Describe a time when you had to quickly adapt to a change at work.
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Just as a friendly reminder, when you're answering these questions, always give a specific example that explains the situation, your actions, and the results. Boeing is notoriously picky about which candidates they hire, and you can stay ahead of the competition if you prepare your answers carefully.
To address this question, you can use a simple everyday example, like adjusting to the ebb and flow of a hectic customer service environment the way company demands can change depending on the season. You are flexible and adaptable! The interviewer wants to hear about how you handled the stress of a promotion or additional responsibilities being added to your job description. These types of examples will demonstrate that you can efficiently adjust to a changing work environment. You're so calm and collected that nothing phases you!
To address this question, you can use a simple everyday example, like adjusting to the ebb and flow of a hectic customer service environment the way company demands can change depending on the season. You are flexible and adaptable! The interviewer wants to hear about how you handled the stress of a promotion or additional responsibilities being added to your job description. These types of examples will demonstrate that you can efficiently adjust to a changing work environment. You're so calm and collected that nothing phases you!
Example #1
"Last year our company was sold to a competitor, and a lot of our management team changed hands. It was a great deal of change to handle in a short time, especially being unsure of who to report to ahead of others. I am resilient, though, and have made the big changes work by keeping my head down and delivering great work, no matter who it goes to in the end."
Anonymous Answer
"At a previous company, redundancies were prominent. I had to adapt to the change of atmosphere and ensure my tasks were completed with the same drive on positivity."
Lauren's Reply
If I were the interviewer, I may need more clarification to fully understand your response.
Lauren's Reply
"(This is an example that can be revised) I once worked in an extremely fast-paced environment where I was working on multiple projects at once. At any given time, I had to change my prioritization to accommodate new and changing conditions. I can assess situations quickly in order to provide the best service."
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Anonymous Answer
"In a previous job, I was working for a company that had six different funding provisions. I originally started in the engineering division covering Marine, Motor, and engineering. That was relatively simple as the basis for all three were along the same generic lines. I was then promoted to look at all six provisions, which included the Service section and Business section. I had three weeks to get up to speed on all the different frameworks available and the funding implications."
Rachelle's Reply
This is a short amount of time to get up to speed on these frameworks! This answers shows a great capability to handle a lot of new information at one time. Try to expand your answer a bit by speaking further on the final outcome.
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Anonymous Answer
"There was a book change on a class that I was teaching during the first week of school. The task was to revise the syllabus and get familiar with the new text before the next class. I had to spend long hours revising the syllabus and notes to ensure a smooth transition.
Everything was up and running as expected."
Rachelle's Reply
Good beginnings! When answering behavior style questions like 'Describe a time...' or 'Tell me about a time...' it's essential to implement the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). By doing so, you offer the interviewer a full scope of the story and result. The STAR approach prevents the interviewer from having to dig for more information or ask a bunch of follow up questions. (*It's getting there! I recommend working on your use of STAR to make your answers more engaging.)
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Anonymous Answer
"I would have to go back to when I was informed I would be doing both Payroll and Health and Safety jobs with two different bosses. I had to learn a whole new job while still keeping up with my Health and Safety work. I really just dug in, learned my new job and pushed myself to succeed."
Rachelle's Reply
Great answer.
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Anonymous Answer
"Most of my 20 years exp has been as a contractor, have to dip in and out of companies within the space of a few months and quickly assess a way forward, affect change - produce results. Also, stress often has to adapt to late design changes, typically quite bad at responding to, however it is getting better with software and dynamic analysis, where inputs and geometric changes can be handled fairly easily, but it has to be planned that way and may need investment to expect those changes further down the line."
Kristine's Reply
Good! Your response will convince the interviewer that adapting to changes has been the norm in your career. When the interviewer starts any question with the phrase, "Describe a time when you..." this is a signal that it's a behavioral interview question and you should respond with a story about a specific situation using the STAR method, with S = Situation, T = Task, A = Action, and R = Result. Try building upon your response by talking about a situation where there were late design changes and what that meant for you, and then describe your next actions and then the outcome or result.
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Anonymous Answer
"When the system I had been working on for 11 years had to be rewritten. I went from being involved in change requests and regular maintenance of the application to being the subject matter expert. My willingness to share my knowledge helped the team succeed. We were able to achieve a successful implementation of the system."
Rachelle's Reply
This sounds like an excellent achievement! Try offering up more specifics, such as the timeline of the implementation.
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Anonymous Answer
"When I worked in technical support, our company was bought out, and all the employees had to move to a different building with different supporting equipment. It was a significant change, and at first, I was concerned about being able to adapt to a fast-paced environment. What I learned was the new equipment was better and provided me to work more efficiently. After that experience, I embrace change and find ways I can use it to improve myself."
Rachelle's Reply
This would have been a tough change, overall, but it sounds like you made the best of it and even found the positive side. Excellent answer!
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