055 // Becoming a NASA Engineer with Joan Melendez Misner

📌 Full show notes at https://www.luisfelipeduque.com/055 Big thank you to the podcast partners for making this episode possible: PPI: https://www.luisfelipeduque.com/PPI2Pass Skillshare: https://www.luisfelipeduque.com/Skillshare Learn more about the podcast sponsors and how to support the show - https://www.luisfelipeduque.com/Partners With all the space travel and exploration missions currently going on, you've probably wondered what it takes to work on some of them. However, if you're not an aerospace engineer, you may be skeptical about this since you don't have the "required" credentials. If that's the case, this episode brings you good news. Today, Latina engineer Joan Melendez Misner elaborates on how her career progressed until she finally got her dream job at NASA after 13 failed attempts. With a chemical engineering background, she explains the many other roles available at NASA and its subcontractors that don't require you to be a rocket scientist to work on space exploration. In addition, she lays out the steps you can take to change career paths and get into the space sector, or any other sector, regardless of your degree. What You'll Learn: * Her Work Experience in the Aviation Industry―And How It Helps Her at NASA * How NASA Socials Allowed Her to Network With and Learn From NASA Engineers * How She Managed to Get Her Job at NASA After 13 Failed Attempts * What She Did After Each Rejection That Allowed Her to Succeed Later on * Pandemic-Related Challenges She Faced Right After Joining NASA * Joan's Past and Current Missions at NASA * One of Her Life Principles: "Network to get work" * Do You Need to Be a Rocket Scientist to Work at NASA? * Roles Available at NASA and its Subcontractors You Didn't Know You Could Get * How She Uses Her Chemical Engineering Background at NASA * Your Degree Doesn't Define You. You Willingness to Learn Does. * How You Can Switch Career Paths if You Want to―Regardless of Your Degree * Why Do Countries Spend Billions of Dollars to Send Things into Space? * The Unnoticed Benefits Society Gets From the Space Sector * Her All-Time Favorite Moments and Tasks as a NASA Engineer * Her Struggles as a Hispanic Woman Engineer * Why She Started Her Highly Successful Instagram Page With 40k+ Followers * Her Top Two Tips on How to Pursue a Career in STEM―And Succeed Music by Jack Winders Intro: Midwest Folks Outro: Southern Skies Website: https://www.jackwinders.com [https://www.jackwinders.com/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JackWindersMusic Follow him on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0msfukZWdVoUHIvpFvanTU?si=U5jKEdjfSTOetL12ispLcg Connect With Me Sign up to my weekly email newsletter // https://www.luisfelipeduque.com/Newsletter My website & blog // https://www.luisfelipeduque.com [https://www.luisfelipeduque.com/] Instagram // https://www.luisfelipeduque.com/Instagram Twitter // https://www.luisfelipeduque.com/Twitter --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/engou --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/engourfuture/message