best viewed on a large screen.

Not sure they have speakers capable of truly doing the sound of this vehicle justice.

 

[Jolly_Green_Giant]

Had the interview. Everything went great. Awesome team, amazing work and I got to tour the Facility and stand atop the Historic 39A launch pad on which I would be working. Seeing the boosters up close in the hangar was absolutely amazing. On my drive home however I made the decision not to take the job. I'm not as young as I think I am and essentially the role, tasks and responsibilities would have been greater than anything I have ever had before in my life. They keep their team extremely small and give you so much leeway in the development of what you are working on with the engineers. It's absolutely amazing, I just know I can't throw myself into something that I know will absolutely burn me out. I see it happening quick simply because I will have no upper limits to keep myself from slowing down. They liked me so much they called me back asking if I would be interested in a temp position, even something in a slightly different role. They were so awesome they told me I have their number and if I change my mind within the next few months or even year or two, to give them a call back. If you have read my mental health posts, I had to make a decision based on what I know of myself. I can't believe how accommodating they have been though. I love that they gave me the option to give me time to think about it. I think the company is more based on heart than most I have heard about in the past. It wasn't a bunch of elon musk fan boys, a lot of guys seemed worn and grizzled and the team I was interviewing with was a group of young veterans with a wealth of experience. It was a damn hard decision but I honestly feel I made the right one.