Janssen Entry Level Research Scientist | June 2021

Company: Janssen

Location: San Diego, CA

Role: Research Scientist

Level: Entry Level

Outcome: Rejected

When did you have this interview?: Last Week

What steps were in the interview process? How far did you get? What do you think about the overall interview experience?

I received an email from the hiring manager requesting an initial phone interview. She asked basic questions about my experience relative to the job description and then proceeded to tell me more about the role, her group, and the company. I was then scheduled for a seminar/discussion followed by meetings with several of the team members. This was scheduled several weeks after my initial phone interview.

The entire interview process was done virtually and took the entire day. I was not given a topic and was told a very vague direction in which to go for my discussion/seminar. As I discovered, my presentation was much too vague, as it was just a high level overview of my technical work experience as it related to the available position. Every 1:1 discussion following the seminar asked the same follow up questions, requesting that I go into further detail. In hindsight, I wish I had been given more direction or had taken it upon myself to present on a specific assay/area to avoid the repetitive questions.

I was told that I would hear back within the week, however I never heard anything from the hiring manager. I'm sure if I had received the position I would have heard back though.

What interview questions did they ask?

Typical interview questions...Why are you interested in this job with Janssen? Why are you leaving your current position? Tell me about a difficult time with a coworker, etc.