Talk about a time when you took charge of a situation but the outcome was disappointing. How did you bounce back?
When selecting interns, Boeing interviewers set out to choose those who have confidence in their leadership, and the ability to bounce back when things do not go as planned. Hiring authorities understand that people in leadership will have successes and failures. Show that you can take those failures, learn from them, and move on with poise and confidence. Think about a time when your leadership plan didn't go as desired. Be sure to tell discuss what you learned from the scenario and what you would do better next time.
Remember: Boeing uses behavioral-based questions to conduct interviews, and they advise using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, and Result) method when responding. Be sure your answer is highly specific and includes quantifiable details and tangible results.
"As the Student Government President, I took control of our school's recruitment fair this year. It was not as successful as previous student recruitment fairs and, despite my best efforts, we didn't see the results or interest that we were hoping to garner. After taking a couple of days to review the situation, I realized that we didn't bring the energy that we could have for garnering face-to-face interest. I decided to bounce back and repair this situation by putting more time and attention to the online materials and resources that our school provides for prospective students. I realize now that, in addition to being fully prepared, bringing the right energy level is just as important to an events' success."
