Tell me about an achievement you are proud of. What did you find challenging about it?

Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
How to Answer
1st Answer Example
2nd Answer Example

NASA solves some of the world's most technically complex challenges, such as the Mars Rover landing. They seek difference-makers with a proven track record of hard work that leads to achievement. Your interviewer wants to hear about a time when the work you put in led to an achievement.

You have a couple of options for how to approach this: Discuss an example of when you overcame obstacles to achieve something great, or share a significant accomplishment or award you received and talk about what was challenging about it.

Either way, you are showing your determination and focus on reaching your goal. Think of a situation that highlights your strengths and qualities that will be helpful for the job for which you are interviewing. Try to keep your response as career-relevant as possible.

"One achievement that I am proud of is graduating college as an honors student while still working full time. This accomplishment showed me that I could dedicate myself to my career, and reach the goals that I set for myself. It felt great to accomplish so much and earn recognition for my dedication."

"The operations team I currently manage was short-staffed last year due to a round of layoffs that affected our group. Our production targets did not change despite the loss of several key team members. I pulled everyone together and dedicated an afternoon to brainstorming creative ways to be more efficient. We restructured responsibilities and adjusted the order of operations for some of our tasks.

Not only did we meet our goals, but we exceeded them. The challenging part was finding creative ways to keep my team motivated while they were adjusting to all of the changes. I learned a lot about leadership and I am proud of that achievement. I know I will be able to show the same level of leadership in the face of adversity if hired here at NASA."