Introduction
We've put this page together to help make your first tour, and all of your other tours, a little easier! Of course, you don't have to take our advice, but we've all experienced life on the first tour and this is some of the stuff we wish we would've known ahead of time.
Before You Arrive
- Find a place to live. (See the Housing Guide.)
- Arrange to have a car during your stay!
- Have a copy of your resume and transcript on hand.
- Wear business attire for your first and last days of the work tour.
- FILL OUT YOUR SECURITY FORMS!!! You'll need to know very specific information on your history as well as the history and contact information of those who knew you when you were little... (Well, at least those who knew you up to 7 years ago. We are not kidding!!!)
- Check out the
JSC New Employee Orientation website
Back to top
First Day of Work
- Pay your respect to the loving people in Security - Building 110 - to get
your badge and parking decal - it may take a while!
- Go to Orientation (1st tour only) - You'll learn a lot
and get most of your questions answered AND you get to meet
Bob and Shelia!!!
- Become familiar with the pay scale criteria and any updates/raises.
- Inform Shelia of any transcript changes for a promotion
to the next pay level!
- Meet your new co-workers!
- Talk to your supervisor and fill him/her in on a little bit of your background.
- Check your core work hours with the new division
Back to top
First Week of Work
- If your mentor/supervisor hasn't gotten you what you need
(i.e. desk, access to any system), keep reminding him/her
or try to get it for yourself.
- Subscribe to the Co-op
List-serve.
- Set
up the Co-op Exchange Account.
- Set up goals with your mentor/supervisor
- Inform the Co-op Office of your new address for the semester
- Find out how to cash in on credit hours, annual leave,
or overtime hours.
- Familiarize yourself with the different forms you may
be using - JSC Form 75 for training (if you take a class
at University of Houston-Clear Lake, San Jacinto Community
College, etc. and want to be reimbursed), TSP forms, etc.
- Find out about other Co-op activities! (Education, Russian
language classes, Benefits of Space, etc.)
Back to top
Throughout Your Tour
- Build up those credit hours! Start early, because you don't know when you might want them. (Launch trip, beach party, road trips. . . )
- Take the initiative to get more work from your division when you get bored.
- Set deadlines for yourself so that you can be productive and efficient.
Back to top
Words of Advice
A large part of your experience at NASA is what you make of it. At work, your mentor and/or supervisor will give you projects, but you may finish them ahead of time - take the initiative to get more to do. One of the main goals of the Co-op Program is to inform each Co-op of the path his/her degree may be taking him/her down. You choose where you want to work and therefore get to work with those who have "been there and done that". If taken advantage of, each tour at JSC can be informative and fun. In short, it's education through experience instead of reading it from a book! Outside of work, the Co-ops are very active. (Work isn't 24/7!) Have fun while you're here, but also know where to draw the line during business hours.
Back to top
|
