Mathematica Research Analyst Interview Questions
& Process

The whole experience was really good, though it did take a while. Everyone I talked to was super nice and happy to answer my questions. HR was also quick to reply when I asked for updates. There were a few issues with scheduling, but I guess that happens in a big company. The process had 4 steps: first, I spoke with a senior researcher. Then, there was a technical interview with two researchers. After that, I had a writing task. Finally, I did a 4-hour marathon of 30-minute interviews with various people from the department, from senior researchers to analysts. The first interview was mainly about my resume and some standard behavioral questions. The second interview involved the interviewers giving me project examples and asking how I'd assess them. For the third, I was given a recent paper and asked to summarize it. The fourth stage was a series of back-to-back 30-minute chats with different team members, totaling 4 hours. Since they were short, we'd do quick intros, they'd ask a few questions, and then I'd ask about the team, department, or company. Make sure to have questions ready! The entire process from applying to getting the offer took 4 months. I applied online in early May, had stage 1 in late June, stage 2 in late July, stage 3 in early August, and stage 4 in mid-August. I got the final decision in mid-September.

I had a phone screen with two researchers. They were nice and asked some pretty basic questions and were very informative about how Mathematica works. They mentioned I'd have an in-person interview within 1-2 weeks (it's been a week and I'm still waiting). The HR person who set up the call sent over a good amount of info about what to expect, and truthfully, none of the questions they asked were surprising.

I had a phone interview and was told I moved to the next step. I never got another call, nor any reply to the three follow up emails I sent. This is extremally disrespectful and borderline mean. If I didn't move on- that's alright. A two minutes "thank you for your interest" wouldn't have taken too long and would add some humanity to the process. Looking for a job is stressful enough without companies leaving you in limbo, as if your time isn't as valuable as theirs.