# SpaceX Cover Letter ### Background - Earlier this year (2023) I got a wild hair and briefly pursued a job at SpaceX. Ultimately, I decided I was really retired and didn't want to work 60-80 hours per week anymore. - During the pursuit, I wrote a cover letter to the president of SpaceX for my resume. I thought I would share it on my website to give some insight into who I am for those who don't know me well. - Since I abandoned the job pursuit, I never sent the letter. However, the draft is shown below. --- President Shotwell, - There have been a couple of times in my life that I had a fun job assignment. Certainly, the team dynamics were a factor in my feelings. However, I think a greater influence was the freedom to serve the organization in the way I am wired. - Success for some people means finishing a project that they started even if it takes years. - I am wired differently. I am a multi-tasking problem solver. I perform best when I am juggling many challenges and coordinating the efforts of cross functional teams to solve the biggest, baddest challenges in the world. - It's easy to conclude from my resume that I am not young. Throughout these many years, I was blessed with amazing opportunities! Although not every job assignment was "fun", my career is littered with developing and testing state-of-the-art / one-of-a-kind systems. - I am a constant learner and relish the thought of learning how all of the Starship systems fit together from software to hardware to rocket motors to human interfaces to ground support equipment to ... - I'd love to spend the next few years of my life helping SpaceX put people on the Moon and Mars. - So, to paraphrase something I read somewhere, I am looking for an opportunity to use my experience in a way that is "fundamentally more exciting than not". Thank you, Gary Abbott