Putting Your Best Foot Forward and Acing The Interview

So, you’ve landed that big interview with your dream company.? How you prepared and how you handled the interview can spell the difference between success or not.? As someone who has been involved in hiring thousands of scientists over the years and interviewed many more during that time, I’d like to pass along some perspectives and advice to potential job seekers.

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During your interviews, you only have a few short minutes to capture the attention of the interviewer(s) and establish why they should invest in you as opposed to someone else.? Therefore, it is critical that you make the case for yourself in ways that likely transcend your technical training and work experiences.? This will require you to share your authentic self – your values. motivations, journey, challenges, and vision for yourself. I always ask individuals to tell me about their “North Star” that keeps them centered and focused. Have a clear narrative that speaks to who you are and where you see yourself going.

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I recently had a colleague acknowledge that their primary motivation to pursue graduate studies and then their first steps as a business professional was so that they could be positioned to work on therapies for rare childhood diseases where no treatments existed. Consider the clarity that statement gave to the conversation.? No hazy, hand waving about generic interest in a therapeutic or technical space but instead laser like focus on a mission.

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As I search for talent, I’m seeking to find impact players who will become future leaders of our organization.? As they gain experience, they become the go to individuals in crucial situations and are also capable of rallying others to follow. They are pushing forward rather than waiting to be directed. They can elevate themselves, be strategic and work at the enterprise as opposed to local level.?

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The key is to identify those attributes in individuals who are early in their career and likely don’t have an extensive background to cite in the discussion.? I take for granted that I’m interviewing smart and capable talents who have strong technical training and work experience but I’m looking for those extra elements – I call them the ‘intangibles’ that elevate one person versus the rest.

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Examples of what I look for include curiosity, learning agility, a continuous learner mindset, flexibility, perseverance, resilience, courage, humility, confidence, servant leader mindset, and teamwork.

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Attributes that don’t play so well with me are overconfidence (confidence is fine but you don’t know what you don’t known when starting out), posturing (claiming competency where it does not exist), trading on connections (lab, school, social ties) and excessive ambition (usually tied to leadership roles).? The latter is particularly important.? Ambition is fine but it needs to be balanced by experience and wisdom. Leading a team is much harder than leading yourself – trust me I have the battle scars from that journey. ?Leadership roles come because of proven performance and ability to guide others – not simply because an individual desires that type of opportunity.

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I’ll share a few examples of individuals who caught my attention in a good way in recent years and why:

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Student #1: Joined a community group as a teenager and over the years rose to leadership of same. Leveraged challenges of COVID to shine light on inconsistencies in access to medicine and medical care for under served communities. Using those experiences to sharpen their career focus.

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Student #2:? Smart scientist, charismatic yet humble, and strong communicator.? Yet the element that caught my attention was their considerable work in STEM education including a hands-on science learning experience for middle school girls from underrepresented backgrounds.

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Student #3: Born in a war-torn part of the world, this individual missed critical years of schooling and came to this country knowing little English yet has risen to considerable success at the undergraduate and graduate level.? Wants to help others in similar situations as they continue their journey.

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I will note that in all three cases, these individuals did not highlight these elements in their discussion with me.? Instead, I was able to draw these stories out of them through the conversation. My feedback to them (and others in similar situations) is to find ways where they can share these special aspects of themselves that speak to commitment, courage, caring, and leadership.? These stories, in part, are a major part of their “North Star”.

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Everyone has a story to tell – the question is whether you are ready to do so.

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Interview Preparation

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Not too surprisingly, doing a good job preparing for your interviews is important.? Based on the job role, reflect on how your technical skills and experiences best match that opportunity.? Leverage available information about the role, the team and organization as part of your preparation. If you know the identity of one or more interviewers, look them up and show that you took the time to learn about them. Ask questions about their journey.? For example, “I see you transitioned from a lab role to working in clinical development.? How did you make that happen and what was the transition like?” This kind of approach turns the interview into a conversation as opposed a question-and-answer session.

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Tell Your Story and Ask Questions

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During the interview, the interview team likely has a set of standard questions that you will be expected to answer but this is where you have a chance to amplify certain elements during your responses that highlight some of your strongest attributes. In addition, this is your opportunity to give a concise and clear story on your journey and where you hope to see yourself in the future.?

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Leverage this time to gain critical insights into the team and organization relative to their values, operations, and growth strategies. What are their biggest challenges as a team/business and how are they trying to address those questions. The answer to those questions may give you critical insights into how you might factor into their future given your skillset.? ??

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I always advise candidates to ask these two questions.? First, ask what the approach of the organization is to career development, especially for early career professionals. Second, ask if you could be connected to some of their recent hires so that you can learn from their experiences in making the transition.? Organizations that are serious about attracting and developing talent will have no problem in addressing these questions.? If they can’t or won’t – red flag.

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Bonus question:? Ask them about their organization’s approach to DEI.? This will tell you a lot about the team culture and whether you see yourself fitting in there.? At the end of the day, you should aspire to join a group where you can be your authentic self and see yourself learning and growing.

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Courtesy Still Matters

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Sometimes it is the little things but a degree of courtesy in addition to professionalism can go a long way to making an impression on the interview team.? Thank them for the opportunity to interview with them and reiterate your strong desire to be a contributor to their team.? Use follow-up notes to note what you learned during the interviews and potentially gain insights into how you did and how you can improve.?

Persistence and Consistency Matters

You will likely need to knock on quite a few doors before that great opportunity comes along. Unsuccessful interviews are learning opportunities on how to improve your approach or maybe it just wasn't the right role for you and that organization. If the discussion was positive but they went with another candidate, ask to be considered for future roles that might be a better fit for you. Don't be discouraged and don't take your foot off the gas. While there are busy and slow times for organizational hiring, you need to maintain a consistent pace and approach - not dissimilar to if you were going door to door looking for work. Timing can be everything.

Best wishes to all.

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