We counted how often Rocket Lab Corporation's own 27 ads (those with a full description) state each requirement. This shows the filters the ads apply before anyone reads a resume. We have no data on why candidates are rejected after applying, and we do not guess.
Years of experience. 20 of 27 ads (74%) state a number of years. The median is 8 years; 80% ask for 5 or more and 10% for 10 or more.
Education
Sort:
Requirement ⇅
Ads that state it ⇅
Share of ads ⇅
Bachelor's degree
24
89%
Master's degree
10
37%
PhD or doctorate
7
26%
High school diploma or GED
2
7%
'or equivalent experience' accepted
1
4%
Legal and eligibility: what can rule you out
Sort:
Requirement ⇅
Ads that state it ⇅
Share of ads ⇅
U.S. citizenship mentioned
27
100%
U.S. person / export-control (ITAR, EAR) rules
27
100%
Background check or drug test
27
100%
Security clearance mentioned
11
41%
Working conditions
Sort:
Requirement ⇅
Ads that state it ⇅
Share of ads ⇅
On-site or in-person work
24
89%
Nights, weekends, holidays or on-call
24
89%
Relocation mentioned
2
7%
Heavy lifting
2
7%
Skills and tools named most often
Sort:
Requirement ⇅
Ads that state it ⇅
Share of ads ⇅
fpga
12
44%
excel
9
33%
matlab
6
22%
python
3
11%
jira
3
11%
c++
1
4%
How to stand out
First, cover the basics the ads ask for most (see the requirements above: fpga (44%), excel (33%), matlab (22%), python (11%)). Then look at what separates higher-paid ads:
Among the 24 ads that publish a pay range, we compared the median pay of ads that name each item with ads that do not. This is a correlation in the ads, not a promise: an item can pay more because it comes with senior roles.
Sort:
Item named in the ad ⇅
Ads naming it ⇅
Ads not naming it ⇅
Median pay midpoint with it ⇅
Difference vs ads without it ⇅
PhD or doctorate
7
17
$165,000
+$30,000
matlab
5
19
$165,000
+$0
Master's degree
9
15
$165,000
+$0
fpga
11
13
$135,000
-$30,000
excel
9
15
$135,000
-$30,000
We describe only what the ads state. We do not know how recruiters rank candidates.
Same role elsewhere
Where else the same role family is open, with the pay each posts: