laboratory interview questions for graduate students, post-docs and PIs
In the last post on the laboratory for graduate students, post-docs and PIs, I got into the basic approaches to the lab interview. It appears that structured interviews, where every applicant is asked the same set of questions aimed at delving into the applicant’s abilities and personality, tend to produce the best results. So how to prepare for the structured interview?
If you are the interviewee: ideally you should just answer these questions honestly, on the spot in a very impromptu fashion (well, you should always answer questions honestly). But sometimes these questions can catch you off guard and then you spend 10 minutes trying to remember what is a time when you had a conflict with a lab mate (at least an episode you can tell the interviewer about–leave out the fist fights). So I’ve found that it can be really helpful to go over some sample questions before hand in order to jog my memory.
If you are the interviewer: then you need to figure out what questions will be important in flushing out the applicants qualities, which you think are most important.
As I mentioned in the last post, with experience you will notice the same questions (in one shape or another) being recycled between interviews. This is probably because these questions are good at bringing out the various qualities of applicants. As a resource to you, below are some questions that I found in a pamphlet I got a while go, written for the Burroughs Wellcome Fund and Howard Hughes Medical Institute:
For evaluating experience and skills:
- what is (are) your most significant accomplishment(s)
- describe the part you played in conducting a specific project or implementing a new approach or technology in your lab
- I see you have worked with [a specific technology or technique]. Tell me about its features and its benefits
For evaluating commitment and initiative:
- why do you want to work in this lab?
- where do you see yourself in 5 (or 10) years?
- what kinds of projects do you want to do? Why?
- tell me how you stay current in your field?
- describe a time when you were in charge of a project and what you feel you accomplished.
- describe a project or situation in which you took initiative
For evaluating working and learning styles:
- what motivates you to work?
- would you rather work on several projects at a time or on one project?
- do you learn better from books, hands-on experience or other people?
- describe a time or project when you had to work as a part of a team? What was the outcome of the team’s effort?
- how would you feel about a leaving a project for a few hours to help someone else?
- if you encountered a problem in lab, would you ask someone for help or would you try to deal with it yourself?
- would it be a problem to work after hours or on the weekends, should the project need it?
For evaluating time management:
- how do you prioritize your work?
- how do you deal with multiple priorities competing for your time?
For evaluating decision making and problem solving:
- what is the biggest challenge in your current job? how are you dealing with it?
- describe a time when you had to make a decision that resulted in unintended (or unexpected) consequences (either good or bad)?
- describe a situation where you found it necessary to gather other opinions before you made a decision
For evaluating interpersonal skills:
- how important is it to you to be liked by your colleagues and why?
- if you heard through the grapevine that someone didn’t care for you, what would you do, if anything?
- describe a situation in which your work was criticized–how did you react to and address the situation?
- name a scientist whom you like and respect. What qualities do you like about this person?
