Job Qualifications

A guide to careers and jobs.

Aerospace Jobs

The aerospace industry is a wide, diverse field that deals with designing craft for both air and space. Aerospace jobs perform tasks such as aircraft design, construction, and testing. Aerospace jobs are also responsible for the construction of missiles, space shuttles, and other orbiting craft. Aerospace researchers are involved in the testing of new materials for the further advancement of better and more efficient aircraft.

The aerospace industry is made up of both public and private groups whose work is applied to commercial, military, and industrial uses. Two of the largest areas of jobs within the United States for aerospace workers centers around the U.S. military and the NASA space program. Each government branch deals with numerous companies and contractors who manufacture components and do research for their programs. Outside of the U.S., just about every sizable country has some form of air or space program for military or commercial purposes.

Aerospace Job Qualifications

If you want to work in the aerospace industry, you need to have a degree in Aerospace Engineering. There are many universities within the United States that offer degrees in the field. For a bachelor’s degree, it takes about four years of study from an accredited university. You will probably have to start out with a general Engineering degree and then take aerospace courses.

The aerospace industry is notoriously difficult to break into so it would be advised to complete at least a Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering. This will open up more options for an entry level position. Candidates should try to get on as an intern at one of the aerospace companies. The networking might prove invaluable in such a tough industry.

Candidates who want to enter the aerospace field need to have a good understanding of physics, mathematics, and general science. They also need to be adequate at research solutions, analyzing data, computer programming, and mechanically inclined.

Aerospace Job Description

With such a broad spectrum of jobs to choose from in the aerospace industry, here are some general job descriptions that a candidate may be required to perform.

Aerospace engineers may coordinate technical personnel in the design, fabrication, and testing or aircraft or aerospace products and equipment. They may also be responsible for individual products or systems that are compatible with products manufactured at other companies.

Aerospace engineers may be responsible for creation of testing methods, overseeing production costs for projects, creation of quality standards, and making sure that projects stick to their deadlines.

Other duties that can be expected is the creation of computer models that can be used to evaluate and modify designs as well as simulate possible stress due to atmospheric pressure and changes in temperature. The application of mathematical equations also plays a big role in the design process.

Candidates in the field may be required to write up technical reports and other documents, such as bulletins and handbooks, to be reviewed by aerospace management, staff, and possible clients. On the same note, they should be able to read and understand reports or proposals written by clients and fellow experts in the aerospace field.