Describe a time when you had to quickly adapt to a change at work. How will you be adaptable to change here at NASA?
"I currently work for a private sector aerospace and defense company. 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. 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. In this particular situation, communication was the main key to adapting. I clearly communicated with my colleagues and leadership to make sure everyone was on the same page until a clear chain of command was established.
I feel confident I will be able to adapt quickly and effectively to change here at NASA. I'm used to ever-changing technology and project goals, and I am also able to handle changes to workflow, protocols, and team culture."
"Other than my internship, this will be my first official professional role if I am selected for the position. However, I am comfortable adapting to change as needed. For example, my family moved unexpectedly during my senior year in high school. It turned out that I was behind in several subjects at the new school, and I felt lost while in class when I first arrived.
It was a bit of a shock, but I jumped right in and did the work necessary to catch up to the other students. It required a lot of reading and dedication, but I was able to maintain my grades and enroll in the college I wanted to attend. I feel I would be able to do the same here at NASA. I will jump in and do the work necessary to be successful in whatever I am asked to take on even if it requires extra effort."
"As a senior aviation engineer, I have learned to be continually open to change. There are new innovations in this field constantly, and it is important to make sure my skills are up-to-date. For example, one of the junior engineers I worked with asked me about a new technology I was not familiar with. He had recently graduated with his Ph.D. in physics from a top university and had interned with another company. They were using a new technique that allowed for advanced systems cooling. I asked him to walk me through what he knew about it and then I researched on my own.
We were able to collaborate and quickly develop a proposal for how we could integrate the new technology into our current control systems. I feel I would be able to demonstrate the same level of open-mindedness and adaptability to change here at NASA."
The rate of change within space exploration is remarkable, specifically with private companies becoming involved, like SpaceX and Blue Origin. Your NASA interviewer wants to know if you have the ability to handle the high rate of change you will likely experience while working on projects.
Walk your interviewer through a scenario from your professional past in which you demonstrated adaptability. The a href"https://www.mockquestions.com/articles/InterviewTypes/MasterBehavioral-BasedInterviewsUsingTheStarMethod/"STAR Method/a works well for any question that asks you to walk your interviewer through a specific example of behavior or accomplishment and should help you develop a well-crafted response.
The scenario you choose should:
- Show that you can remain calm in the face of change
- Clearly understood your role and how to shift accordingly
- Demonstrate how you added value by adapting
- If possible, demonstrate adaptability in alignment with your target role at NASA
Once you've walked your interviewer through your example, apply what you shared and discuss how your adaptable behaviors align with the work you expect to do if hired at NASA. With this question, you must understand that NASA is continuously adapting and innovating in everything that they do. Any way you answer, make sure to reiterate that you are flexible and adaptable!
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