Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
User submission
442
106.7K
“This Doesn’t Add Up”: NASA Engineer Applies For Second, Part-Time Job, And People Online Don’t Really Get Why
The labor shortage in the US is starting to be recognized as a real problem. At first businesses which couldn’t find staff weren’t sure if this was happening because of the pandemic, the government support payments or what, but now it’s clear that people simply don’t want to work at places that don’t guarantee a livable wage and people are starting to realize that working several jobs to make ends meet isn’t normal.
But it seems that not only service industry workers are dissatisfied with their wages. A TikTok user shared that she is looking for a part-time job to have a little more extra money while she works as an engineer at NASA. The video went viral and people in the comments were shocked to find out that even professionals working at such reputable places like NASA are not paid well enough to live comfortably and without worrying about money.
More info: TikTok
RELATED:
A video of a NASA engineer going to a job interview at Tiffany’s at a mall got people scratching their heads
Image credits: sexybabypartygirl
The TikTok user goes by sexybabypartygirl or simply Kelly. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and got her degree in chemical engineering. Now she is working at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
For many people, that seems like a dream workplace and that if they accept you, that means you made it in life and achieved an unreachable goal for most. And Kelly is one of the people working there.
Image credits: sexybabypartygirl
Why would a highly qualified engineer who works at NASA, of all places, search for a part-time job?
Image credits: sexybabypartygirl
In one of her videos, she talked about how she got the job and the process was quite simple. The university sent out an email to students informing them that NASA was taking applications. Kelly applied without any expectations, but she got the interview.
The woman truly doesn’t know why she stood out as she was still a sophomore in college, but she guesses that maybe because she got good grades and had experience of working in a lab at college, that could have helped her.
Image credits: sexybabypartygirl
You would think that people working at NASA would be satisfied with their wages, but apparently not. The video that went viral on Kelly’s TikTok page was the one where she was getting ready to go to a job interview at Tiffany’s. It got 3.2 million views and got people thinking about what this reflects about society and the work industry in the US.
Well, the woman, whose name is Kelly, explained that she just wants to earn a little extra money
Image credits: sexybabypartygirl
Image credits: sexybabypartygirl
Many of them were disappointed that if a NASA worker needs to get a part-time job to support themselves without thinking about what they are spending their money on day-to-day, what does that tell about the rest of us?
If a person with a university degree that was intelligent enough to be suitable for a job at NASA, which accepts only the best of the best, feels like they need more income, how should people with no degree working a simple job that doesn’t require too many qualifications survive?
The TikToker thinks that the part-time job she found at Apple, which will pay $20 an hour, will provide her with that
Image credits: sexybabypartygirl
Anyway, returning back to Kelly’s video, she showed her day of going to interviews and that time she went to Tiffany’s. Apparently she talked to several people and in the end she was offered the job as an operations person.
But in an update video, we find out that she refused the job at Tiffany’s and went to other interviews with Apple. Kelly chose to accept the Apple job as a technical specialist at a retail store, explaining that she was interested in the employee discount. The woman said that she didn’t really wear jewelry so she took the job that she saw was more beneficial for her.
Kelly explains that NASA pays well but she has rent and car payments to pay and she also wants to have money for other fun things
Image credits: sexybabypartygirl
It’s not like Kelly’s job at NASA doesn’t pay her enough and she is forced to find a second part-time job, but she wants it because then she will have extra money to spend. The job will pay $20 an hour and she will be able to allow herself to worry less about spending too much.
Like all people, Kelly has rent to pay, student loans, car payments and she is a thrifting enthusiast, so all that adds up. And she loves her engineering job and doesn’t plan on quitting, but she wants to spend her remaining free time on an activity that would be lucrative.
She doesn’t mind working more and doesn’t feel forced to do that, but at the same time, she wants to not worry about money running out
Image credits: sexybabypartygirl
Image credits: sexybabypartygirl
Everyone’s needs are different and someone could get by with less money while others just like to live a more luxurious life. So it could be a case of wanting to afford more and not necessarily that NASA employees are not paid well enough.
Also, according to various sources, an engineer at NASA earns about $80k-$100k, so you can decide for yourself if such a salary would make you search for another job.
Here you will find the video of Kelly taking her TikTok followers with her on her day of job interviews
@sexybabypartygirlInterview with the Apple store on Wednesday so we’ll seee ##getreadywithme ##tiffanyandco ##nasa♬ original sound – Kellyyyyy
What do you think of Kelly’s decision to accept a part-time job? Do you think that this represents a bigger issue? Do you know any other people who aren’t satisfied with what they make even if they have high qualifications? Leave us your thoughts and opinions in the comments!
People in the comments had very mixed opinions but everyone was surprised that a NASA employee would look for a second job
107Kviews
Share on Facebook
What do you think ?
Andy 3 years ago
A person who wanted some extra money got a part time job. Really scraping the barrel for stories today!
Sasha 3 years ago
No you dont understand, people who actually have good work ethic and dont mind spending some effort to make some extra money are a myth, like unicorns. Christ. Im stuck at home disabled and i miss my CSR job at a big clothing store. It was friendly, i felt like i was useful, i was good at it, kept me busy and i had some extra cash, got to do some low stakes socializing too. I dont have to work, i can support myself on disability, but no extra cash and im bored outta my skull. A good low stakes job can be extremely enjoyable when its not a matter of being forced into a shitty job or being homeless.
Load More Replies...
Dennis Stanley 3 years ago
I would question if a woman whose Twitter handle is "sexybabypartygirl" with a stripper pole in her living room is actually employed by NASA.
80 Van 3 years ago
I cannot understand the controversy here. If she worked at NASA and spent her free time hanging out at bars, this wouldn’t be controversial or even noteworthy. She’s just spending her time the way she wants to. In this case, she makes it clear that she’s excited about the job, sounds like fun to her, she’ll get a bit extra money, and she gets a discount on products she wants. All sounds like a lovely pass time for her. Maybe she’s really aggressively saving for something and wants to put all of her extra income plus some into savings. Maybe she just really wants to be part of the NASA culture AND the Apple culture. Whatever her motivation, I just cannot believe that anyone would bemoan her for making this decision for her life.
Rissie 3 years ago
The controversy is that it sounds like a bag of horse s**t. Nothing about it is true.
Load More Replies...
Dave P 3 years ago
Yeah, I call BS on something. I know engineers, the lowest paid as NASA right out of a Bachelors is 70K a year right now, Average earns 100K after just 5 years, and they pay for a Masters after 3 (aka they pay for the Masters in full, and then give a huge pay raise after that). Average salary nation wide in the lowest paid specialty (which is civil) is 58K a year. Average for the General Engineering degrees (Mechanical, Chemical, etc) is 67K a year. And the highest being Petrolium Engineering pays 80K out of a Bachelors, unless you choose to work by the Dakota Oil Fields which then is 100K right out of college. SO I can BS on this person, they are not a Engineer at Nasa, they might work there, but not Engineer.
Katchen 3 years ago
If she went to a private university, she could have $100,000+ in student loans. Getting an extra job to help pay those loans is something someone smart, like a NASA engineer, might do.
Load More Replies...
Reepicheep2000 3 years ago
I did wonder about that. Maybe she has a third job in mind.
Load More Replies...
Alphabet Soupy 3 years ago
As a houstonian, I’m very confused too. Yes rent and overall cost of living are kind of high here, but a single engineer can prob afford whatever. Judging by the clutter in her photos and username, maybe she lives to party and/or shop? It’s not unusual, seems like everyone has a side hustle, but a nasa engineer who needs more money can pretty much get a different engineering job with a higher salary in a number of private companies.
Sasha 3 years ago
Or she just wants a part time job thats not super stressful and earn her some extra cash and has very little responsibility and wants to socialize with customers. Crazy, i know. Think of it as a hobby. If she said I work at nasa but also volunteer doing accounting some project shes interested in, would that be weird? Only difference is shes getting paid. Not everyone hates work and sees it as a punishment.
Load More Replies... 
Susie Elle 3 years ago (edited)
The number of people falling over the fact that someone can work for NASA AND enjoy poledancing either as a sport or as entertainment shows we're not quite done with feminism. Meanwhile I work for a professor who used to be a stripper for fun when he was younger (yes, he). Things can exist in parallel, people.
Jerry Mathers 3 years ago
I don't get the hate or the BS comments. She isn't saying she's doesn't make enough. She isn't saying she hates what she does or that NASA sucks. What spun this viral is a bunch of assumptions people made despite that she posted she just wants extra cash. That's a grown up decision. And a smart one. And WTF does a stripper pole have to do with anything? The stripper workout has been thing for years now. The story itself is flat. But the response by the web cracks me up. Maybe the headline should should be "Woman takes a part time job and starts the internet jumping to conclusions.
Briana Kessler 3 years ago
Something doesn't add up..I'm gonna need proof she works for NASA. It doesn't make sense at all.
Katchen 3 years ago
Some people think the federal government pays its employees a lot more than it really does.
Don't Look 3 years ago
She’s young so her pay grade won’t be that high but assuming she has the engineer degree and she goes to the training and courses (development opportunities) then her pay grade will go up. But if she is as young as she seems she’s making as little as $40000 a year.
Load More Replies...
Veronica Stroud 3 years ago
I can relate. I have a good paying job but also have a second job. Because my good paying job is pretty mentally draining to me and my part time job is fun and invigorates me. Plus I have a lot of goals outside of just being able to pay bills. Like saving for my child's college, getting rental properties and traveling. And I need as many income streams as I can get to make that happen
Hugo Raible 3 years ago
Or, in other words: Pole dancing TikToker's pathetic cry for attention results in bored idiot's reactions.
aubergine10003 3 years ago
What some of the people above fail to understand is that maybe she needs to find a part time job that isn't as stressful/demanding as being an engineer at NASA.. something with a pleasant work environment where she can clock in/clock out without any outside demands on her time. Not that weird IMHO, and from what I understand, Apple sounds like a great plan for her. I don't understand the hate.
Momagator 3 years ago
I could claim to be a NASA employee also. It doesn’t necessarily make it true.
Frankenfrog 3 years ago
Unless you live in a mansion or a penthouse in Manhattan, NASA isn't paying you enough if you can't afford rent, car payments and to live comfortably.
Andy 3 years ago
A person who wanted some extra money got a part time job. Really scraping the barrel for stories today!
Sasha 3 years ago
No you dont understand, people who actually have good work ethic and dont mind spending some effort to make some extra money are a myth, like unicorns. Christ. Im stuck at home disabled and i miss my CSR job at a big clothing store. It was friendly, i felt like i was useful, i was good at it, kept me busy and i had some extra cash, got to do some low stakes socializing too. I dont have to work, i can support myself on disability, but no extra cash and im bored outta my skull. A good low stakes job can be extremely enjoyable when its not a matter of being forced into a shitty job or being homeless.
Load More Replies... Dennis Stanley 3 years ago
I would question if a woman whose Twitter handle is "sexybabypartygirl" with a stripper pole in her living room is actually employed by NASA.
80 Van 3 years ago
I cannot understand the controversy here. If she worked at NASA and spent her free time hanging out at bars, this wouldn’t be controversial or even noteworthy. She’s just spending her time the way she wants to. In this case, she makes it clear that she’s excited about the job, sounds like fun to her, she’ll get a bit extra money, and she gets a discount on products she wants. All sounds like a lovely pass time for her. Maybe she’s really aggressively saving for something and wants to put all of her extra income plus some into savings. Maybe she just really wants to be part of the NASA culture AND the Apple culture. Whatever her motivation, I just cannot believe that anyone would bemoan her for making this decision for her life.
Rissie 3 years ago
The controversy is that it sounds like a bag of horse s**t. Nothing about it is true.
Load More Replies... Dave P 3 years ago
Yeah, I call BS on something. I know engineers, the lowest paid as NASA right out of a Bachelors is 70K a year right now, Average earns 100K after just 5 years, and they pay for a Masters after 3 (aka they pay for the Masters in full, and then give a huge pay raise after that). Average salary nation wide in the lowest paid specialty (which is civil) is 58K a year. Average for the General Engineering degrees (Mechanical, Chemical, etc) is 67K a year. And the highest being Petrolium Engineering pays 80K out of a Bachelors, unless you choose to work by the Dakota Oil Fields which then is 100K right out of college. SO I can BS on this person, they are not a Engineer at Nasa, they might work there, but not Engineer.
Katchen 3 years ago
If she went to a private university, she could have $100,000+ in student loans. Getting an extra job to help pay those loans is something someone smart, like a NASA engineer, might do.
Load More Replies... Reepicheep2000 3 years ago
I did wonder about that. Maybe she has a third job in mind.
Load More Replies... Alphabet Soupy 3 years ago
As a houstonian, I’m very confused too. Yes rent and overall cost of living are kind of high here, but a single engineer can prob afford whatever. Judging by the clutter in her photos and username, maybe she lives to party and/or shop? It’s not unusual, seems like everyone has a side hustle, but a nasa engineer who needs more money can pretty much get a different engineering job with a higher salary in a number of private companies.
Sasha 3 years ago
Or she just wants a part time job thats not super stressful and earn her some extra cash and has very little responsibility and wants to socialize with customers. Crazy, i know. Think of it as a hobby. If she said I work at nasa but also volunteer doing accounting some project shes interested in, would that be weird? Only difference is shes getting paid. Not everyone hates work and sees it as a punishment.
Load More Replies... Susie Elle 3 years ago (edited)
The number of people falling over the fact that someone can work for NASA AND enjoy poledancing either as a sport or as entertainment shows we're not quite done with feminism. Meanwhile I work for a professor who used to be a stripper for fun when he was younger (yes, he). Things can exist in parallel, people.
Jerry Mathers 3 years ago
I don't get the hate or the BS comments. She isn't saying she's doesn't make enough. She isn't saying she hates what she does or that NASA sucks. What spun this viral is a bunch of assumptions people made despite that she posted she just wants extra cash. That's a grown up decision. And a smart one. And WTF does a stripper pole have to do with anything? The stripper workout has been thing for years now. The story itself is flat. But the response by the web cracks me up. Maybe the headline should should be "Woman takes a part time job and starts the internet jumping to conclusions.
Briana Kessler 3 years ago
Something doesn't add up..I'm gonna need proof she works for NASA. It doesn't make sense at all.
Katchen 3 years ago
Some people think the federal government pays its employees a lot more than it really does.
Don't Look 3 years ago
She’s young so her pay grade won’t be that high but assuming she has the engineer degree and she goes to the training and courses (development opportunities) then her pay grade will go up. But if she is as young as she seems she’s making as little as $40000 a year.
Load More Replies... Veronica Stroud 3 years ago
I can relate. I have a good paying job but also have a second job. Because my good paying job is pretty mentally draining to me and my part time job is fun and invigorates me. Plus I have a lot of goals outside of just being able to pay bills. Like saving for my child's college, getting rental properties and traveling. And I need as many income streams as I can get to make that happen
Hugo Raible 3 years ago
Or, in other words: Pole dancing TikToker's pathetic cry for attention results in bored idiot's reactions.
aubergine10003 3 years ago
What some of the people above fail to understand is that maybe she needs to find a part time job that isn't as stressful/demanding as being an engineer at NASA.. something with a pleasant work environment where she can clock in/clock out without any outside demands on her time. Not that weird IMHO, and from what I understand, Apple sounds like a great plan for her. I don't understand the hate.
Momagator 3 years ago
I could claim to be a NASA employee also. It doesn’t necessarily make it true.
Frankenfrog 3 years ago
Unless you live in a mansion or a penthouse in Manhattan, NASA isn't paying you enough if you can't afford rent, car payments and to live comfortably.
Related on Bored Panda
21
48