The management (with the exception of some) will treat you as though you are beneath them from day one. You will get 360 reviews that tell you how fantastic you are and meanwhile will give you no direction on how to improve. Or what you can do to improve.
Supervisors will only treat you well if you inflate their egos. (If that’s your thing, you’ll do fine, just not my thing) It’s a very high school girl atmosphere. Very cliquey, gossip-y, putting people down to build yourself up mentality.
Now mind you I was so ecstatic to work here. I came in every day with a great attitude, nice to everyone and did my job. But little by little when you start to realize how things are it will start to eat away at you.
The best advice I can give is keep to yourself. Don’t interact unless you have to. People will appear to be your friends and are very quick to drag you down at a supervisors request. Be mindful that you can be let go at any moment and it WILL blindside you because you will have had no negative reviews. Most places you have an idea if you will be let go, 9 times out of 10, you deserve it. However at SpaceX they will be extremely vague about why you’re being let go. They will give you a reason such as performance but then give you ZERO instances in which your performance was subpar. If someone in the room was being honest it’s because a supervisor doesn’t “like” you and therefore you’re terminated. As if that isn’t bad enough, when they do let you go they will tell you they are giving you this great parting gift. They buy out your PTO and offer you 2 weeks pay and will keep you insured for a period of time and also give you a glowing recommendation for your next job (mind you, why... if my performance is sub par would you consider giving a recommendation). Mind you, the fine print says your severance is subject to any withholding. They will keep more than half of your “severance” without telling you for whatever fees they deem necessary without giving you an itemized list.
This place seems like a dream come true, until it’s not. My advice is don’t get comfortable because from day one, you’re disposable. Very few people at the lower level can make this place their career. So enjoy the money while it lasts and save as much as you can. Because it can be gone in an instant without warning. And even without reason.
Keep in mind I waited a few weeks to write this because I wanted to be fair and as impartial as possible. I quickly found new employment and they already treat me significantly better and not as though I’m worthless. Just be weary, when something seems too good to be true, it usually is.
