Massachusetts General Hospital Research Interview Questions
& Process

I was trying to see if there were any openings in a specific department, so I emailed HR. She let me know there were no openings. A couple of days later, the research coordinator emailed me about a phone interview. I was confused because I was told there were no positions, so I wasn't sure what I was interviewing for. The phone interview was pretty standard. I was told they were still figuring out their needs and that I'd hear back in a few weeks. I NEVER HEARD BACK, despite sending two follow-up emails and calling three times. I left two voicemails. I even spoke to the research coordinator who said I'd hear back in a week (it had been 4 weeks since the phone interview by then), and still, no response, and no response to my follow-up email. I was very disappointed I never heard anything either way, and thought it was very unprofessional from such a reputable hospital.

Met the employer at a professional conference. After a few phone calls and emails, I was invited for an interview. The interview was pretty standard: a presentation, a tour of the facilities, and meetings with the Principal Investigator and potential colleagues. It lasted the whole day, so make sure you get a good night's sleep.

I applied by emailing my resume in response to a job posting. About two weeks later, I got a phone and email response to set up an interview for the next week. The interview was scheduled for 9 am and started punctually. First, I met with a current research assistant. She was really nice and didn't ask many questions, just wanted a quick rundown of my background. She also shared some information about the job. Then, I had a meeting with the lab director. We went into more detail about my experience and the role. He was very approachable and not at all intimidating. Finally, I met with a post-doc researcher in the lab. She hadn't received my CV beforehand, so I gave her a copy. After quickly looking it over, she asked a few questions about different jobs I'd held and then inquired more about my future career plans. She seemed friendly, but the interview felt a bit unorganized on her end, likely due to a communication mix-up.