Nanocomposix Interview Questions
& Process

The initial interview went great, but the follow-up interview is where things went south. I was told I would have to accept an offer that was 15k lower than what was agreed to in the first interview in order to proceed with the hiring process. Essentially, I was demoted before even setting foot in the building. I opted out of the deal.

The interview process was quite extensive, starting with a welcoming dinner the evening before the main interviews. The following day involved a series of meetings from 8 am to 3 pm with various teams, including marketing, sales, and the technical group. Most of these interactions were conversational and flexible, which was a positive aspect. A hands-on portion was also included, which was appreciated. Overall, the interview day was a good experience, except for one particular meeting with the senior scientist team. This meeting felt more like an interrogation, with a barrage of questions rather than a scientific discussion. It created a negative impression of that specific group. Their questions also seemed generic and not tailored to my background. Ultimately, I declined the offer because the salary was insufficient for living in San Diego. Management should prioritize hiring candidates who not only possess the required technical skills but also align with the company's values, as strong character is more crucial and easier to train than technical expertise.

I was first contacted via a university career fair. The initial interview was a 45-minute technical session. A few days later, I had a second interview that lasted 3 hours and was split into several parts. This second interview included an hour-long technical discussion, a hands-on experiment in their lab, and a final interview with a group of 4-5 staff members. They extended an offer about a week after that.

I didn't expect the interview to be like an exam. They didn’t tell me I needed a calculator or periodic table, which was a bit awkward. Honestly, it felt kind of condescending, like they didn’t really care about getting to know me or my experience. They just wanted you to give them the “right” answers.