Five things to prepare for interview for industry research positions

Five things to prepare for an interview for industry research positions

There are so many possible interview questions that you get asked when you are in an industry research interview position. It can be overwhelming to think about how to prepare for each of them. 

Understand and memorize key components of the job description

This sounds like common sense in interview protocol, but it is very crucial. Knowing what is important for the role I am applying for will help determine how I will answer every question that gets thrown at me during the actual interview. To give great answers, I knew I would constantly need to mentally refer back to the job description and explain how my skills, experiences, and accomplishments make me an ideal candidate for the role.

I didn’t want to just cover 1 or 2 bullet points from the job description in my answer either. I wanted to try to cover as many key aspects of the job as possible to get the most out of each answer I gave. To do this, I needed to know the job description inside and out. This also prevented me from providing answers that highlighted skills and experiences that may not be very relevant for the job at hand.

I did the research not just on the specific role I applied to but on the company itself

Chances are you will be asked, "Why do you want to work here?" It is the most interesting question. If you aren’t asked that, it is always good to mention why you chose to apply to that specific company anyway because it shows you are serious about working for them and helps you stand out from everyone else. When I got an interview with a company, I did some research on the company as a whole, not just the job I was applying for.

For instance, things you want to ask yourself are:

• What is the overall vision of the company?
• What is the company really known for in terms of science?
• What are some of the major scientific breakthroughs that the company has been involved in recently?
• Is there something that the company does that you believe is different from other companies that are working on similar problems?

I tried to find answers to these questions so that I had a better understanding of the company, knew what they valued in an employee, and could determine whether it was actually a company I could see myself working for.

You mentioned your strong academic background and how it resulted in something impactful

Many interviews include questions like "what are your strengths?" "Tell me about a time when you did X" or "Describe to me X." When they required me to provide specific examples and details of how I accomplished something to demonstrate X, it was difficult to recall these details on the spot, so I formulated my answer in advance. This requires a lot of preparation. Not only did I need specific examples and situations that would serve as evidence for how I accomplished something, But I also had to tell it as a cohesive story and describe the impact of my actions.

For instance:

• How did I do something that ultimately led to the optimization of a protocol?
• Positive experimental results?
• An award-winning presentation?
• Publication of a manuscript
• An important discovery?
• resolved a dispute?
• lead to the acquisition of funding?

Rehearse your answers within a minimal timeframe

It’s already difficult to come up with multiple answers for different questions that allow you to effectively tell a story, explain how you did something, describe what the impacts of your actions were, and show how that matches up with what they’re looking for in the ideal job candidate. But guess what? It gets more difficult because you do not want to ramble on forever in an interview because there is a set limit on time. You don’t want to take up the whole time answering three questions because the person interviewing you wouldn’t be able to learn enough about you to know whether you’re actually a good candidate or not.

At the end of the interview,

At the end of the interview, you will always be asked whether you have any questions for them. Always have questions for them, as it shows that you are genuinely interested in the company, the role you applied for, and also the person you are speaking with.

For instance:

• How did you end up working for the company?
• Can you tell me what your experience has been like in the company after X number of years?
• Could you describe the work culture of the research team at the company?
• What does it mean to be a culture fit here?

 

 

By Nimalsha Hansai, nim_niii