The protector of the planet position pays well, but you probably will only get to deal with little aliens. Star Wars it is not.
"but you probably will only get to deal with little aliens. Star Wars it is not."
I am less certain. If you look at the job description, there is the following:
"Security Clearance
Secret"
Where there is smoke, there must be fire.
The word "probably" was used, which leaves open the window for all aliens great and small. "Secret" is not "Top Secret", which probably means that whoever gets the job will not be travelling to area 51 anytime soon. But, then again, they would not say in the job description that one would be dealing with large aliens in order to avoid an influx of applications from every nut job west of the Mississippi.
I guess the kids saying that "it takes one to know one" might well be this ambitious kid's main qualification for Planetary Protection agent.
Looks like the position is not really about open competition and probably more about finding a slot for a crony.
NASA has already turned down an external applicant.
Cronyism: Poor kid. He applies for the NASA job and tells them he can start immediately, and NASA responds with some nonsense about working hard and doing well in school so he can meet their high standards in the future. The job will probably go to someone that NASA already has picked out, regardless of anyone else who may respond to their ad. I don't know if it's some legal formality or just a perfunctory fairness gesture when organizations and companies place these job opening ads when in their minds they have already decided who will get the job, no matter if the applicants should turn out to be more qualified than their"inside" pick. I guess it does make some sense to go with people you know, or owe.
Here is one possibly highly qualified person that should probably not apply for the job.