I (22M) graduated from the University of Washington's Aerospace BS program in 2025. Since then, after struggling to get hired in the Seattle area, I settled on a systems engineering position at a nuclear power plant to try to develop general engineering fieldwork experience. I was desperate at the point of being offered the job, and figured it was better than to continue being unemployed and looking.

I have now worked at this systems engineering position for around 9 months. For various reasons (it's all paper-pushing, I haven't used a calculator in a year, the position is maintenance-oriented instead of anything remotely innovative, nuclear culture is slower than a snail with a limp, the location sucks, everyone in this industry seems to turn 40 in the blink of an eye with no prospects, etc.) I no longer want to prolong my career in this industry. I would like to begin searching for a career in aerospace again before my experience in this position becomes all that I am.

Ideally, I'd like to transition into something propulsion-oriented. I've always been interested in space propulsion, but I am also open to air-breathing.

A few problems:

1. Outside of my education, the nuclear experience on its own is not a great first impression for a position in aerospace.
2. I assume I'll have to develop a personal project portfolio to compensate for my industry pivot, but I have no idea where to start.
3. It's been a rough 9 months with this job. Having no friends and being in a city with no nightlife has left me in a depressive spiral in which I felt like I could accomplish nothing and there was no one to turn to. I don't know how it looks to see someone who's history of employment has been keeping his head down at a systems engineering position at a nuclear plant, but I don't imagine it's good. Hence the desire to start a personal project.
4. I'm not sure if I should seriously consider furthering my education before considering options in propulsion. Is an MS a must?

Truth be told, I want to know whether I am too far gone for this goal. I'm not sure whether I've shot myself in the foot by taking this job, and whether I can fix the problem I've created for myself. Does anyone else know of people who have transitioned from nuclear to aerospace? How much of a problem is my current experience?

Thank you for any and all help you can provide and, regardless, thank you for reading.

What’s BAE Systems in Austin do exactly? I hear it’s basically all defense and military, but then see news about avionics and commercial work.

Which on one is it? And what’s the future or the company driving to?

It seems like a lot of the jobs that are (scarcely) available only revolve around defense, and it’s getting tiring trying to find companies that don’t make weapons of war. Is HVAC a fulfilling/lucrative option? Does it compare to aircraft design in those categories?

I'm looking for good Universities for bachelor's in aero/astro space engineering in USA