Midwestern University Interview Questions
& Process

The interview experience was not professional at all. Interviewers did not show up for the scheduled time, and there was no communication regarding their absence. There was also no follow-up after the interview. The main interviewer was a bit rude and would interrupt the other interviewer. This might explain why there are often new vacancies in the HR department.

After applying, I was contacted about a month later for an initial phone screening with HR. It was a pretty basic and pleasant call, mostly just confirming and expanding on the info I provided. About two days after that, I got an email for an in-person interview on campus the next week. The email said I'd be meeting Sarah from HR and Dr. Smith from the department. The first interview was with HR, and it was really friendly and welcoming, with typical interview questions. This part lasted about an hour and was a breeze. Then, we went to the department. I met Dr. Smith, who was friendly, shook my hand, and led me into the interview room... with 4 other people. This surprised me because the email made it sound like I was only meeting Dr. Smith, whose work I had researched. I didn't realize it would be a panel interview, but I tried to go with it. Of the four others, one was friendly, two were neutral, and one was 5 minutes late and didn't introduce himself. They asked questions about my background related to their projects. Some were straightforward, but a few were unexpected. Questions covered my past experience, how my skills would transfer to their research, and how I manage multiple projects. The late guy asked seemingly irrelevant questions that felt like he was mocking me and my intelligence rather than evaluating me. This created an awkward environment. I initially thought it was just his demeanor, but his condescending tone became prevalent, and he glared at me throughout, which was very uncomfortable. At the end, he told me it was unprofessional that I hadn't researched every PI in the room. I agree in theory, but I did my homework for the person I expected to meet. After that, the lab manager gave me a tour of the lab area, introduced me to staff, and asked me questions. He was down-to-earth, so his questions weren't difficult. The whole process took about 4 hours. I've been in the professional world for over 10 years and have never left an interview feeling so frustrated. Dr. Smith said I'd be contacted regardless of the decision, but it's been 4 months, so I assume I didn't get the job.

I walked into the interview and was met by the head of Media Resources and my potential supervisor. They seemed more interested in my past work and how I could improve the position than my qualifications. The first interview was mainly to gauge my personality, but the second one definitely had some questions that put me on the spot.

The interview process was okay, pretty standard. I spoke with a professional employee who asked me about my experiences, my work skills, and some personal details. In the end, the job wasn't really what I was hoping for.