Marine Biological Laboratory Interview Questions
& Process

It was a Zoom call and felt pretty relaxed, not super formal. They asked directly about my past research work, and mentioned that any experience with marine organisms would be a plus.

I first had a phone screening with HR, and she was pretty blunt, telling me this is a job where I'd be getting yelled at, which was the first red flag. Then, I had an onsite interview two days later with my potential boss and another person I'd be working closely with. My potential boss mentioned that people describe her as a micromanager, which was the second red flag. The other person I'd be working with was on their Apple Watch the whole time, the third red flag, and then proceeded to tell me how hard the job would be, that there's a list of people who have failed at this job before, and that my boss is impossible to work for, the fourth and final red flag. Although I appreciated their honesty, it was clear they just needed anyone. I always consider my mental health when choosing a job, and even though this one offered a much higher salary, I declined and made a note of the red flags.

My interview focused on my ability to travel, do public speaking, and my motivations for the job, drawing on my previous student program experience.

It was over the phone, really casual, but they went into a lot of detail. You just need to be ready to chat about your lab work and how hard you work. Some departments might have certain things they focus on, but mine didn't.