Coté Orphan Consulting Interview Questions
& Process

First, there was a 1-hour phone call with two senior staff members. After that, I had a 2-hour timed writing test. Then, I was invited for the main interview, which was about 2.5 hours long. The team was great and made me feel comfortable. I met with executives and then team members, about 10 people in total, across three separate meetings. They gave me a lot of useful info about the role, what's expected, and the company culture. The interview mostly stuck to standard questions, focusing on my knowledge and past experience, as anticipated.

The interview process was brief and to the point. It involved meeting with senior management, and they made me feel really comfortable. There were 2 rounds. First a phone screen, followed by a group and panel interview. The background checks were really thorough. Make sure you know your resume inside and out before you go. There were questions about orphan drugs and rare diseases. For regulatory affairs jobs, there was a writing test. They specifically asked what new things I could bring to the company.

The interview process felt professional and suitable for the company's size and the position's demands. I started with an introductory phone call with Dr. Coté, the owner and CEO, whose energy and enthusiasm were infectious. He's clearly passionate and keen on building a strong team, which was evident from the company's rapid/sustainable growth. This was followed by a one-on-one meeting with Dr. Coté, which further intrigued me about the company's potential. Then, I had a second one-on-one with another key management team member. At the time, the company had about 6 employees, but now it's around 20. An offer came shortly after. Even though I had four other offers, this was my top choice, so I was eager to finalize. I didn't mention this to Dr. Coté, though.

I applied for a part-time marketing role on May 1. The Chief of Staff (CoS) reached out for an interview, asking for work samples and mentioning it was an hourly position. The first interview was on May 6 with the CoS and the Office Manager (OM). The CoS seemed unsure about the marketing role and its details, mentioning it was part-time with a possible full-time transition. I was then scheduled for a second interview with the owner/CEO, initially for May 30. The OM canceled this on May 14, but the CoS said the owner was still deciding on full-time vs. part-time. The CoS also requested a salary history document before discussing job scope, and mentioned needing to verify my most recent salary after an offer. We rescheduled the interview with the owner for June 9. During this interview, the owner mostly talked about himself, with the CoS and two other employees silently present. On June 10, the CoS asked for a 1-2 page report on my first 3-6 month plan for COC, expected results, and how I'd quantify them, focusing on bottom-line impact and lead generation. I had a call with two business development managers on June 11, and then sent the CoS my action item list. On June 16, the owner/CEO called asking me to create and distribute a press list immediately as part of the interview process. When I asked for his media list and goals, he deflected, saying it was my job and he wouldn't do it for me. He offered a small payment, insisting it was an interview task. I proposed a much higher fee to do it properly, which he rejected.