It can be both exciting and nerve-wracking to interview for a software engineering job at Boeing. As one of the biggest aerospace companies in the world, Boeing gets tens of thousands of applications every year for highly sought-after software engineering jobs. To stand out from the other applicants, you need to prepare well and know what kinds of technical and behavioral questions Boeing hiring managers and recruiters usually ask.
This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know to ace the Boeing software engineer interview, with details on:
- The Boeing software engineer interview format and process
- Sample Boeing software engineering technical questions with example answers
- Top Boeing behavioral interview questions with tips to craft winning responses
- The best way to prepare for the Boeing coding assessments and whiteboard questions
- Expert advice for excelling in your Boeing software engineering interview
Overview of the Boeing Software Engineer Interview Process
The Boeing software engineering interview process typically consists of three rounds
Round 1: Initial Phone Screen
- 30-45 minute phone call with a Boeing recruiter
- Questions focused on your resume, experience, and salary expectations
- Recruiter will ask basic technical questions to validate your skills
Round 2: On-site Technical Interviews
- 4-6 one-hour interviews spaced throughout a full day on-site
- Interviewers include hiring managers and engineers from the team
- Expect complex technical and behavioral interview questions
Round 3 Leadership Panel
- 1-hour panel interview with senior engineering leaders
- Focuses heavily on leadership principles and behavioral traits
- Panel will want to assess your engineering judgement and decision making
Boeing software engineering candidates can also expect one or more coding challenges and whiteboard problems at any stage in the process,
To come up with a winning preparation plan, you need to know what to expect from the interview format, panelists, and questions.
Sample Boeing Software Engineering Technical Interview Questions
The technical questions will focus heavily on data structures, algorithms, object-oriented design and programming, databases, and other standard software engineering concepts. Here are some common technical questions Boeing asks with example answers:
Q: How would you design an algorithm to find the kth largest element in a binary search tree?
A: I would use a modified version of an in-order traversal, where I would keep track of the number of nodes visited. Once I reach the kth node during the traversal, I know I have found the kth largest element in the tree. The time complexity would be O(height of tree) since we have to potentially traverse the entire height of the tree, and the space complexity would be O(1) if we only store a few variables like a counter.
Q: What is the difference between an abstract class and interface? When would you use each?
A: An abstract class can contain both abstract and concrete methods, while an interface can only contain method signatures and fields without implementations. I would use an abstract class when I want to define a template for a group of subclasses with some shared functionality, but I would use an interface when I just want to define how classes will interact with each other without any shared code.
Q: How can you improve the performance of a MySQL query fetching data from multiple tables?
A: Some ways I would optimize the query are: adding indexes on any columns frequently used in JOINs or WHERE clauses, using a covering index so the index contains all the columns needed for the query, making sure correlated subqueries are optimized, using EXPLAIN to check if the JOIN order is optimal, and considering denormalization for tables frequently joined.
Q: Explain how you would implement a singleton class in Java.
A: I would create a class with a private static instance variable initialized to null. I would provide a public static getter method that first checks if the instance variable is null, instantiates the singleton if so, and returns the instance. The constructor would be made private to prevent external instantiation. I would also consider making the class final and providing thread synchronization in the getter.
Q: How can you detect a loop in a linked list?
A: I would use a slow and fast pointer initialized at the head. The slow pointer moves one node at a time, while the fast pointer moves two nodes at a time. If the linked list has a loop, the fast pointer will eventually catch up to the slow pointer. To prevent an infinite loop, I would stop the traversal as soon as the next node for the fast pointer is the same as the slow pointer.
Being able to walk through algorithms, discuss design considerations, analyze time and space complexity, and explain technical concepts clearly and thoroughly is key to excelling on the Boeing software engineering technical questions.
High Frequency Boeing Behavioral Interview Questions
In addition to assessing your technical competency, Boeing wants to ensure you have the leadership presence and communication skills necessary to thrive on their engineering teams. Here are some of the most common Boeing behavioral interview questions with tips for crafting strong responses:
Q: Tell me about a time you faced a challenging situation on a team. How did you handle it?
- Structure your story using the STAR method – situation, task, action, result
- Emphasize listening, collaboration, and driving consensus
- Discuss how you kept the team focused on shared goals
- Share lessons you learned that improved your leadership abilities
Q: When have you gone above and beyond your core job responsibilities to get something done? Why was this important?
- Share an example that highlights persistence, creativity, and strong work ethic
- Articulate your motivation and the significance of the outcome
- Demonstrate you are willing to take initiative and ownership of projects
Q: Tell me about a time you made a mistake at work. What was the situation and how did you handle it?
- Be transparent and own the mistake – do not blame others
- Explain the steps you took to address the mistake and any lessons learned
- Share how you changed your process to prevent this from happening again
- Emphasize how you displayed accountability and integrity
Q: How would your managers and peers describe your work style and personality?
- Share positive feedback you have received from prior managers
- Choose words that reinforce Boeing’s culture and values
- Traits like collaborative, innovative, dedicated, and growth-oriented are good options
- Back up these traits with specific examples
Q: Why do you want to work for Boeing specifically?
- Show you have researched Boeing and the role/team you are interviewing for
- Discuss Boeing projects or technologies that excite you
- Share alignment between Boeing’s mission and your own values
- Emphasize your passion for aerospace and interest in their culture
The key is to practice 2-3 stories for each common behavioral question and focus on demonstrating Boeing’s leadership principles like diversity & inclusion, integrity, quality, and safety.
How to Prepare for Boeing Coding Assessments & Whiteboard Questions
Most Boeing software engineering interviews involve either take-home coding challenges, live technical screens sharing your IDE, or whiteboard algorithm questions. Here are some tips to prepare:
- Practice on platforms like LeetCode across a variety of data structures, algorithms, and coding paradigms
- For take-home assessments, treat it like a work project with version control, tests, documentation
- Thoroughly test any code you write and walk through it before submitting
- Use online IDEs to practice live coding interviews in a similar environment
- Print out comp sci concepts you struggle with and review them frequently
- Explain your thought process clearly when whiteboarding and writing code
- Brush up on data structures like arrays, strings, linked lists, trees, graphs, and fundamentals like recursion, bit manipulation, and dynamic programming
The most important aspects assessed during Boeing coding interviews are your problem solving process, technical communication, and working software knowledge. Leveraging comprehensive practice resources and simulating the interview setting will help ensure you are in top technical shape.
How to Excel in Your Boeing Software Engineering Interview
Here are some final tips for acing your Boeing software engineering interview:
- Thoroughly research the role, team, technology stack, and products you may work on
- Study the most common technical concepts tested in interviews
- Practice behavioral stories using the STAR method
- Prepare 2-3 strong questions to ask about Boeing’s engineering culture
- Review your resume and refresh yourself on past projects and accomplishments
- Get a good night’s sleep before the interview and have a positive mindset
- Ask clarifying questions if you get stuck and think through problems out loud
- Emphasize passion, motivation for Boeing’s mission, and cultural fit
With diligent preparation, research, and practice, you will be ready to impress your Boeing interviewers. Remember to draw on specific examples, have clear communication, admit when you do not know something, and demonstrate eagerness to learn. You got this!
Boeing Interview Preparation | Fulltime & Internship Positions | STAR Method
FAQ
Are Boeing interviews hard?
Does Boeing have technical interviews?
How many Boeing software engineer interview questions are there?
Glassdoor has millions of jobs plus salary information, company reviews, and interview questions from people on the inside making it easy to find a job that’s right for you. 146 Boeing Software Engineer interview questions and 147 interview reviews. Free interview details posted anonymously by Boeing interview candidates.
What is a Boeing interview question?
As an aircraft manufacturer, Boeing is subject to a lot of regulatory scrutiny. This Boeing interview question helps the hiring manager see how diligent you are about following the rules when handling a task. Even if you don’t have experience in a highly regulated industry, you can still come up with a solid example.
How do you ask a Boeing employee a question on Glassdoor?
Just ask! On Glassdoor, you can share insights and advice anonymously with Boeing employees and get real answers from people on the inside. First interview involved basic behavioral questions using the STAR method. It was done over a video call using WebX.
What does a software engineer do at Boeing?
Boeing, being an industry leader in aviation, defense, and space systems, places a high premium on safety and security. As a software engineer, your role is not just to create functional programs, but also to ensure they are impervious to breaches and vulnerabilities.
