Expert: Paul Soderman - 5/11/2011

Question
Hello Paul, I need to do this for a research project for my high school; your help is my only hope, thank you. Your answers will save my grade. Thank you again.

Can you describe a typical workday?

Do you deal with a lot of people? With what Kind of people do you deal?

Do you enjoy what you do?

Is it hard when you are barely starting to get a job?

Is it hard to get a job when you are barely starting?

What advice could you give someone that thinks this is what they want to study but are still undecided?

What classes did you take and were helpful to you during high school?

What kind of training or certifications did you had to do before graduation?

What are pros and cons. of this career?

Are there any qualifying examinations you need to pass in order to practice your profession? How often?

What kinds of continuing education are useful?

Answer
Cesar
I get many questions like this so I have a standard reply that may not answer your questions in the correct order.

Degrees:  BS and MS in Aeronautics and Astronautics Engineering

Employment:  mostly retired but do some consulting for NASA and industry.  Formerly I was an Aerospace Engineer Group Leader at NASA Ames Research Center responsible for planning and executing wind tunnel studies aimed at improving our understanding of aeronautics and related technologies. I retired in 2004 after 38 years at NASA.

A normal day at NASA involved examination of scientific literature, planning experiments, writing code for data analysis, analyzing experimental results, meeting with my peers, assigning tasks, requesting support from management, writing reports, etc.  I traveled 4 to 6 times a year to various laboratories or scientific conferences.  Much of the work was done in the office, but we also worked in the lab, in the wind tunnels, and in the field conducting experimental studies.  Normally we worked an average 40 hour week, more during wind tunnel tests.  Not counting the wind tunnels, our primary tools were computers, books and technical reports.

The projects I worked on can be found in engineering libraries - search on my name.  One project I was proud of was the investigation of the hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica.  I did the aero design of the gas sample instrument.  We found what causes the hole, which led to the worldwide banning of fluro-hydrocarbons.  In addition to aerodynamics, I specialized in aeroacoustics and did many wind tunnel studies of aircraft noise and technologies for reducing noise.

I loved the challenge of investigating new technologies, new ideas and working with enthusiastic, talented people.  The downside was dealing the government bureaucracy and interminable meetings on budget planning and self improvement.  I think the same might be true of any large organization.

Education:  Astoria High School (Oregon), Oregon State U. (two years), U. of Washington (three years for a B.S. degree), U. of Washington (one year for a M.S. degree), graduate work Standford U., numerous Jr College classes in computer programming and French.  If possible, I would have taken more classes.

There are no qualifying exams or certifications required for this profession.  Your academic record, work experience, communication skill, etc. will be used by potential employers to determine if you get a job.

In high school I recommend you take as many math and science classes as possible.  That said, many engineering students struggle with writing and English, so be sure to work at that also.  For engineering schools, you can do a google search and narrow your choice down to academic record, location, and cost.  It is hard to find a bad school at the undergraduate level that is accredited.  The more academic experience you get the better.
Paul