NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Interview Questions
& Process

It was a NASA OSTEM internship interview. There's only one interview, but it's really hard to get selected. No leetcode questions are involved. They ask me some job-related questions, about the projects listed on my resume, and asked me to show them running.

Had an interview with the mentor, it was a very casual chat about the technologies and what is expected for the role. It was a very friendly conversation. They asked me to give a quick summary of my past projects and how those experiences would help me in this role.

I applied twice to GISS CCRI for intern and STEM teacher roles in 2018-2019. The first time, I had an online interview via Zoom, but we kept getting disconnected. I assured the recruiter my connection was fine, but he seemed to think I was causing the issues. We switched to a phone call, but it was brief and he was unfriendly. I was rejected soon after. The second time, the process changed. After I submitted online forms and references, the recruiter insisted on a mailed application with paper recommendation letters, even though references were already uploaded online. I politely asked if he could check the NASA internships portal for the recommendations before I asked my contacts to resubmit them on paper. He never responded. The NASA portal has a detailed application with thoughtful questions. I put a lot of effort into it. The recruiter's behavior showed a lack of professionalism and mutual respect, which made me question the workplace culture.

I applied via USAjobs.gov for the open position. About a month after the job req closed, the hiring manager reached out to schedule a phone interview. The interview took place a week later. The hiring manager and some other interviewers were in the room with me. After introductions, the hiring manager asked about my resume experiences and for an example of when I went above and beyond. I used the STAR method to answer. They also asked basic questions about travel willingness and availability. Then, I had a chance to ask questions about processing time, hearing back, and their current research. The interview ended positively, and I felt I did very well. However, I never heard back. I had to call HR several times over days to get someone. The HR representative checked the status and informed me someone else was selected a few days after my interview. The hiring manager had mentioned they were interviewing multiple candidates. It was a good experience overall, but it would have been better if they had informed me about the selection outcome.