Manc

Boeing is the private sector though Bob.

robousy

ok thanks for the advice!

Bob

but they also design military equipment which requires government security clearance.....

Lynne

Getting a job with NASA is not going to be easy. Unless you are skilled in an area that is hard to find workers for, it may be almost impossible. One option to get a foot in the door is to work for a NASA sub contractor. If you can do this for a few years you may be able to get a transfer directly over to NASA. The only problem with a sub-contracting position is that when your side is finished you are out of a job unless the company you are working for can place you elsewhere. I live in Rocket City, we have 140,000 PhD engineers split between NASA and the military defense industry. This is actually one place that if you ask "are you a rocket scientist?" the chances are the person will say yes. lolol In the last few years the NASA people have had bumper stickers made which say "Actually, I am a rocket scientist". You could always try getting a job with Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrup Grumen, Pratt and Witney or any other major aeospace company as a starting point and work your way up.

Security clearances are also hard to get and take a long time.

Good luck.

Rompers

Unless you know how to stop foam falling off the fuel tank.

mdyoung

Go to the OPM Jobs Website and look at the qualification for the type of jobs that are listed that you think you might qualify.

http://www.usajobs.opm.gov

Generally, civil service jobs require you to be a U.S. citizen and how you became of shouldn't matter. Now as someone has said if the job also requires you to obtain a security clearance your being a naturalized citizen might affect that. Having worked in a government job that required a top secret clearance I know people that were born here that couldn't get one.

The Post Office since it's quasi private only requires you to be a permanant resident.

AdobePinon

NASA is a notoriously tough nut to crack. You will need connections. You don't walk into a place like NASA, hand HR your CV, and expect it to go further than the trash can. You need to know who is actually doing the hire, and deal directly with them. Hard to do unless you know people who know them.

Working for the feds as a foreign/dual citizen is subject more to murky policy decisions than actual hard regulations. Typically, naturalized citizens are just as eligible (on paper) as US-born citizens. Getting it through the HR matrix is the biggest hurdle. The fact you're getting a US PhD will make that aspect easier (web applications like to make it impossible to put in non-US qualifications). Security clearances are a pesky thing. A US/UK dual citizen may or may not be required to renounce UK citizenship, depending on their history and departmental/agency policy.

But.... you're still on that student visa. That will not fly, as you know. Need to get that GC ASAP. Fed jobs can get you on an H1 if you need it, but you'll have to convince them that they need you. And with the GC it's another few years to citizenship. But it's never too early - on the federal jobs, look for the line that says 'which normally requires US citizenship.' That's code for non-citizens from non-sensitive countries may apply (and be ignored if you don't have those connections).

Ray

Now who was the person who virtually started NASA ... Oh yes!!! the well know German who built the infamous V1 and V2 rockets bombs Dr Wernher von Braun...

robousy

Thanks adobepinon, mdyoung, lynne and others with great advice.

I think I could get my citizenship in maybe 3 or 4 yrs.
I am getting married soon (USC) and still have 2 yrs left to go on Phd.

I know nasa will be tough but on the plus side I have 3 yrs exp working for the UK goverment in the space field and with the PhD in Physics coming up too it should help - but I hear what you are saying about knowing someone.

I live in Houston at the moment and do know an astronaut. I've been over to his place before and he's given me some names and suggestions so we'll see...fingers crossed!