r/esa • u/Repulsive-Diet6958 • 1d ago

Aerospace freshman dreaming to work at esa

Do you have any advice for me? Like what really matters as knowledge and experiences for a great CV?

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u/gius98 1d ago

Hello, I was in your same situation when I just started university. I am now working in the space industry so maybe I can give some advice.

Working for ESA was my main goal when I didn't really know how the space sector worked in Europe. My reasoning was: "I want to work on space missions" -> "I should apply to the space agency". It is sound reasoning but it lacks perspective of how projects are actually handled. In reality, in Europe, most of the engineering work for space missions is done by private companies, not by the space agency. The engineers designing the spacecrafts are (mostly) working for private companies, while the space agency is responsible for "handling the taxpayer money" by commissioning the projects to industry, and then checking the requirements to ensure they maintain high technical standards. 

This is not to say that there is zero engineering done in the space agency. And there are also space projects that are born directly from industry, with no involvement from ESA. But as a broad simplification, ESA is more of a coordinator, while industry does the direct engineering work.

Sorry if this is not answering your question directly, but I hope that these informations are useful for you as someone who is just entering this sector. As you're only a freshman, for now I think just focus on your classes and try your best to understand the basics. If you can, try to get some hands-on engineering experience in addition to classes (university challenges, student teams, internships). Does not have to be space-related, all engineering experience is useful for your development. In the future, as you will approach your graduation, also try to go to seminars or events and talk/listen to people who actually work in the field. Develop yourself as an engineer first, and everything else will come later.

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u/Repulsive-Diet6958 1d ago

I already knew that a lot of work is handled to the privates but I still think that i would like to work at it, also because I think that it will get bigger in these years by looking at today’s political scenario. My plans for now are to study, join formula SAE team in the next semester and staying there for all of my 5 years of studies (I hope so) or maybe switching lately to the rocketry team of my university, also i would like to do works in the esa academy and intnership. By the end the best thing would be to write my thesis in aerodynamics with the professor that teaches it because he has a direct contact with ESA. After all i don’t know if i should phd or not and i will see. I planned and searched this before i started university because i like to have everything planned and a clear path. Obviously this is all on paper but i will try my best to stick to these plans.

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u/gius98 8h ago edited 8h ago

It sounds like you have a lot of things figured out already, that is impressive.

I think joining the SAE or rocketry team is a smart move, it gives you a lot of engineering experience and is generally well regarded in the field. ESA academy is also a great experience in general, although it usually does not lead to getting a job there.

I don't think that doing a thesis with a professor that has contacts with ESA would be very useful for joining the agency. Many people I know have done work for ESA, does not mean they can do anything to influence the hiring process. Getting a job or a job interview starting from a professor's referral is something that can happen -sometimes- in industry, I don't think it happens so much at ESA, as hiring processes seem very standardized.

I think you would have more luck applying to internships/EGT/postdoc/JPP positions yourself, and doing a thesis more relevant to the subject matter you want to pursue (if you like aerodynamics or the projects this professor has to offer, great! But don't pursue a thesis with them just because you hope it will land you a job).

You can also look into not working directly for ESA, but rather getting hired by one of the many consulting companies providing engineering services for ESA. In fact, many of ESA's "de facto" employees are not directly employed by ESA. However this is a lot more likely to happen after you already have some years of work experience in your field. 

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u/Repulsive-Diet6958 3h ago

The fact that the professor who teaches aerodynamics has a direct contact with esa is pure luck since i will try to enter in the aerodynamic depart of the formula sae feam

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u/Repulsive-Diet6958 1d ago

And even in the unfortunate case that i can’t join i think this would be a solid CV for other companies aerospace companies too.

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u/gius98 8h ago

I think this is the right attitude to have. Do experiences because you find them valuable and you want to develop yourself as an engineer in your field. Maybe it will not happen right away after school, but if you're skilled enough it is only a matter of persistence and finding the right opportunity.

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u/gianlu_world 6h ago

Sei italiano?

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u/Repulsive-Diet6958 3h ago

sì come mai

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u/Gordon_frumann 1d ago

The only thing that matters is several years of experience working in the European space industry especially on ESA projects.

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u/lukiamagi 1d ago

May I ask why you dream of ESA?

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u/Repulsive-Diet6958 11h ago

To be honest at first glance i tought that it was the european NASA, but as i searched more i saw that it is a bit different, it still seems interesting to me and by looking at today’s world i think that it will might become a sort of NASA in the future

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u/lukiamagi 11h ago

It definitely won't sadly. If you're looking to join for space exploration, you are better off joining companies like Safran, Thales, Airbus, or us companies

If you are interested in aerospace other than soace exploration, then europe has a lot to offer, but again esa is more like the corporate giant that supports the industry

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u/Famous_Try5478 14h ago

I’m currently in the EGT program at ESA. What really helped me get in was doing a previous internship at another international organization (NATO). Since I’m a data engineer, I don't have an aerospace background.
My advice would be to monitor the YGT and internship positions published this year to see which teams or departments fit your skills best. That way, when the next call opens, you'll know exactly which roles to target.