Boeing has around 150,000 employees, all of whom play an active role in the company’s success. Sometimes that looks like working as a mechanic on planes, while other times it involves working as an engineer to help come up with new designs.
If the idea of working at Boeing excites you, whether it’s in one of these positions or something else entirely, it pays to be prepared for an interview with potential questions you’ll get asked!
In general, questions at Boeing focus on your hard skills and your past experience. But, to learn more about what interview questions at Boeing are like, keep reading to get the full scoop on how to prepare for an interview.
What’s the Interview Process Like at Boeing?
When it comes to landing a job at Boeing, you’ll first want to apply for relevant positions. Although Boeing sometimes uses job boards such as Indeed, the majority of their positions are listed out directly on the Boeing website.
Once you’ve identified a job that you think would be a good fit for you, click into that position and complete the application. You’ll need to upload your resume, include your contact details, and provide a cover letter.
After you’ve applied for a position, you’ll receive a call asking you to schedule an in-person interview. This part of the process can take anywhere from two to five weeks, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t get a call right away.
Next, you’ll head into your in-person interview. If all goes well, you may be asked to come in for a second interview, as this company has a thorough vetting process. Finally, you’ll complete onboarding tasks such as conducting fingerprinting and a background check and performing a drug test.
Common Interview Questions at Boeing
Now that we’ve gone over what the interview process is like let’s get into what questions you’re likely to face during that process. Here are a few of the top questions that you’ll want to be prepared for when applying to work at Boeing.
1. Why Do You Want to Work at Boeing?
Boeing is one of the few major companies that build airplanes, so knowing a little bit about what makes them different from their competitors is key. For this question, you’ll want to mention what Boeing is currently doing that excites you.
You can also add why you were drawn to Boeing and what makes the company stand out from its competitors. The more specific you can be, the better.
2. Tell Me About Yourself
For this question, employers want to get a brief overview of your past experience and education as it relates to the job. They’re not looking to learn about your life story, but would like to hear a bit about what attracted you to the job and why you’d be a great fit for the position.
Try to keep your answer here to about 1-2 minutes. Anything longer tends to be adding unnecessary details that your employer isn’t likely to remember.
Additionally, try to focus only on the most important experiences and education as they relate to the job. If the interviewer wants to know more about a certain job you held, they’ll ask, so no need to get too lost in the weeds.
3. Tell Me About Your Experience Working With ___ Software
Working at Boeing, especially as an engineer, often involves working with some pretty tricky software. Although you don’t necessarily need to have experience with these programs to land the job, it can certainly be a point in your favor.
To answer this question, talk about any experience you’ve had using the software the interviewer is asking about. Provide detailed examples of how you’ve been successful using it, and do your best to relate it back to the position you’ll be taking on.
4. How Do You Define Quality?
Quality is a major part of the core values at Boeing, and as a result, it’s likely that you’ll get asked this question to gauge how well you fit into the company culture. For this question, you’ll want to be honest and use your past experiences to guide how you answer the question.
You can talk about things like having strong attention to detail or emphasizing great customer service and how these lead to a quality product or service overall.
5. Tell Me About a Time You Had to Meet a Tight Deadline
In the aerospace industry, deadlines are crucial. At the same time, you don’t want to sacrifice quality or safety in order to meet a deadline.
If you get asked this question, the key is to use the STAR method to answer the question and show how you’ve handled meeting deadlines in the past. Give specific examples, and be sure to state the outcome of your actions when trying to meet deadlines.
6. What’s Your Greatest Weakness?
This question is a great opportunity for hiring managers to see how your self-perception is. They want to see whether you answer the question honestly and whether you understand what your limitations are.
While you definitely want to be honest about this question, you also want to make sure that you don’t list a weakness that could be detrimental to the position. For example, with Boeing, you could say that your greatest weakness is that you can be a bit shy upon meeting people. This can be a setback to working in teams, but it isn’t likely to hinder your work as an engineer for the company.
7. How Do You Deal With Criticism?
Employers will often ask you this question to see how coachable you are. The goal here is to identify how well you handle criticism and how your interpersonal skills are.
When answering this question, you’ll want to talk about how you don’t have a problem with constructive criticism. Mention that it’s what helps you improve at your job and that you don’t take criticism personally.
This answer shows employers that you’re easy to work with and that you’ll handle feedback well on the job.
8. Tell Me About a Time You Made a Mistake at Work
As tempting as it may be to lie and say that you’ve never made a mistake at work, this isn’t the way to go. Interviewers want to learn more about how you handle failure and how you learn from past mistakes.
Answer this question as honestly as possible, using the STAR method to explain the situation and give context. From there, talk about your error and what your actions were. Be sure to talk about how you fixed the situation in the end or the lessons you learned from those mistakes.
Doing so shows your employer that you’re not afraid of failure and that you can grow from setbacks.
9. How Well Do You Work Under Pressure?
Working at Boeing can be a high-pressure job. Not only are the tasks assigned to you difficult, but you’ll also be under a lot of pressure to make sure that your work adheres to safety standards. Otherwise, your actions could have disastrous results in real flights!
Answer this question honestly, giving examples of how you handle stress and pressure on the job. Talk about the steps you take to ensure that you’re able to remain calm and objective while still accomplishing your tasks with precision.
10. Do You Have Any Questions About Boeing?
At the end of your interview, many interviewers ask whether you have any additional questions for them. This is a great time to ask for clarification about job duties, hours, and scheduling, or any other doubts you might have.
You can also ask general questions about the state of the company or ask for additional information as to what the expectations of the job are.
Remember, although you’re not obligated to ask any questions, doing here helps show that you’re interested in the position.
Final Thoughts
The interview process at Boeing can be pretty rigorous, regardless of what position you’re applying for. That’s why it’s so important to practice interview questions in advance.
In general, interview questions at Boeing tend to focus on a mix of behavioral questions and questions about your skills and experience. Using the STAR method can help you answer some of these questions to the best of your ability.
So, with these tips under your belt, it’s time to buckle up and get ready to take off for a new career at Boeing!