Best Ways to Prepare for an Interview in Biotech
The biotech industry is booming and there are a host of exciting opportunities from small startups to goliath big pharma and medical science companies. However, no one lands one of those opportunities without first acing their interview. Here are tips you can use to successfully prepare for an interview in biotech.
Study the Company
This seems like interview 101, but it’s easy to get overconfident and slack off on pre-interview company research. This is never a step you want to skimp on, however. Lack of understanding of a company’s products, market position and history can cost you the job. Spend time on the company website, but also conduct outside research in industry journals and local business journals to glean critical insights into the organization.
Keep up with the Industry
Biotech advancements move at a breakneck pace and you don’t want to reference outdated technologies, products or best practices. Make sure you are staying up to date on current events and trends in the field by subscribing to journals and following industry leaders online.
Be Prepared to Get Technical
You can talk about your achievements in the lab until you are blue in the face, but interviewers who have never worked with you have no choice but to ask highly technical questions to get a feel for how you work.
Be prepared to solve hypothetical problems in front of your interviewer. As you work through a problem, discuss your methodology and the reasons you take a specific approach. The more insight you give into the way you work, the better.
Talk about Interdisciplinary Skills
Biotech is an interdisciplinary field and it is important for hiring managers to see that you know how related disciplines impact your work. For example, if you are interviewing in the field of pharmacology, you need to speak the language of chemistry. Don’t pigeonhole yourself into your narrow field so deeply you ignore related sciences.
Showcase Organization
In biotech, there is no room for error and organization is a critical skill for success. Make sure you project organizational skills by arriving with several copies of your resume, samples of work or even copies of papers you’ve published. When talking about previous projects, include details on how you stay organized while you are working.
Are You Looking for a New Job in Biotech?
If you are a talented biotech engineer and you’re ready to partner with a recruiter who is an expert in the field, search our current engineering job openings or contact PEAK Technical Staffing today.