Costello Medical Interview Questions
& Process

I only got to the assessment stage and didn't progress further. The written assessment is very time-consuming, which I find unreasonable given that candidates are expected to invest this time before even speaking with anyone at the company. The proofreading task doesn't provide sufficient time, and it now includes a concluding paragraph to write. I've noticed several people declining offers, which might be less common if candidates who are truly interested were identified earlier. The feedback provided is quite generic, even though it's stated to be personalized. Furthermore, the fact that the salary is the same regardless of having a PhD is offensive, considering the extensive experience PhD candidates possess.

First, I had to complete two timed assessments: a proofreading one and a sifting one. Both were manageable within the given time. After passing those, I was invited to an interview. I could choose to do it online or in person, and I picked online. Two people from the company interviewed me. They asked general questions about the company and about skills relevant to the role. About five days later, I got an offer.

I applied for the full-time, entry-level Analyst/Medical Writer position in July, sending in my cover letter and CV. First, I had to do two assessments: a written one based on a tough scientific paper with about 5 questions, and a proofreading task I had to finish in under an hour. This proofreading part involved finding around 50 errors in a document and then writing a summary. Both tasks were pretty hard and had to be 'client-ready,' showing the expected standard. After I passed these, I got invited for an interview. I had to prep a 10-minute presentation on a really long and complicated 20-page paper, which also needed to be 'client-ready.' The interview started with my presentation, then two interviewers asked questions. They had prepared questions beforehand, which felt like they weren't really paying attention to my presentation because I ended up repeating a lot of what I'd already said. There were also some tough technical questions that needed extra research, which I think I handled well. The second part of the interview was an hour long with two other people, focusing on behavioral and situational questions. They were nice, but the questions felt impersonal, like they were from a standard list. I was told the next step would be meeting a division head, and I might have to answer the same questions again. A week later, I got a rejection email with some feedback, like noting my stress during the presentation and that I hadn't stressed enough why I wanted to work there specifically. This surprised me since they didn't directly ask that, and I had done research. I then emailed HR about the Analyst/Medical Writer Internship, and they told me to reapply. So I sent my CV and cover letter again, mentioning what I learned from the first interview. I got sent two assessments again, but the written one was easier this time. They sent me the exact same proofreading task as before, which I completed well again, despite mentioning in my cover letter that I'd already done it. I was invited for another interview, this time 45 minutes with two friendly employees. They asked the same basic situational and behavioral questions. Using the previous feedback, I made sure to explain why I wanted to work there in most answers. They also asked why I preferred the internship over the full-time role, which was awkward since I'd said it in my cover letter, again showing a lack of real interest. A week later, another rejection, this time with no feedback, just a standard message about competitive candidates.

So I applied online with my CV and cover letter. Then I got invited to a video interview. It was like a recorded interview where I had to answer questions that popped up on a screen, with no actual person there. I had a minute to read and prep, and up to 5 minutes to speak. It was a bit weird, but I guess I passed that bit. After that, they sent me an assessment task that seemed pretty straightforward. But then, surprise, surprise, I got a generic rejection email saying they had other strong candidates. No feedback at all. I had to chase them for it, and they told me I only messed up ONE part of the assessment. Seriously? It's an entry-level job and the advert said no prior experience was needed. It's nuts they expect perfection straight away. Honestly, I don't think anyone at the actual office even saw my application. Probably just their talent acquisition team doing their thing. Maybe I'm just being a sore loser because I really wanted this job, but it shouldn't be this difficult to get a chance for an entry-level position.