Who is an intelligent person you admire?
Your interviewer is posing this question in an attempt to get to know your personal side a bit better and see the type of person they'd be hiring to join their team at the National Security Agency. Have fun with this question. Choose a family member, friend, mentor, author, celebrity, or influencer in your industry. Be sure to back up your answer with why you consider that person to be the smartest. Keep the conversation going by asking the interviewer the same question.
"I am a history buff and I love reading biographies. One of the people who I greatly admire is Alan Turing. I mean, he was a mathematician, computer scientist, logician, cryptanalyst, philosopher, and was brilliant in every way. So much of what the NSA does today is owed to him. How about you? What brilliant person do you admire?"
One of the taglines for the NSA is that they are "where intelligence goes to work." They also state, when looking to recruit talent, that they're "searching for the brightest minds who are looking to start their career at NSA, where continual learning, work-life balance and protecting the nation are top priorities." So, when sharing someone who you admire for their wisdom, decision-making, or intellect, you'll want to go into depth on why you admire them, and what it is about them that serves as a role model for what you strive to be. If you can align these with the culture, purpose, and mission of the NSA, all the better.
Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.
Anonymous Answer
My brother has a friend who has retired at the age of 32. he invested in real estate, and now lives on the passive income stream that he built for himself. He is free to do whatever he likes for the rest of his life.
Marcie's Feedback
Wow! Sounds impressive. Can you talk more about why this impresses you? What skills does this person possess that you want to acquire or learn more about?
Unlock all 38 NSA (National Security Agency) questions
Prepare for polygraph discussions and questions that test your judgment under scrutiny.
Get Started