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NASA Engineer Career Guide: What's it Like Working at NASA Plus Voice Acting Career

Watch/Listen to this Episode NASA Engineer Career Guide: What's it Like Working at NASA Plus Voice Acting Career You = NASA Engineer and Voice Actor; Host of Time We Discuss is pointing to a picture of guest Eryn Andrews. Background is of Earth from space

Many people dream about working for NASA, but few ever get an inside look at what the job is actually like. In this episode of Time We Discuss, host Dan sits down with NASA engineer and professional voice actor Eryn Andrews to discuss the realities of engineering for one of the world's most respected space organizations. From training astronauts to supporting spacewalks and conducting human performance research, Eryn shares what it takes to build a career that literally helps shape the future of space exploration.

Beyond her engineering career, Eryn also discusses how she unexpectedly built a thriving voice acting business. Her unique combination of science and creativity demonstrates that careers do not always have to fit into a single category. Whether you are interested in engineering, space exploration, or starting a creative side business, this conversation offers valuable advice and practical insights.

A Career That Is Different Every Day

Unlike many engineering jobs where employees spend most of their time behind a desk, Eryn explains that no two days at NASA are exactly alike. While she maintains a traditional office schedule, much of her work takes place in specialized research environments designed to prepare astronauts for future missions.

One day might involve working inside a massive sandbox that recreates the surface of the Moon. Another day could be spent at NASA's enormous neutral buoyancy laboratory where astronauts practice spacewalks underwater in conditions that simulate microgravity. She may also spend time reviewing research data, collaborating with scientists, or preparing equipment for future testing.

This constant variety keeps the work exciting. Engineers are able to move between research facilities, laboratories, training environments, and traditional office spaces depending on the needs of each project. For people who enjoy solving new problems and dislike repetitive work, this diversity can make the career especially rewarding.

Finding a Specialty at NASA

Engineering covers an enormous range of disciplines throughout NASA. While many people picture engineers building rockets or designing spacecraft, the agency employs specialists across countless technical fields. According to Eryn, most engineers eventually become subject matter experts who focus on one specific area of expertise.

Her own specialty became spacesuits and human spacewalking. During nearly eight years supporting astronaut training, she taught astronauts how to properly operate, maintain, assemble, and repair their spacesuits before missions. She also worked alongside mission control teams during actual spacewalks, helping coordinate operations and ensuring astronauts successfully completed their assigned tasks.

Today, her work focuses heavily on human performance research as NASA prepares for future missions to the Moon. Understanding how astronauts perform physically and mentally in challenging environments will help shape the next generation of lunar exploration and eventually future missions beyond Earth's orbit.

There Is No Single Path Into NASA

One of the biggest misconceptions about NASA careers is that there is a specific university or educational path required to get hired. Eryn explains that this simply is not true. While engineering degrees are certainly common, NASA values people with diverse educational backgrounds and unique life experiences.

She points out that employees come from community colleges, major universities, trade schools, and many different professional backgrounds. One of her own teammates previously worked as an orca trainer at SeaWorld before joining NASA. Despite holding a degree in marine biology, that colleague eventually became part of the engineering team responsible for astronaut training.

The lesson is simple. NASA looks for problem solvers who think critically, communicate effectively, and continue learning throughout their careers. Technical knowledge is important, but curiosity and adaptability are equally valuable qualities.

Learning to Adapt Under Pressure

One of the recurring themes throughout the interview is adaptability. Even with extensive planning, countless checklists, and repeated practice, unexpected situations regularly occur during complex missions.

Eryn explains that engineers must remain calm, adjust quickly, and solve problems without becoming overwhelmed. Mission teams spend countless hours preparing for every possible scenario because real world operations rarely unfold exactly as planned.

For anyone considering this career, flexibility may be just as important as technical ability. Those who enjoy solving unexpected problems often thrive in NASA's fast moving environment, while people who strongly prefer predictable routines may find the constant changes more challenging.

The Reward of Helping Humans Explore Space

When asked what makes her career so rewarding, Eryn did not point to the technology or even the prestige of working for NASA. Instead, she focused on the people. One of the most fulfilling parts of her career has been training astronauts and watching them successfully perform the skills they practiced countless times on Earth.

She describes feeling like a proud parent every time an astronaut completes a successful spacewalk. Although she is not the one floating outside the spacecraft, she knows her knowledge, preparation, and instruction directly contributed to that success. That connection between engineering and human achievement gives her work a purpose that extends well beyond technical problem solving.

Eryn also explains that human curiosity has always driven exploration. Throughout history people have crossed oceans, climbed mountains, and explored new frontiers simply because they wanted to discover what lay beyond the horizon. Working in human spaceflight allows her to contribute to that same spirit of exploration as NASA prepares for future missions to the Moon and eventually even farther into space.

NASA Engineer Salary and Career Outlook

Engineering positions at NASA follow the United States Government General Schedule pay system. Entry level engineers with a bachelor's degree often begin around the GS 7 pay grade, while candidates with a master's degree may qualify for higher starting grades. As engineers gain experience, assume leadership responsibilities, and develop specialized expertise, they can advance through higher General Schedule levels over the course of their careers.

During the episode, Dan explains that entry level NASA engineers generally begin earning around forty three thousand dollars per year, while those entering with additional education may start closer to fifty three thousand dollars annually. Senior engineers can earn approximately one hundred sixty five thousand dollars depending on experience, location, and position.

It is also important to understand that NASA employs both federal employees and contractors. Contractors may earn different salaries depending on the company employing them, their experience, and the specific project they support. Geographic location also affects compensation because federal salaries include locality adjustments that account for differences in regional living costs.

For aspiring engineers, the career offers more than competitive compensation. It provides the opportunity to contribute to nationally significant scientific research while working alongside some of the most talented scientists and engineers in the world.

Building a Successful Voice Acting Business

While NASA has been Eryn's lifelong passion, voice acting entered her life almost by accident. After becoming a single mother, she wanted a flexible side business that could generate extra income without interfering with her demanding engineering career.

After researching possible side hustles, she discovered voice acting. Friends had often complimented her speaking voice, and after speaking with an experienced voice actor, she decided to give it a try. What started as a small experiment quickly developed into a thriving business.

Eryn originally hoped to earn just enough money to enjoy occasional outings with her daughter. Instead, she earned more than one thousand dollars during her very first month on Fiverr, greatly exceeding her expectations. Although she admits that her experience may not be typical, her story demonstrates that opportunities can develop quickly when preparation meets the right opportunity.

As her client base expanded, repeat customers, referrals, networking events, and professional conferences helped her steadily build both her reputation and her income. Today, voice acting has become a second career that complements her engineering work while allowing her to express a creative side she had not previously explored.

Resources for New Voice Actors

Eryn emphasizes that beginning a voice acting career does not require an expensive professional studio. She started with an affordable USB microphone, free recording software, and a homemade recording booth constructed from inexpensive materials. Rather than spending thousands of dollars on equipment, she focused on learning the fundamentals of recording, editing, and performance.

She credits online educational resources, YouTube tutorials, networking groups, and voice acting conferences with helping her improve her skills. Professional organizations and industry events also introduced her to experienced performers who provided guidance and opened doors to future opportunities.

One lesson appeared repeatedly throughout the interview. Networking matters. Whether pursuing engineering or voice acting, building genuine relationships with other professionals often creates opportunities that technical skills alone cannot provide.

Voice Acting Income Potential

Voice acting income varies dramatically depending on experience, specialization, marketing, and client relationships. Beginners who work part time often earn supplemental income while building their portfolios. As performers gain experience and establish recurring clients, many transition into full time careers earning comfortable professional incomes.

Highly experienced voice actors who secure national advertising campaigns, major commercial work, animation, video games, or long term corporate clients can earn substantially more. Like many freelance businesses, success depends on continuously improving performance skills while marketing services and maintaining strong client relationships.

Final Thoughts

Eryn Andrews demonstrates that fulfilling careers often develop in unexpected ways. Her journey shows that technical excellence and creativity do not have to exist separately. By pursuing both engineering and voice acting, she has built two careers that challenge different parts of her personality while allowing her to continue learning throughout her life.

For those considering a career with NASA, this interview highlights the importance of curiosity, adaptability, teamwork, and continuous learning. For aspiring voice actors, it reinforces that starting small, investing in education, networking with others, and remaining persistent can create opportunities that grow far beyond initial expectations.

To hear Eryn's complete story, including additional insights about astronaut training, engineering at NASA, voice acting, and career development, listen to the full episode of Time We Discuss.

Why This Interview Provides Unique Career Insights

This career guide is based on an in depth interview with NASA engineer and professional voice actor Eryn Andrews. Drawing from years of experience supporting astronaut training, spacesuit operations, mission control activities, and human performance research, Eryn shares firsthand knowledge that cannot be found in a typical career overview. Rather than relying solely on publicly available information, this article combines her personal experience with additional salary and career research to help prospective engineers and voice actors better understand both professions.

How This Career Guide Was Created

Since 2022, Time We Discuss has interviewed professionals from dozens of industries to help students, career changers, and job seekers better understand what different occupations are really like.

Every career guide published on Time We Discuss begins with an interview featuring someone who works in the profession. During each interview we discuss the guest's education, daily responsibilities, career path, challenges, advice for newcomers, and industry insights.

After the interview, we supplement the discussion with publicly available information, including salary data, employment outlook, and additional career research from government agencies and established industry resources. The goal is to provide readers with both firsthand experience and independently researched information in a single resource.

About Our Guest

With over a decade as a NASA engineer, Eryn Andrews work has included astronaut training, spacesuit operations, mission support, and human performance research. During her career she has helped prepare astronauts for spacewalks and contributed to projects supporting future lunar exploration. In addition to her engineering work, Eryn is also a professional voice actor serving commercial, educational, and corporate clients since 2022.

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Transcription

*Transcription was automatically generated and may contain errors.

(Music)

Dan: Imagine this, you see an astronaut exit a shuttle and start a spacewalk. You think to yourself, I made that happen. Today we're talking NASA engineers and seeing if this is the best career for you. Today on Time We Discuss, I want to welcome Eryn Andrews and it's time we discuss what it's like working at NASA as well as being a voice actor. Eryn, thank you so much for joining me today.

Eryn Andrews: Thank you very much for having me. This is a delight.

Dan: This is really cool. Eryn, I don't know if it was episode one or two, I joked in my outro about getting an astronaut and you are the closest I've gotten to an astronaut. This is exciting.

Eryn: Outstanding. I hope I can make you proud here.

Dan: I'm sure you will. I'm sure you will. So let's talk about, so you work at NASA, you're an engineer there. So talk to me about, what's a typical day like for you as an engineer at NASA?

Eryn: Typical day can be very hard to answer for me specifically because of the, how the projects that I'm on. I do have the more standard nine to five. I do have an office space, pretty universal, but I also work in human research and so I can be in a variety of different labs or test environments really on any given day. Sometimes I'm in this giant sandbox that we use to replicate a lunar environment. Sometimes I can be over at the giant training pool that we use to simulate microgravity. So that's one of the many things I love about the job is that it can really change it up. So just when you're maybe getting tired of just being at a desk all day long, hey, time to go somewhere really cool. And just, and that's kind of getting a little wild and crazy. It's like, oh, okay, it was time to go back to our desk and just breathe for a moment, collect our thoughts and get ready to go again.

Dan: And do you work on multiple projects at a time or is it more you're focused on one and talk to me about that.

Eryn: So we are with human performance at any given time, there's a bevy of projects going on and we have a rather large team. It's kind of smattered around. And at any given time, we usually have at least two projects going in the work, kind of sharing 50, 50% of our time. And then sometimes some of us are involved in more. If there may be some smaller, shorter projects, then they can take on a few more simultaneous. The one project I'm working on right now is actually taking up a bulk of my time. It's almost completely all of my time. So yeah, it can really vary wildly.

Dan: When I think of NASA, obviously I think about shuttles. I think about satellites, the payloads going up to space, that kind of a thing. Is any engineer automatically involved with those projects in any capacity? Or it's like, no, you might be doing something with, you know, to think the Big Bang Theory, maybe the Mars Rover or something like that. Talk to me about that part as a role of an engineer and the specific types of projects you might be working on, I guess.

Eryn: Sure, yeah. So engineering covers a broad umbrella of projects. And that's what they're pretty much known for is our engineers. You ask anyone out here what your degree is, probably, I guess, rough numbers. Don't quote me. 80% would probably respond. "I've got some kind of engineering degree", so you'll find us everywhere. Now, that doesn't mean you're going to do everything. Of course, you're going to be assigned to one team. This is your goal and your product. This is your focus. And so most engineers end up specializing and becoming, they call them SMEs, subject matter experts. And this one thing, you're going to get good and knowledgeable in this one thing. For me, my specialty is in spacesuits and spacewalking. And so I spent almost eight years training astronauts how to use the space (suit), how to operate it, clean it, take it apart, put it back together. And then I would sit in mission control along with my team and help to coordinate and operate and orchestrate the spacewalk that's going on. And then if I switched over to the research side of the house where we're looking at human performance and how we're going to do business on the moon, how do we spacewalk on the moon? So that's my specialty. But of course, you've got your literal rocket scientists are working on the rocket. You've got teams that are dedicated to rovers. You've got teams that are dedicated to building the moon base or the next rocket ship, anything. So, yeah, we cover a lot of different ground, but most of us hone in on our one specialty.

Dan: And when you started, did you get any kind of choice as to which path you wanted to go? It's kind of like, no, we need someone here. This is what you're working on.

Eryn: It's a mix. Yes. So definitely you go in going. I some of us know absolutely where we want to be. Some of us know generically, I want to be involved, but I don't know where there's you don't even know what options there are until you get in. And so when I started on my path, I was just NASA. I just want to work at NASA, whatever that needs to look like. And then over the years, I've been involved, different teams, different projects. And through that, I get to network and see what else is out there. And sometimes it's like, I didn't even know that was a thing. That's an option. I can do that. And then to me, probably around 2015, I found out I could go be a spacewalking engineer. That's a thing. That sounds amazing. OK, I would do that. So I put in there. I waited for the team to have an opening available. I put in for it, got the job. And then it clicked for me, I realized, OK, this is where my strengths and my passions lies, this human element of space exploration. Other people, it's the robotics. They want that. And so you go in. Maybe you know what you want. Maybe you don't. Sometimes you feel it out. Maybe what you want, but that doesn't mean you're going to get what you want. Sometimes you might have to take a bit of a scenic route. Maybe there are no openings on that team, but, you know, work over there. It's related. And then you just kind of wait for the openings and then make make those connections, build those relationships with people. And I would dare say that if that is something that you for sure want and you work towards, you'll get there one way or another. Sometimes you can get there straight out of the gate, direct shot. Sometimes you might have to go work a few other different projects. Let life blow you around for a bit and then you'll get to where you really want to be.

Dan: Eryn, I want you to think about how you got there and maybe how some of your colleagues got there. And maybe on a more recent scale. So maybe if you think about maybe the past five years, if that's possible, if someone wants to work specifically at NASA, are their specific universities, they should be going to, are their feeder schools into NASA. Or is it no, it's just a luck of the draw, just picking up the right skills, being good in the interview. Is there any better way to get there than another way?

Eryn: Sure. Now that's a very popular question. I get asked that a lot. No, the short answer is there is no one school or path. I would say generically, in my experience, engineering is a great way to go. And honestly, they do not care where you went. It could be your local small time community college. It could be Harvard. They do not care. They want to know you've got the skills. You can think critically. You can solve the problems that are needed. And even though we have folks out here that didn't even go to engineering or didn't even go to college, per se, maybe they went a different route, trade and technical. And so we've got a lot of folks that they're all getting to do these amazing, awesome things. And everyone, you can ask them. And everyone's going to give you a different story about how they got here. I worked with one of my past teammates. She used to work at SeaWorld. She was an ORCA trainer at SeaWorld. Her degree was in marine biology. And yet here she is with me on this engineering team, teaching astronauts how to do walks. So if that tells you, like really almost any path can get you here, that's it.

Dan: That is so cool. Last year, my family went to San Diego and then we went to SeaWorld while we were there. And we got to see the ORCA show. And it was just so, so cool watching that and how they can get them to do these different things. But that's very cool, though. Like a marine biologist coming to NASA. That's awesome. Awesome.

Eryn: Yeah, yeah. There's lots of different ways to get here. And one of the things NASA loves is people with a variety of backgrounds and skills because that makes us better. It's all of these diversities, different life experiences that you can bring to the table to solve the problems that need to be solved.

Dan: So what is it? What project that you worked on are you most proud of that when you go to brag about you being at NASA? What is the one that you share with people?

Eryn: Oh, man, so many. This is really hard to pick. But I thoroughly enjoy working with our astronaut crew. They're an amazing group of people, very smart, very intelligent, but very just like, yeah, just like tell me everything, teach me everything. And so wanting to learn. And, you know, actually, I know way more about the spacesuit than they do. So it's so much fun, like getting to impart this knowledge on them and then watching them go into space and then do the thing, do the spacewalk. And I'm down here kind of like a proud parent. I'm just like, my baby is spacewalking. I taught them how to do that. They know how to do that because of me. And so it's that vicarious element that if I can't be an astronaut myself, I get to directly influence their performance and their success and knowing I helped that. So that's, I think, my favorite part. There's so many to pick from. But I think that's the one that stands out the most is just getting to be like, I'm so proud of you. Look at you go. You know, we had to practice that so many times on the ground and it was difficult, but you got it. You nailed it in space like, yeah.

Dan: So when it comes to being an engineer for anything related to NASA, my first one of my first thoughts was to compare it to ... so in my background, my background is music. OK. And in a past life, I did live music. I ran sound for shows. And, you know, when you're doing the prep ahead of time, you know, you're doing the run throughs leading up to it and everything like that. Everything is good. Everything's solid. Everything is right. You know, even the day of the event, you might be doing stuff, getting sound check and everything. And then you walk away from the mixer. And there's always a small part of me that when I come back, it's like, I hope no one did anything while I was gone because that could be a problem. And it isn't until the show actually starts, I'd be nervous leading up to it. I get that first breath of relief like, OK, we're good now. Everything is solid. So that's the long the long preface to the question I'm going to give you. When it comes to the astronauts and working on these projects, do you get any of those nerves where it's like, oh, God, I hope I hope I didn't screw something up. You know, what what is that like for you? Or you've been doing it so long where it's like, no, it's it's fine.

Eryn: You describe the exact emotional roller coaster that at least I know I experience every time that happens in mission control. We would practice it so many times. So many checklists. We have teams that are checking teams that are checking teams. We're double checking. And part of you thinks, good, we're golden. We've been through this 100 times. There's no way this can mess up. Yet, time and time again, day of, something happens. And it's like, OK, OK, OK, don't panic. Focus is what we're going to do. This is what we train for. We practice these scenarios where you go in like it's got to be a sure thing. And it's not. And then other days where it's you go in and you're expecting something to go wrong. Surely something's going to go wrong and it doesn't. It goes pretty perfectly. And that's almost as nerve wracking because you're like, wait a minute. Then miss something is something terrible supposed to go wrong that I've missed the warning signs to because nothing ever goes this smooth. So, yes, this whole tumultuous bundle of emotions and then they get out the door. It's great. And then they come back inside and finally we'll get them out of their spacesuits. That's when a lot of us can go, OK, we can breathe again. So, yeah, you know exactly the feeling. It's very similar.

Dan: And when it comes to the projects, is there any kind of cyclicalness to it? Is it like every 30 days, things kind of turn over 60 days or is it very does a very a lot? What is ...

Eryn: It can vary highly. Yes. We've we've got very short projects, depending on just how technical it is, what kind of data it is, how much data you need to collect. We've got a project that have been going on for years. The project I'm working on right now is going to take probably three years, at least to finish. And we're really only halfway through this point. And yeah, so it can it can really vary. This other project that I've been listening to my co-workers talk about, I don't know how long it's been going on, but years in total is my understanding. So, yeah, really can vary a lot.

Dan: Eryn, one of the questions I'd like to ask is this. And I realize that with this particular role, there is going to be a lot of math involved, engineering, obviously. But I want you to think about the job holistically and maybe some of these more nonphysical characteristics, skills, what have you. I'd like to ask your job when you look at as a whole, if someone does not like blank, then this job is not for them.

Eryn: OK, so if someone doesn't like that you're going to have to pivot and adapt a lot, then this job is not for you. We all go in with the best laid plans, as I mentioned, checklist procedures and inevitably something's going to happen. Either decision from on high has been made or just life in a dumb lucky streak, whatever have you. Something is going to happen. And you need to be able to just adapt, pivot and go and just keep going. And if that's something that is not the way you like to work, then I don't recommend at least my particular field. Maybe there's other areas at NASA that be better suited, much more stable and predictable. But where I work in it is not predictable. It's probably the least predictable of all the fields.

Dan: OK, OK, another question I'd love to ask is, again, think about your job holistically. What makes your job the absolute best job out there?

Eryn: Oh, it's the human element. It's it's like, you know, as humans, we always want to know we want to go further. We want to go higher. We want to know what's out there, what's around that next bend, the next hill, whatever. And so getting to be part of this human research and human space flight and getting to see this firsthand is so incredibly thrilling. And I think just satisfies me on such an innately human level that at least through their eyes and through my efforts, I get to be one of the first to see what's next, what's over there, you know. And that is so exhilarating every single time. And yes, I'm exhausted and I'm stressed out by the end of it. But once I've recovered, I'm like, that was awesome. Let's do it again. Let's go.

Dan: That is awesome. I absolutely love that. Eryn, I think we can keep talking about you and NASA. I think this is very fascinating. It's such a great organization, huge organization. But we did say that we're going to talk about you being a voice actor as well. So let's talk about that a little bit. Let's talk about how you actually got started doing that.

Eryn: Sure, sure. So yeah, that's funny because how how much more opposite from NASA can you get hardcore science and engineering to voice over art and performance. And so my whole life wanted to be an astronaut, work at NASA. So I dedicated all my efforts, very much science and math brain over here. Very little energy was put into the arts or anything, not math science going to NASA. And then I honestly, I can't tell you exactly what it was. I just I get these itches to want to learn a new hobby from time to time. And back in 20 late 21, 22, I was getting that itch again. I was like, I'm kind of I want to I want to learn something. And I kind of want to make a little side job, a side hustle, just so that I can make a little extra scratch. I'm thinking a couple hundred dollars a month that my daughter and I can go and just have fun with. And I don't need to worry about like, is this affecting the budget? So if we want to go see the movie, go to the mall shop, whatever, some fun money. OK, what do we got? I was a newly single mom, pretty freshly divorced, young child at the time. My life at NASA can be very chaotic. So I was like, what would be worth my time? That would be worth it. Can fit these crazy parameters that I could take work as it comes in as I want. Man, I don't know. So I literally Google single mom side hustles and like, all right, what do you got? Spitball here. There's there's see, well, I'm not very artistic. As we said, I wouldn't consider myself any kind of artistic and there's secret shopper. Well, that's that. You know, it's a lot of time and sometimes not a lot of money for your time. And then in the list, voice actor. And it's like, I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. And then in the list, voice actor. And it's like, well, that's interesting. And I remember having Ben, who that's his whole career. He does primarily educational tutorial videos, e-learning videos, that kind of thing. And I remember talking to him about it makes his whole career. And in my head, I'm like, well, that seems like that would work. So I reached out to him, asked him basically my crazy for even considering this. I've been told by folks, I've got a very nice voice. So like, maybe there's something to explore here. He's like, no, I think you're great. I already do a lot of public speaking as part of NASA, just because I love talking to the public, to classrooms, to students about NASA. So it's pretty polished over there. I've gotten a lot of skills as a result of that. So he set me up with some beginner resources. I dove into it. And then this, I don't know what it was, this, this hook that just grabbed me, that I was expecting to be so sucked in by. I think maybe the artistic side of myself had been so starved over all these years to express itself that when it found this, it was hitting that dopamine button. And so the more I went in and the more I learned, the more passionate about it I became. And then it's quickly grown. Just in just four years I've been doing this. It's quickly been growing up there with my dual passion of NASA. And it's been so much fun to see it take off. I'm getting to meet incredible people such as yourself, lots of fun characters. And much like NASA, where you go in with an idea and then you all of a sudden discover all these options that you didn't know existed. Same thing with the voiceover world. So many things. And I'm finding myself listening to commercials now. In fact, preferring them on the radio, like, yeah, yeah, yeah, get ... finish the song. Let's hear a commercial. And so, yeah, it's been a fun, fun adventure getting to discover this side of myself and the industry and then just seeing where it goes.

Dan: So with any business you have, invariably when you first start out, more than likely you have almost zero clients, maybe even zero.

Eryn: That many.

Dan: And then gradually you get a person, you might get two, three, you know, and maybe you're steadily climbing and, you know, maybe at some point you like all of a sudden gain some momentum. So at what point how and obviously this is going to change for everybody. It's going to be completely different for everyone. What was it like for you as far as like when things really started going? How long did it take? Was it six months of really grinding? And then you kind of got into the flow. Was the first year? Talk to me about that. What can people expect based on your experience?

Eryn: Oh, man, I almost feel bad about this because I look back and I think I was just hit with some incredible beginner's luck. I started on Fiverr. I can't remember why. I think I can't even remember how I found the website because I'd never heard of Fiverr before I got into this. It must have been in the list of beginner's resources when I started learning about VO and audio editing, all this stuff. So I started on Fiverr and I immediately had some incredible success right out of the gate. I was hoping, as I said, to make a couple hundred dollars a month and out of the gate that first month I made $1,200. And I was like, oh, that's awesome. And then same thing. I had some regular customers that would come back and then I'd just get the sporadic one offs and they just started, just started coming in. And then I had told my friends and family, I'm doing this now. So word of mouth starts to trickle out. And every now and then one of them would say, Hey, actually, I know someone who could use voice acting, of course, at the beginning, I'm a much cheaper voice actor. So that helped. I was able to come in at lower rates. I got to cut my teeth on projects that were, did not require as much skill as some of the bigger projects do now. And so it was mutually beneficial. Things like recording voicemail systems that, that doesn't require a whole lot of acting skill per se. And yeah, just started to build on itself like that. And then it just very quickly snowballed. I was getting a lot of clients regularly on Fiverr as well as outside. And then I joined various support communities like on Facebook, VO groups, discussion boards, learned about Voiceover Atlanta, the big conferences that go on around the country. And I would go there. Same thing. Just learn network. And then it's like, Hey, actually, and then started meeting people. It was like, you know what? I got a part for you. I think it would work really well. And I just let it grow organically. And so just a caution that like I talking with other folks, that's not been their experience. And so I wish I could say, Oh yes, you know, I'm just a natural star. I was born with it. I don't know. I don't, maybe it was a little bit of both. Maybe I had some natural talent. I was right place, right time. Who knows? But that was my particular journey and it's been growing pretty incredibly ever since.

Dan: That's really cool. I remember us speaking with Jordan Ring. He was a ghostwriter and he started on Fiverr as well. And he recommended for people just getting started. That's an okay place to start. So it's neat to hear that as a voice artist, you did the same thing and it worked out okay for you. And I think it's especially cool that you said you made $1,200 that first month when you were charging less because you're brand, essentially brand new to it. I love that. I love it.

Eryn: I was charging $5 the minimum back then the minimum gig was $5 and yeah, I was charging $5 I got excited when I'd get like a 20 or $50 gig like, whoo, look at me and then yeah, now it's much more. My rates have increased, but yeah, that's what I thought. I was like, holy cow. And then I was like, oh, this must be what everybody's doing. And then I talk with friends and the community boards and no, they're like, I can't get anything, it's damn empty. What are you doing? What's your secret? And I've been thinking, I wish I could tell you, I don't know if it just, if that's the experience I'm having, I'm sorry, I can't be more wise and, um, you know, um, what the word is prophetic than that. So like, I feel bad when people ask me like, come give us a tutorial, tell us, you know, should have, uh, you should set yourself up as a coach. I'm like, I have no idea what happened. So I would, I would be a sham coach. Cause I'd be like, Oh, follow my steps. These easy steps. And you'll be as successful as me. No, because I've tried to help some of my friends and they've looked at my gig profiles and I tell them what I do and they can't seem to replicate it. So I was like, I don't know, man, I can't tell you.

Dan: Let's talk about those resources. You talked about, different networking opportunities. I think it was Voiceover Atlanta. I think you called it. Talk to me about what are some of the best resources available to you? The ones that have kind of paid back in dividends where it's either they brought in business or they helped you connect with people that brought in larger clients. What are some of those key resources that really affected your business?

Eryn: Sure. So when I got started, I use Bill (DeWees). He's very well-known in the voiceover industry. He's a coach and he has a program called Voice Over Blueprint. And at the time I was, you know, I know nothing about this industry and I don't want to go throwing thousands of dollars on expensive equipment. And I know nothing about audio engineering and editing, but this resource was recommended by my friend and it was very budget friendly. And a lot of things were free software or very minimal. I think my first microphone, actually, I think it was this one right here. It was like 50 bucks off Amazon. Like, okay, that's pretty, that's a minimal expense I can afford. So if it turns out this isn't for me, I haven't sunk too much money to this. So yeah, I use Bill DeWees' Voice Over Blueprint course, and then that fed into YouTube channels and, you know, over on the sidebar, it offers up videos related to what you're watching. All right. Let's click on that. And then it got to be, what is this? Like keep mentioning this term or something like a Google YouTube. What is this in voiceover? Here's all these videos. Oh, okay. That's what that is. And then I just kind of just let the thought squirrels happen and I would just chase random videos down the YouTube rabbit hole and see where it would take me. So YouTube was great because it was free. I used Audacity. It was free. Amazon. I got my little USB plugin microphone. Uh, at the time my soundproof, I didn't have audio foam. I went to Walmart and I bought a memory foam mattress and cut it up into panels and had a glorified cardboard box in my closet. I got a big refrigerator box and that was my sound booth. So there's a lot of amazing free resources or very minimal cost resources to get you started. Fiverr was great because it let me cut my teeth and then got experience, got feedback. And then Fiverr, you can really get the range from, from people who are very new, one off need a voiceover to people have been in the industry and they know a lot and they would then ultimately recommend me on to bigger and bigger tiers and that kind of fed. So yeah, just kind of a little bit of, a little bit of everything. And just a lot of what's this, what's that? Let's see what this happens here. One of the voiceover conferences, signing up with the big name teachers or just like, that's a really cool talk. I've always wanted to know about that. I'm going to go to that class over there for an hour and I'm going to go to that class over there. I'm going to go say hi to the instructor when we're done. I'm going to join up with them on LinkedIn. I'm going to follow their socials. And then same thing is happening. Things are posting. Opportunities are popping up and I get to jump in on those when I see it. And it's just, it's organic machine that just keeps feeding itself.

Dan: Eryn, I've spoken to so many different people, so many different entrepreneurs. And they all talk about networking in some capacity and how important it is. And I'd never thought to ask this question. So you're going to be the lucky one to get this one. Does anyone still hand out business cards? How do you actually connect with someone, seeing at the conference and then making sure you stay connected? Do you just go back to your room and you're like, reach, you know, on LinkedIn or pull your phone on LinkedIn. How are people actually connecting when their networking at these events these days?

Eryn: Business cards, literally a table full of them. Everybody goes over and you leave a stack of your own. By the end of the conference, there's a hundred different stacks of cards out there. Some people bring fun little like signature Chachkies that have their website or QR code that takes you to their website. Hand those out. But yeah, business cards everywhere. Keep a ton in your pocket because you're just going to be throwing them, throwing them, throwing them. They're going to be throwing them at you. So put them in the little gift baggie they give you. And then if I didn't get their information right then and there, when I went back to my hotel room, I would sift through all the cards I got that day and I'd go. LinkedIn was the big one. Ninety percent of the contacts. I then go friend on LinkedIn. And then if it wasn't LinkedIn, then it was like maybe their social media, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, something like that. Yeah, business cards.

Dan: Eryn, just like when we were talking about your role at NASA, I feel like we can keep talking about this for so much longer. Unfortunately, I am running out of time. But before I hand the floor over to you, I want to take a second and thank David Benson for introducing us. Dave was an episode 149 as a YouTuber. Everyone, please go check out that episode. The link is in the description. Eryn, this is the part of the show where I like to offer my guests the opportunity to talk about a project they're working on, a cause they believe in, more about their business. So if there's something specific you'd like to discuss, the floor is yours.

Eryn: All right. Well, then I guess I'll just do a shameless plug for my website. It's ErynAndrews.com. It's spelled E-R-Y-N-A-N-D-R-E-W-S dot com. And if you want to work with a NASA engineer slash voice actor, hit me up. Let me know what I can do for you. Thank you.

Dan: That is absolutely awesome. I'll make sure I get that link from you. I'll put in the description. It'll be in the show notes. It'll be all over the place when people are trying to find you. They can easily find you.

Eryn: Fantastic. Thank you. I do appreciate that.

Dan: Absolutely. Eryn, it's been awesome having you on Time We Discuss and we learned all about what it's like being a NASA engineer and a voice artist.

Eryn: Thank you. This has been so much fun again. Thank you very much. I'm very privileged to be on your show.

Dan: All right. So let's talk about some highlights from our conversation with Eryn. For starters, there are a variety of different locations where you can work, including Maryland, Washington, DC, California, Texas, Ohio, Virginia, Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi. You can also expect to work on a variety of different projects. She talked about working on the spacesuit and how she didn't even know that was a thing going into it, which is really, really cool. You can also expect these projects to be long-term. They can be short-term. They can last for years or much shorter. It's also not uncommon that you might have to pivot in what you're doing. So if you're the kind of person that finds it difficult to suddenly change what you're doing, this job might not be for you. However, one of the really cool things is you get to say, "I work for NASA." Not many people get to do that. I don't know anyone that works for NASA aside from Eryn who I just met. It's also really cool knowing that you are one of those people that helps place people and things in space or the moon or Mars. Really, really cool. Now I dug a little deeper when it comes to salary. Now NASA is a federal agency, which means that all this information is publicly available. It uses the GS pay system and engineers working at NASA from what I could find go from GS7 all the way up to GS15. Again, all this information is publicly available, so feel free to fact check me. Generally speaking, you can expect to start around $43,000 a year with a bachelor's degree at a GS7, or if you have a master's, you'll be bumped up to a GS9 making 53 to start. Regardless, you're probably going to peak around $165,000 a year as you advance through your career. That'll probably get adjusted for inflation over time, but as it is right now, the peak is around $165,000. It's also important to note that NASA also hires contractors. Contractors make around 10% more on average. One other thing about the salary is that it is also adjusted based on locality. So if you're working in Maryland, you might not make the same amount of money as a person in California that is doing the exact same thing as you that has the same amount of experience. Switching over to voice acting, Erin said she started doing this just a few years ago. And the one big takeaway that I wonder is you might just need the right voice for that. She said so many people comment on how she had a nice voice. She tried to do this and had success right out of the gate. People tried to replicate what she was doing through her profile description and things like that. And they weren't having the same success that Eryn was having. So it is possible that the type of voice you have might impact how successful you could be as a voice actor. She also talked about working with different coaches or different online platforms and learning more about how to be a voice actor. So that could also be part of the secret sauce. So you might have to do that as well. It's also important to note that you'll be competing with other people through Fiverr and other platforms. Remember, Eryn said she took her first gig doing five dollars. So you're going to be competing against these other people until you get a name for yourself and people are willing to pay you a little bit more. On the plus side, it is a very low startup, especially if you want to do this as a side hustle. She said $50 for a microphone. Free and cheap software is out there. So that's a plus. She also talked about how she did her acoustical treatment in her sound booth. So it is easy to get up and running very cheaply and then work your way up to a more professional sound, look, and feel. We also talked about the importance of networking. You want to find out what other people are using, the other platforms they're using, how they're networking, how they're getting out there and making a name for themselves. You want to learn from as many people as you can learn from their mistakes and improve upon those so you don't make those same mistakes. I spoke with a number of other voice artists, including Voiceover Pam. I spoke to Gina Scarpa. I spoke to Aaron Ryan and all three of them started out very small and had successful careers as voice actors. I'll include links to all those episodes in the description. One thing that Eryn and I did not get a chance to talk about was concerns over A.I. I remember speaking in the past with people that there are some concerns over A.I. when it comes to voice acting. I don't think A.I. is coming for voice actors anytime soon, but it is important to know that that could be an issue going forward. Now, I dug a little deeper when it comes to salaries for voice artists. When you're just starting out and you're doing it part time, you can expect anywhere between 5K to 30K on average. Obviously, this is going to vary depending on the amount of effort you put in. But that salary range is a reasonable expectation if you put in the work. Once you become a full working professional in this arena, you can expect more like 40,000 up to six figures. That is not uncommon. Again, your mileage may vary. Once you're established and you're able to land very large accounts, it's possible to even get as high as 250,000 or more. And if you're a famous celebrity voice actor, which you're probably not, otherwise you wouldn't be listening to this episode, you can expect to make easily into the millions. OK, so what do you think when it comes to being a NASA engineer or a voice actor? There are some good things and there's some bad things. Are either of these jobs the best one for you? Let's keep exploring and we'll see you next time on Time We Discuss.