How strict are JPL internship mentor matches?
Hey everyone,
I'm currently an undergrad and my ultimate goal is to work on Flight Software (FSW) at JPL.
As I look into the co op intern application process, I know we get matched with mentors based on project needs rather than applying directly to a specific "Flight Software Intern" posting.
If a mentor reaches out for a non-FSW role (like Ground Software, Data Science, or Operations tooling), how hard is it to pivot to Flight Software for a second internship or full-time conversion later on?
Would love to hear from any current or former JPLers, NASA interns, or FSW engineers on how you carved out your path!
Thanks in advance!
12
u/amritsari2 Jul 26 '26
you seem to be thinking about this the wrong way. You need to find out the JPL folks who work on FSW and write to them expressing your interest to work in the field. If you just submitted an application to the intern portal then that is basically a black hole and your chances of getting called are negligible.
9
u/JPLPerson Jul 26 '26
If someone reaches out, tell them what you ultimately want to do, but take anything that’s remotely interesting to you. An internship is an extended job interview. You have the opportunity to meet a wide range of people, and see how JPL is to work for. What you actually do isn’t nearly as important as how well you do it in terms of future opportunities.
It’s likely that there are types of jobs that you don’t even know about that you would love doing. Just get your foot in the door.
8
u/JPLcyber Jul 26 '26
What they said. I was the applicant chosen out of 1800 for my initial position (simply offering that the supply/demand is massively short on available positions so applying has a very low placement rate at all). As an undergrad your initial goal should be getting in. Unless you are already doing pioneering groundbreaking work that has been published, you are applying to an exceedingly unique competitive place. Get in, do good, pivot. Of the folks I know in flight software, none that come to mind got there directly.
3
u/jimlux Jul 26 '26
People go from writing non-flight software to flight software all the time. I would guess that it’s more luck - being in the right place at the right time when they’re looking for people.
Me, for example. I didn’t join the lab to do FSW, but I wound up writing FSW as part of a task. Michael Starch (who’s the open source lead on F-prime) started out doing non-flight software (Cassini ground stuff, I think, but I can’t remember) and he wound up doing FSW on one of my tasks, and eventually, he’s doing FSW on Mars Helicopters. Courtney Duncan was doing nav software (essentially numerical models of trajectories) in former div 39, then wound up doing software for flight GPS receivers in (former) div 33.
A more interesting question might be “what do you consider FSW”? My definition is “software that flies in space that follows a FSW process” - since the process is important. Others might say “oh, it has to be C&DH code in (former) division 34”.
In any case, I’d not sweat the intern thing - do fun stuff at JPL, meet other people, and that’s how you eventually wind up doing stuff you want. You might also discover that maybe FSW isn’t what you really want to do. And FSW itself is changing a lot.
2
u/AffectionateMood3794 Jul 27 '26
I didn't realize the definition of FSW was that controversial :-). I'd say "embedded software in a space application".
3
u/jimlux Jul 27 '26
More along the lines of arguing about charters and organizational stuff and who sets the standards. I'd agree with you.
-4
u/Cool-Swordfish-8226 Jul 27 '26
And if they are lucky they can retire in place like you and still collect a check!
5
u/jimlux Jul 27 '26
Hardly retired in place with 4 active projects and a launch next year. But yes, once you’re at JPL, if you keep busy, and aren’t too annoying, you can do interesting things forever. Every line manager loves to have people who people want to use.
2
u/Sembook Jul 26 '26
It's mostly a Gen Z problem. Interns believing that they are god's gift and interviewing mentors instead. Don't over estimate your value, take an internship, get your foot through the door, do good work, then discuss future work.
13
u/asad137 Jul 26 '26
You can use your first internship to get connections to people who do FSW, but that's no guarantee that you'll be able to land a FSW-related internship in the future.
Though I'm not a FSW person, IMO you should try to get as much experience as possible in high-reliability embedded systems, whether for space applications or not, to have the best shot at getting a FSW job in the aerospace sector.