How to Answer: Tell me about the most challenging aspect of your previous job. How did you overcome it?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Boeing job interview.
9. Tell me about the most challenging aspect of your previous job. How did you overcome it?
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
Sometimes the most significant workplace challenge is a difficult task that puts you outside of your comfort zone. As Boeing is in the continued pursuit of excellence in all that they do, your interviewer is posing this question to see that you can handle the most challenging of situations with grit, determination, and a positive attitude.
Written by Karrie Day on May 30th, 2023
How to Answer
Prior to your interview, try to think of a great example to talk about that proves your ability to use these traits in overcoming a challenge on the job. It could be something that requires skills you haven't mastered yet or qualities where you are not the strongest. Explain to the interviewer why it was difficult, but be sure to spend more time highlighting the actions you took to overcome the challenge as well as any key lessons you learned as a result.
Written by Karrie Day on May 30th, 2023
Entry Level Example
"My last role was my internship here at Boeing. The most challenging aspect of the role was accepting that I would have to leave at the end of my internship. I absolutely loved the innovative culture and the amazing people who gave their time to teach me. I worked on real projects and I felt like I was able to add value while learning about Boeing's business and customers.
It was hard at the end of my 12 months not to know if I would be back after completing my senior year of college. Instead of focusing on the unknown, I did my very best on every assignment I was given and worked to build a good reputation. I also networked to get to know as many people in as many departments as possible before I left and I kept in touch throughout the year. One of my contacts recommended me for this role, and I am incredibly excited to be considered for the opportunity with the Digital Services and Analytics team here at Boeing."
Written by Karrie Day on November 14th, 2022
Answer Example
"The most challenging aspect of my last job was troubleshooting some of the older technology. We needed some serious upgrades, but they weren't in the budget. Learning how to work around this problem was quite a challenge, but I learned how by referring to old manuals and online forums. I ended up becoming one of the stronger users of this program in our entire office in a short time. I quickly became the go-to person when anyone had questions about the technology and my director was thoroughly impressed at the extra effort I put into this."
Written by Ryan Brunner on November 13th, 2021
Experienced Example
"The most difficult aspect of my previous role was the infighting between the senior managers who were my colleagues. As a senior manager, it is important to me to lead by example and set the proper tone for the individuals I have the privilege to lead. Our manager meetings always seemed to have a negative element to them and there was a lot of blaming between groups.
I had previously come from a more positive environment and had experience facilitating meetings. I asked my VP if I could take a more active role in the meeting going forward. We established ground rules, developed clear action items, and made a commitment to work together the way we wanted our teams to collaborate.
The situation did not change overnight, but bringing it to light and making agreements to change helped to move things in the right direction. We held each other accountable and celebrated each other's successes. I am really glad I asked for change instead of allowing an unhealthy team dynamic to continue."
Written by Karrie Day on November 14th, 2022
Business Analyst Example
"I work for a small company and there are only four business analysts on staff. The most challenging aspect of my role is that I am often pulled in competing directions. None of us has a clear domain of expertise, so I have had to learn many business verticals in a short period of time.
While it can be challenging, I have been able to gain a ton of experience quickly. I dive right in every time I am assigned to a new area and I partner with the business experts to learn their workflows, systems, and structure. From there, I work to understand their business needs and define their requirements for change. While I do not have many senior-level mentors in my role to learn from, I have been able to research and ask others within the community when I need support. I feel that all of the skills I have used to overcome the most challenging aspect of my current role would serve me well as a business analyst here at Boeing."
Written by Karrie Day on November 14th, 2022
Project Manager Example
"One of the most challenging aspects of my role as a project manager was working with my director to establish ground rules for working with our customers. My director is fantastic and very supportive of the teams I work with and he works hard to make sure we have everything we need to be successful. However, he frequently interacted with our stakeholders and sponsors outside of official project meetings and he had a habit of agreeing to take on additional scope without understanding it or knowing how it would affect the current plan. He would simply hand off the request and let me know it needed to be completed by whatever date he agreed to.
At first, I worked with my teams to accommodate these requests as best as possible, but over time the team became stressed and frustrated. I set up a meeting with him to discuss the issue and a possible better way of handling extra scope requests from senior stakeholders. He indicated that he understood the problem, but it was very important to him that we remain agile and do our best to accommodate new requests when they come in. I am also a believer in providing the best customer service possible, but I knew there was a better way that could meet all of our needs.
I suggested that we schedule a quick bi-monthly check in with each of the senior stakeholder and project sponsors to discuss any new requests they might have outside of the features we were already working on. I asked that we include myself and our technical lead. That way, we could field the requests and offer a sense of timing and impact to the original plan. We could also ask questions about the scope to reduce the ambiguity when we took the requests back to the team for further analysis and design.
The new format worked really well and my director now does a great job of asking stakeholders to hold the details of their requests until we meet. He lets them know their needs and ideas are important and that we want to make sure we give them the time and consideration they deserve. Our customers seem happy with the approach and the chaos within the team has settled."
Written by Karrie Day on November 14th, 2022
Software Engineer Example
"The most challenging aspect of my current role has been to become a more vocal and active leader within my teams. I am a naturally introverted person, and I tend to focus on my own work. I am always open to helping or mentoring, but I wanted to push myself to openly lead during meetings so that I could progress to a formal technical leadership role in the future.
I am still working on improving my leadership skills, but I no longer see the work I do in this area as a challenge. It is a fun opportunity. I have enjoyed observing others and what seems to work well when they lead. I have observed formal leaders and those who lead by example. I have begun incorporating some of the same approaches in my own work.
I also asked my tech lead if I could take point on some aspects of our project to grow my leadership skills. She has been very supportive and let the team know that I would be leading those initiatives. I provide direction, answer questions, review the work of others, help them through challenges, and champion their successes, I have thoroughly enjoyed working in this capacity and pushing myself out of my comfort zone. I look forward to continuing to grow my leadership skills if selected for the position here at Boeing."
Written by Karrie Day on November 14th, 2022
Anonymous Interview Answers with Professional Feedback
Anonymous Answer
Task: I had to get the team together so we could work efficiently and effectively on time.
Action: I set up a meeting with my team and asked the more experienced technicians if they would assist and help out the less experienced technicians.
Result: The experienced technicians agreed to help out the slower techs, and we were able to meet our deadline."
Jaymie's Feedback
Anonymous Answer
Result: The experienced technicians agreed to help out the slower techs, and we were able to meet our deadline. I was praised for completing the project a week before the targeted date."
Jaymie's Feedback
About the Author
As a former technologist, I was excited when I learned I would be working on the Boeing Q&A set. I knew going in that Boeing had a strong track record of innovation and excellence when it comes to their use of technology, but I learned so much more when I dug in to research the company. Here are a few things that impressed me personally:
Product Development Process Maturity
I spent time digging through the open roles at Boeing and I noticed roles that indicate that the process of developing products at Boeing is advanced. They know their stuff! For example, they employ multiple levels of scrum masters. This means they assign highly skilled and advanced product development facilitators to teams working on mission-critical projects. Additionally, some of their teams utilize SAFe (scaled agile framework). This means Boeing understands how to bridge multiple teams together in a scaled agile setting for maximum collaboration and success. That's important!
Lean Practices
Boeing leverages lean principles within their manufacturing sectors, software engineering, and operations groups. This means they understand how to maximize value, ensure quality, and reduce waste. Each of these practices is good for the company, good for its clients, and in theory, good for the employees of Boeing.
Well Developed Careers Site
The career coach in me really appreciated Boeing's careers pages. They are very clear about what they are looking for in each of the roles listed. They offer a breakdown of responsibilities and the types of traits/soft skills needed. They use descriptive language such as 'relentless improvements' and 'thinking beyond boundaries'. They also offer salary range, benefits, and relocation assistance information. All of this tells me that Boeing is committed to identifying candidates that are a great fit for their needs and their culture.
Talent Development and Long-Term Career Options
Boeing has a strong internship program. This is a smart move in my opinion. They invest in bringing young talent in, showing them the world of Boeing, and then convincing the best to come back and work full-time. Programs like these help to develop future leaders, and Boeing isn't shy about their preference for promoting from within. They also have a well-developed leadership program, a healthy list of business resource groups, demonstrated commitment to hiring veterans, and several continual learning programs. If the idea of working your way up in a company like Boeing sounds appealing, they may be the perfect fit for you!
In summary, there are always new and exciting opportunities at Boeing that offer a wide range of benefits. No matter what type of role you are interested in, landing a job at Boeing results in an impressive addition to your future resume. I hope this Q&A set has helped you prepare and boost your excitement about your upcoming interview at Boeing. I wish you success, and I encourage you to keep Boeing on your radar in the future!
Learn more about Karrie Day