Pros
- You can learn a lot in a short amount of time. - If you are fortunate enough to report to one of the few good managers at Rocket Lab, you may have a positive experience.
Cons
- Employees are treated as expendable resources, leading to high turnover. - Many managers are inexperienced “yes-men”; management is dominated by these yes-men, while capable leaders tend to leave quickly or are pushed out. - Leadership is insecure and resistant to different opinions. In my experience, honesty is also lacking in everyday communication, and discussions with managers often feel more like role play than genuine dialogue. - Identifying problems is frequently seen as negativity rather than proactivity. Managers may feel threatened and take it personally, interpreting it as criticism of their own performance or decisions. This can be deeply demotivating for employees who genuinely want to make a change and improve things. - This dynamic fosters a cutthroat culture where dissent is not tolerated. - Perhaps most concerning is the lack of humanity in how people are treated. Life is not solely about work, we are all human beings, and employees deserve at least a basic level of respect and humanity. - Performance is judged by hours at your desk rather than results. - No flexibility or remote work options. - Salaries are low compared to industry standards. - Most of the meaningful work is now done in the U.S., while the New Zealand site has largely become a component manufacturer. Electrons are still assembled locally, but Neutron and all major space systems programs are executed in the U.S. - The company has shifted heavily toward defense projects simply to survive. Commercial space at Rocket Lab is largely a chimera — the vast majority of real business comes from defense contracts. If you want to contribute to space exploration or projects that make life on Earth better, this is not the place. - Despite the hype, Rocket Lab is not currently profitable. The company reports growing losses each quarter, which it attributes to ongoing Neutron development, though several space systems programs are also failing to deliver on budget. The future depends heavily on whether Rocket Lab can execute the Neutron project on time and on budget, and whether the rocket will ultimately be profitable. The outcome is uncertain, but making Rocket Lab profitable will likely be very challenging and may require significant cost-cutting and layoffs once Neutron development is complete.