CSBio Interview Questions
& Process

Was asked about my past experience. They talked about the company's history and my responsibilities. They also talked a lot about growth opportunities, but I later realized this was due to high turnover.

This was the weirdest interview I've had. It started with a phone screening, if you can even call it that. The person on the phone sounded really sarcastic and asked random questions, like about experiments from college and my favorite thing about chemistry. After that, I might get called for an in-person interview either the same day or two weeks later. Three people would talk to me. First, the same girl from the phone call would ask these totally random spirit animal questions. Then, this guy would be super anxious to start criticizing me. He kept throwing curveball questions and mocking my answers. After him, a woman with a really thick accent would ask like two questions and then talk about the job. Generally, watch out for places without an HR department. This whole thing was not just unprofessional, it was borderline illegal. Honestly, just keep looking elsewhere. You're better than this. Biotech is tough to get into. It felt good to read about people who've faced worse.

I applied for the chemistry internship online and got a call for an initial phone screening. They asked basic stuff like desired pay and work authorization. They kept pushing my interview slot, but the time between my first and second interview was only 2 days. There were 2 interview screenings in total. The first session involved meeting 3 people from different R&D departments. Each person assessed my knowledge of peptide chemistry/biology and asked general get-to-know-you questions. They were all nice, but be ready to explain any lab experiments or projects on your resume. They don't stick to a script, so be prepared for anything. One interviewer was pretty rude and unprofessional, interrupting me and looking at his phone. After meeting everyone, I had to rank my department interests. The second interview wasn't guaranteed. It was a one-on-one with the COO/CEO, similar to the first interview, where they assessed my skills and value. The COO explained how the company operates and why their compensation is typically lower. I appreciated their transparency. If they liked me, they'd offer the job on the spot, with no time to consider. So, know your decision beforehand. Overall, the experience was okay. Given the negative reviews, I expected chaos, but they seem to be working on improving things. The internship pays $13/hr, non-negotiable, with a potential $2 increase for full-time ($15). This internship is a pipeline for future employees, so fresh grads often start here before moving to full-time.

First, there was a simple phone interview where the interviewer asked a couple of position-related questions and set up an in-person interview within two business days. The in-person session involved several 1:1 meetings with upper management. They asked about my interest in the role, reviewed my past experience and relevant skills, explained how the company operates, and shared their expectations for the project and staff. Some personality-style questions were also included to assess work habits and how well I'd fit their pace.