Is there anyone on here that works for an F1 team?
Discussion
As some may know (I've banged on about it enough recently!) I've just finished at Uni with a 2:1 in Aerospace Engineering (BEng Hons), and am currently in the wonderful phase of my life where I'm job hunting.
The aim since I was about 12 (and realised it was unlikely that I'd ever manage to become a racing driver/astronaut) has been to get into F1 as a designer/aerodynamicist.
Since then I've followed the yellow brick road through college/university and now I'm sitting here filling in application forms and knocking on the door of the industry I have wanted to work in since I was in short trousers.
So, my cheeky question to anyone on here who works for a Formula 1 team already... Is it worth just sending in a CV/cover letter speculatively to the teams and pestering them until I either get given an interview or restraining order?
Do departments ever recruit directly, for example is it worth sending CV's to guys in the aero departments (if I had their addresses
) or is it exclusively dealt with by Human Remains Resources?
Feel free to pm me if you'd rather not post info directly on here.
Or even better, I can start tomorrow!
Thanks for reading my rambling post!
The aim since I was about 12 (and realised it was unlikely that I'd ever manage to become a racing driver/astronaut) has been to get into F1 as a designer/aerodynamicist.
Since then I've followed the yellow brick road through college/university and now I'm sitting here filling in application forms and knocking on the door of the industry I have wanted to work in since I was in short trousers.
So, my cheeky question to anyone on here who works for a Formula 1 team already... Is it worth just sending in a CV/cover letter speculatively to the teams and pestering them until I either get given an interview or restraining order?
Do departments ever recruit directly, for example is it worth sending CV's to guys in the aero departments (if I had their addresses
) or is it exclusively dealt with by Human Feel free to pm me if you'd rather not post info directly on here.
Or even better, I can start tomorrow!
Thanks for reading my rambling post!
I used the work for McLaren and if I am honest I wouldn't look at going to a F1 team just yet as its rare for someone to just get straight in from Uni. Not to say it doesn't happen, but its rare. Best place to start looking for work is Autosport magazine for Motorsport jobs.
Emailing directly to HR won't work as they get inundated with CV's. Letters will get filed in the B.I.N department at most F1 teams.
Don't give up on it however, but set your goals for a couple of years of Aerospace at perhaps another industry to get the experience in and maybe with a bit of luck the F1 dream will happen.
Emailing directly to HR won't work as they get inundated with CV's. Letters will get filed in the B.I.N department at most F1 teams.
Don't give up on it however, but set your goals for a couple of years of Aerospace at perhaps another industry to get the experience in and maybe with a bit of luck the F1 dream will happen.
I would suggest that you need to gain some real industry experience, either in an aerospace or automotive industry, and gain real expertise in chassis design, aerodynamics, sensors, carbon and CFD.
You may also need at some point to work for a motorsport team or supplier at a lower level before being able to approach a major F1 team.
Be warned the salaries are not that high unless you rise to the top and you may need to do a second degree or a Phd to be a serious candidate.
Good luck, and start spending time at F3 or similar events and being seen....or trying to get involved wherever.
You may also need at some point to work for a motorsport team or supplier at a lower level before being able to approach a major F1 team.
Be warned the salaries are not that high unless you rise to the top and you may need to do a second degree or a Phd to be a serious candidate.
Good luck, and start spending time at F3 or similar events and being seen....or trying to get involved wherever.
He did mention that and therefore would assume that most have utilized this. If it was me I'd be looking at better than this, would you be able to get yourself to the factory for five consecutive days? If so it would show determination to hand deliver you cv five days consecutively.
Don't want to out you on a downed with your degree results but be prepared to hear that a 2:1 is not good enough due to the sheer number of applicants. Hope it goes well for you and let us now.
Don't want to out you on a downed with your degree results but be prepared to hear that a 2:1 is not good enough due to the sheer number of applicants. Hope it goes well for you and let us now.
Unless it's for an advertised position, sending an unsolicited CV is usually a waste of one's time - and this goes for all industries.
Find a way to speak to someone who works at the place. That can be done. Pursue your objective unstintingly via that personal contact.
It's just too easy to toss a CV into the bin. There are a million people with attractive CVs, although not all of those people would be good employees or teammates. You need to differentiate yourself from them and make an impression.
I've worked as a lawyer for a now long dead F1 team.
A 2:1 will kill your chances, sorry. Only first class honours and a post grad will get you an interview, generally. They get hundreds of CV's a year.
Your only way in will be to get experience elsewhere and prove yourself to be invaluable and get a reputation in your field.
A 2:1 will kill your chances, sorry. Only first class honours and a post grad will get you an interview, generally. They get hundreds of CV's a year.
Your only way in will be to get experience elsewhere and prove yourself to be invaluable and get a reputation in your field.
Edited by Soovy on Tuesday 13th July 10:25
Thanks for the replies, some very interesting views and opinions. It looks like I may have to change tack and take the long way into the industry then!
I can fully understand that they want to, and are able to cherry pick the best of the best,
Flemke, what would be the best way to be able to speak with someone in an aero department, I can't imagine any of the teams would be overly chuffed if I rocked up at their HQ asking to speak with someone from the aero departments? Or would they?
In the meantime, I guess I'll probably just aim for the graduate schemes and keep an ear to the ground and an eye on the interweb to see if anything suitable comes up.
Thanks for the advice.
I can fully understand that they want to, and are able to cherry pick the best of the best,
Flemke, what would be the best way to be able to speak with someone in an aero department, I can't imagine any of the teams would be overly chuffed if I rocked up at their HQ asking to speak with someone from the aero departments? Or would they?
In the meantime, I guess I'll probably just aim for the graduate schemes and keep an ear to the ground and an eye on the interweb to see if anything suitable comes up.
Thanks for the advice.
flemke said:
Unless it's for an advertised position, sending an unsolicited CV is usually a waste of one's time - and this goes for all industries.
Find a way to speak to someone who works at the place. That can be done. Pursue your objective unstintingly via that personal contact.
It's just too easy to toss a CV into the bin. There are a million people with attractive CVs, although not all of those people would be good employees or teammates. You need to differentiate yourself from them and make an impression.
You'll also find it an advantage if you are Find a way to speak to someone who works at the place. That can be done. Pursue your objective unstintingly via that personal contact.
It's just too easy to toss a CV into the bin. There are a million people with attractive CVs, although not all of those people would be good employees or teammates. You need to differentiate yourself from them and make an impression.
(a) female
(b) under 25
(c) you list your interests as massage, gymnastics and modelling.
Ive been told many times that to live the dream you have to lose the dream.
Lots of people finish there uni degree's without any experience (sorry to anyone on here, but newly graduated students are considered fairly dumb and unaware), a year in industry between your 2nd and 3rd year would have helped massively if you chose correctly - many people i know went back to work for the same companies they did the work experience for.
Experience in specific fields helps loads in getting into F1 so many i know started working in and around the industry, for low low teams, rally teams, the suppliers to them etc, then work them selves through up the teams til they got to where they wanted originally or many have actually realised their pipedream wasn't all that and are happier continuing in a lower team and/or staying outside F1.
Ive a mate who left the RAF after 4years (prop a/c technician), got a job with a minor motorsport team/garage doing CNC/ lathe work, also supplying Prodrive occasionally, through contacts got a job with prodrive in their other factory doing CNC work (him dreaming of workjing for pordrive properly), then he ended up moving onto another company supplying composites to some F1 teams, CNC molds, wings etc etc, eventually working with Carbon fibre and creating composites. He's ended up setting up his own composite company with quite a few lucrative contracts sorted already.
Ive looked into F1 jobs, with my AV experience in the RAF, but I'd starting at the bottom again and the money isn't too great as are the working hours!
If you want F1, dont start there, get a job somewhere in and around it be it a lower formula or whatever then gain experience.
Lots of people finish there uni degree's without any experience (sorry to anyone on here, but newly graduated students are considered fairly dumb and unaware), a year in industry between your 2nd and 3rd year would have helped massively if you chose correctly - many people i know went back to work for the same companies they did the work experience for.
Experience in specific fields helps loads in getting into F1 so many i know started working in and around the industry, for low low teams, rally teams, the suppliers to them etc, then work them selves through up the teams til they got to where they wanted originally or many have actually realised their pipedream wasn't all that and are happier continuing in a lower team and/or staying outside F1.
Ive a mate who left the RAF after 4years (prop a/c technician), got a job with a minor motorsport team/garage doing CNC/ lathe work, also supplying Prodrive occasionally, through contacts got a job with prodrive in their other factory doing CNC work (him dreaming of workjing for pordrive properly), then he ended up moving onto another company supplying composites to some F1 teams, CNC molds, wings etc etc, eventually working with Carbon fibre and creating composites. He's ended up setting up his own composite company with quite a few lucrative contracts sorted already.
Ive looked into F1 jobs, with my AV experience in the RAF, but I'd starting at the bottom again and the money isn't too great as are the working hours!
If you want F1, dont start there, get a job somewhere in and around it be it a lower formula or whatever then gain experience.
soovy said:
flemke said:
Unless it's for an advertised position, sending an unsolicited CV is usually a waste of one's time - and this goes for all industries.
Find a way to speak to someone who works at the place. That can be done. Pursue your objective unstintingly via that personal contact.
It's just too easy to toss a CV into the bin. There are a million people with attractive CVs, although not all of those people would be good employees or teammates. You need to differentiate yourself from them and make an impression.
You'll also find it an advantage if you are Find a way to speak to someone who works at the place. That can be done. Pursue your objective unstintingly via that personal contact.
It's just too easy to toss a CV into the bin. There are a million people with attractive CVs, although not all of those people would be good employees or teammates. You need to differentiate yourself from them and make an impression.
(a) female
(b) under 25
(c) you list your interests as massage, gymnastics and modelling.
'a)' is something of an issue though...
ETA, Paul, I did complete the year in industry and learnt a great deal working for EADS.
Edited by Nic jones on Tuesday 13th July 10:49
Rollcage said:
Didn't Mike Gascoigne, in a recent TV interview, say that he never even considered a CV until it had been sent three times, or something similar?
His logic was that by doing nothing he was seeing how much the person really wanted the job.
Keep trying would seem to be the message!
That's interesting as the g/f was interested in a job at Lotus at the end of last year and a week after the interview we happened to bump into Mr G. He handed over his card and told her to contact him directly. She did so but didn't push too hard when there was no reply as we both thought that the last thing he would want was to be perstered to hell for a job when it was quite a manic time!His logic was that by doing nothing he was seeing how much the person really wanted the job.
Keep trying would seem to be the message!
Live and learn.
i work in F1 but didn't get in via the normal route.
after uni (bachelors and masters degrees) i applied to several F1 teams, both speculative and in response to adverts placed in motorsport magazines. however, i had no experience at the time and so was not considered, understandably. unless you are 1 in a million exceptional, they won't take someone on without motorsport experience - most guys on the teams have worked their way up through several race formula's over the years.
however, after no joy in applying to the teams, i went back to work for the company i was at for my year out, a fuel / oil company, and got lucky in that company when a job working with one of the F1 teams came up.
there are so many suppliers to F1 in every field that if you are really dead set on working in F1 you may want to consider working for one of these companies and getting through that way. even then tho, the chances of getting your dream job are pretty slim, you need a fair chunk of luck to make it.
after uni (bachelors and masters degrees) i applied to several F1 teams, both speculative and in response to adverts placed in motorsport magazines. however, i had no experience at the time and so was not considered, understandably. unless you are 1 in a million exceptional, they won't take someone on without motorsport experience - most guys on the teams have worked their way up through several race formula's over the years.
however, after no joy in applying to the teams, i went back to work for the company i was at for my year out, a fuel / oil company, and got lucky in that company when a job working with one of the F1 teams came up.
there are so many suppliers to F1 in every field that if you are really dead set on working in F1 you may want to consider working for one of these companies and getting through that way. even then tho, the chances of getting your dream job are pretty slim, you need a fair chunk of luck to make it.
I wrote to a few F1 teams when I was at uni and got personal replies from John Barnard at Ferrari and some bloke at Lotus. Another mate at uni got a placement with Benneton working on aerodynamics as a result of writing to them and following it up with a phone call.
I'm sure persistance is the key but it helps if you talk to the right person so a bit of research first would be the way forwards.
I'm sure persistance is the key but it helps if you talk to the right person so a bit of research first would be the way forwards.
Nic jones said:
Flemke, what would be the best way to be able to speak with someone in an aero department, I can't imagine any of the teams would be overly chuffed if I rocked up at their HQ asking to speak with someone from the aero departments? Or would they?
Er, don't do the latter. You would be asked to leave pretty quick. And don't keep ringing them up as the receptionist at F1 teams are well trained. As said work hard in your chosen field for a few years and keep your eyes and ears open. Good things come to those who wait.I work in F1 and I'd say the comment about not bothering with only a 2.1 degree is nonsense, there are plenty of people within the industry with lesser qualifications than that.
Some hands on experience of how a racing car works and goes together is definitely a plus, lesser formula experience is also a bonus also if you can get familiar with one of the 2 major CAD systems Unigraphics or CATIA then this will also help.
I'd echo the previous comments of keeping an eye on the back pages of Autosport for vacancies and Lotus and Cosworth are currently recruiting
Best of luck
Some hands on experience of how a racing car works and goes together is definitely a plus, lesser formula experience is also a bonus also if you can get familiar with one of the 2 major CAD systems Unigraphics or CATIA then this will also help.
I'd echo the previous comments of keeping an eye on the back pages of Autosport for vacancies and Lotus and Cosworth are currently recruiting
Best of luck
Like Nike ~ Just Do It!
A cousin, a few years ago admitedly, wrote to Frank Williams and asked what he had to do to get into a formula one team. Frank wrote back and told him and he did it and after a little while working somwhere else was given a job at Williams and did very well.
Then he got a job at Mclaren and did even better.
Advice: Write to all the companies you are interested in. Get a job in motor sport. Keep writing. Work your way up. Sooner or later someone will ask to talk to you.
Remember Thomas Eddison.
PS: Ross Brawn started as a machinist at Williams and Grahame Hill strted as a mechanic at Lotus.
A cousin, a few years ago admitedly, wrote to Frank Williams and asked what he had to do to get into a formula one team. Frank wrote back and told him and he did it and after a little while working somwhere else was given a job at Williams and did very well.
Then he got a job at Mclaren and did even better.
Advice: Write to all the companies you are interested in. Get a job in motor sport. Keep writing. Work your way up. Sooner or later someone will ask to talk to you.
Remember Thomas Eddison.
PS: Ross Brawn started as a machinist at Williams and Grahame Hill strted as a mechanic at Lotus.
Edited by Alfie Noakes on Tuesday 13th July 14:26
Maybe go for a stepping stone. Someone who isn't in the public eye so much but still has interesting work. Ginetta, Lola, Pilbeam, RML; that kind of thing. Still doing cutting edge work but don't have every graduate in the world applying off the cuff because of the company name.
Edited by agent006 on Tuesday 13th July 21:13
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