About Boeing
Boeing is a well-known American company that designs, manufactures and sells airplanes, rockets and satellites, but is also involved in telecommunication equipment and missiles for the military.
From flight engineering to software and systems, Boeing is also responsible for creating cybersecurity systems for defence and intelligence communities, creating flight simulators, building missiles and creating next generation technology to make flying safer and more advanced for commercial and military users.
There are several sectors to get involved in with Boeing; with such a large amount of industries that the business provides materials and products for, it is no surprise that working for Boeing is a great opportunity for graduates and experienced professionals alike.
Careers at Boeing
Boeing has a well-respected Early Careers programme that is designed to help newly graduated students discover their calling in the industry. With 2-4 year placements available in Business, Engineering, Human Resources and IT, Boeing is a destination for graduates and also offers scholarships in partner universities around the world.
Careers at Boeing include:
- Cybersecurity
- Data Science and Analytics
- Flight Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Systems and Software
- Information Technology
- Mechanical Manufacturing
- Maintenance
- Aviation Skills
- Mechatronics
- Operations
- Finance
- Human Resources
- Supply Chain Management
The benefits of working for this international business include equal pay for equal work, continuous learning and development, medical coverage and onsite fitness centres, bonuses and incentive pay, as well as a comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme.
Boeing Application Process
Candidates for roles at Boeing are assessed on a rolling basis, so it is worth applying to a role that you are interested in as soon as possible, as entries might close before the date if there are enough applicants.
You can find all the available opportunities at Boeing on their career portal, and all applications should be made this way.
You will need to create a profile to apply for a role and provide details of your relevant qualifications, skills, and experience. As part of the initial application, you will be asked some motivational questions about why you have applied for this role in particular, why you want to work at Boeing, and what your plans are for the future.
You will also be expected to upload a CV and cover letter; it is important that you tailor the information on these documents to suit the role that you have applied for, and ensure that they highlight the aptitudes and competencies that are required - you can find this information in the job description.
Your initial application will be reviewed by the Boeing recruitment team, and if you meet the minimum criteria you will be moved to the next stage of the process.
Boeing Aptitude Tests
Not every applicant will need to take every test, but it is worth knowing what the aptitude tests are before you apply so you can practice.
These are not meant to be tests of learning or knowledge, but they are designed to show the recruitment team how well you will learn and adapt in the role. Aptitude and psychometric tests should be seen as an assessment of potential, and you will perform better if you take some time to practice.
Boeing Situational Judgement Test
The SituationalJudgementTest is a scenario-based assessment. With a 30-minute time limit, you will be presented with a number of fictional yet realistic work-based scenarios, followed by a number of possible courses of action.
This is an assessment of your work behaviour as well as your problem solving skills. Each course of action might seem as relevant as the next, but you need to decide which is more like the way you would deal with the presented problem.
To answer this question, you need to decide which of the provided options would be the worst course of action, and which would be the best. It is worth bearing in mind that although there are no obviously right or wrong answers, the recruitment team are looking to see if your work behaviour matches Boeing values and core philosophy, so bear that in mind as you go through.
Boeing Numerical Reasoning Test
Numerical reasoning is an important skill in a technical role, and being comfortable with numbers will make you more confident in whichever branch of Boeing you are operating in.
Although this is an assessment that is based around numerical competency, it is not a maths test. You will be provided with questions that present numerical data in tables and graphs, with a question that usually has multiple choice answers.
You will need to complete some basic mathematical operations to find the answer, but this is usually limited to multiplication, addition, division and subtraction. You will need to know how to deal with percentages, fractions and ratios, too.
To answer these questions successfully, you should concentrate on quickly reading, understanding and analysing the data that has been presented, and make sure that you are comfortable with basic mathematical concepts.
Boeing Technical Test
For some roles, like programming or software engineering, you might be asked to perform a technical test.
In most cases, this will be presented as a case study where you will be required to demonstrate the required skills and competencies while solving a problem. The idea of this is to ensure that you have the right level of technical skill to be successful in the role.
Some technical tests, like the typing test, are simple assessments of speed and accuracy.
Boeing Mechanical Reasoning Test
Mechanical reasoning assessments use images and diagrams to check your competency in dealing with basic physics concepts like gravity, acceleration and gears.
In a similar way to the numerical reasoning assessment, each question will be based on a diagram or image, with multiple choice options. You will have a 20 minute time limit to answer 36 questions, based on general mechanical knowledge. The questions will be about general household objects or everyday items, so you will not need to have specific aviation knowledge to answer.
To do your best here, make sure you are comfortable with force, velocity, electricity, and fluid concepts.
Boeing Phone Interview
If you have achieved a good score in the aptitude tests, you will be invited to take part in a phone interview. For most applicants, this will be the first time that you will have had a conversation with the recruitment team, so it is a good time to shine and demonstrate your knowledge of the role, the company, and the industry.
The questions that you will face in the phone interview are based on the information that you gave in your initial application, so make sure you have a copy of your CV to hand to refer to if necessary.
You might be asked some competency-based questions, where you will be expected to give examples that demonstrate you have the required skills needed; you can find these in the job description and it is best practice to think about examples for each of these skills that you can talk about during the interview.
This interview will last 25-35 minutes and is usually led by the HR Manager.
Boeing Assessment Centre
The final stage of the application process is to get an invitation to the assessment centre. This is a full day of assessments, looking at your soft skills like communication, teamwork, listening and leadership as you complete several activities individually and as part of a group. The actual structure of the day may vary, and the other candidates that are in attendance might be for the same role or for something different.
During the assessment centre, you might be asked to complete the following activities:
Group exercise - as a team, solve a problem that might be relevant to the role or might be something completely different, such as building the tallest tower using office supplies.
Presentation - you will be given some information about a topic and asked to create a presentation which will be given to the assessment team and the other candidates. You will usually be asked questions afterwards
Final interview - this is usually a panel interview and takes place face-to-face, asking more in-depth questions regarding your previous experience, your education, and some more behavioural-style questions.
