r/BlueOrigin • u/BlueOriginMod • Oct 03 '24

Monthly Blue Origin Career Thread

Intro

Welcome to the monthly Blue Origin career discussion thread for October 2024, where you can talk about all career & professional topics. Topics may include:

  • Professional career guidance & questions; e.g. Hiring process, types of jobs, career growth at Blue Origin

  • Educational guidance & questions; e.g. what to major in, which universities are good, topics to study

  • Questions about working for Blue Origin; e.g. Work life balance, living in Kent, WA, pay and benefits

Guidelines

  1. Before asking any questions, check if someone has already posted an answer! A link to the previous thread can be found here.

  2. All career posts not in these threads will be removed, and the poster will be asked to post here instead.

  3. Subreddit rules still apply and will be enforced. See them here.

20 Upvotes

95% Upvoted

View all comments

2

u/Lunar__Lumina Oct 05 '24 edited Oct 05 '24

Hi everyone, I’m interviewing for an entry level test engineer position at two different locations - Kent, WA and Van Horn, TX - and I’ve compiled a few pros/cons between each location. Are there any other points you think I should consider?

Kent, WA

Pros:

• It’s the main hub, so there’s lots of exposure to different skills and disciplines

• City life - lots to do outside of work and different people to meet

• Nice weather (I like rain) + the ocean views

Cons:

• Cost of living near Seattle

• (?) High pressure work environment, so the work may not be as fun (I got this vibe from Glassdoor reviews)

Van Horn, TX

Pros:

• Rocket engines >:)

• People seem to LOVE the job and culture here

• Benefits

• Low cost of living

Cons:

• It’s the middle of nowhere, long commutes

• Desert climate (grew up in one)

• I probably won’t meet anyone that doesn’t work at Blue

Could you add any insights about the company culture at these locations if you’ve worked there? I’ll definitely ask more during the technical interviews, but less-biased opinions would be great too.

Ty :)

4

u/nine6teenths Oct 05 '24

I'd flip the last bullet point of Kent to VH. It's extremely high pressure and high consequence. That being said, it is by far the best place to grow and learn as an engineer - you will be responsible for more as an entry level engineer than some level 3/4's elsewhere in and out of Blue. Van Horn also has rotations, more PTO, and MUCH more money. Kent is cool if you want to have a life, Van Horn is cool if you want to become a leader. That being said, living there sucks epically and I wouldn't do it twice lol