How to Answer: How often do you implement innovations that improve your performance?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a SpaceX job interview.
36. How often do you implement innovations that improve your performance?
What You Need to Know
Innovation is a phrase ubiquitously used by SpaceX. As they state on their site, "The company was founded on the philosophy that simplicity, reliability, and cost-effectiveness are closely connected. We approach all elements of launch services with a focus on simplicity to both increase reliability and lower cost."
Think of the ideas you've come up with throughout your professional experience to simplify your approach to your work, increase productivity and cost efficiency and save time and energy. Consider the times you've positively impacted your coworkers and company, and find the common denominators. Having the ability to identify growth opportunities is a desirable trait that can advertise you as an asset.
Written by Rachelle Enns
1st Answer Example
"I would say that at least once a month, I have an idea, big or small, that I present to my manager. My most recent innovation was code that I wrote and tested for the testing of spaceflight hardware. I am always curious and trying out new methodologies as a developer."
Written by Rachelle Enns
2nd Answer Example
"I am always thinking of new ways to increase productivity and improve my methods. This innovative thinking may be related to efficiencies or just new ways of approaching a common problem."
Written by Rachelle Enns
Mechanical Engineer Example
"I am constantly working to improve my performance. Simply by moving meetings, I can consolidate discussions to make decisions quickly and implement design changes. Having the right people in the right meeting can quickly improve performance."
Written by Joseph Murphy on November 4th, 2022
Manufacturing Engineer Example
"As part of my role and also my nature, I am always looking for ways to do the things that I do better, quicker, and more efficiently. As such, I always have a list of improvement items that is longer than what I could ever have time to implement. This allows me to pick improvement tasks from this list anytime that I have time to work on them."
Written by Timothy Cannon on November 18th, 2022