PhRMA Interview Questions
& Process
Real candidates share what happened, how many rounds they had,
and how the experience turned out.
Based on 20 interview experiences · FREE TO READ
Which role are you interviewing for?
5 roles · 20 reportsCandidate interview experiences
First-hand accounts from people who interviewed at PhRMA.
PhRMA
Director, State Advocacy
Director Average Negative experience No offer 2 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Background check
Interview formats
Behavioral
The initial phone screener was with an external consultant, so it didn't really give me a feel for the company culture. Everyone there is super intense and really passionate about their work. It seemed like there were a lot of management layers, and honestly, I had less of an idea of what the job actually entailed after the interview than before. The timing didn't work out for me with my current job, which I think they noticed. I didn't get a "thanks for interviewing" email from HR until January.
Confirmed questions1 question
- Can you explain in significant personal detail your passion for the pharmaceutical industry?
PhRMA
Senior Manager
Senior Average Negative experience No offer 2 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Phone screen Onsite Background check Offer
Interview formats
Behavioral Technical
Applied online, then got a call from HR a few weeks later. The phone interview was really tough and long. After that, I was invited for an in-person interview, which had 3 rounds, each 45 minutes long, with 2 interviewers per round. This felt like a lot for a first interview, though most people were nice, some weren't super professional. A few days later, I was called for a second interview, but HR didn't send details, so I had to chase them 3 times to get the dates and times confirmed. The second round was pretty much the same as the first. After the second round, there was zero follow-up. It's really unprofessional to bring someone in for two long interviews (3 hours total) and then not follow up at all, either way. It says a lot about the company.
Confirmed questions1 question
- Given Pharma's recent negative press, how would you respond if friends or family brought it up with you?
PhRMA
Director
Director Difficult Positive experience Accept offer 6 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Onsite Panel Phone screen Offer
Interview formats
Behavioral Technical
The hiring process started in February with an HR phone call, followed by an in-person interview with three people from the department in March 2019, which took some effort to schedule. After that, I had four more calls with different team members across departments over the next month. In April, I met in person with the department head and received an offer in early May. It was a lengthy procedure, but they wanted to be sure my skills and personality were the best match.
Confirmed questions1 question
- Tell me about a time you experienced a significant failure or near-failure in your role and how you managed to get past it.
PhRMA
Intern
Intern Average Positive experience Decline offer 3 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Background check Offer
Interview formats
Behavioral Other
It was three rounds. The first was with two team members where they asked me some questions on my resume. The second round was with another two team members, and they asked me some questions about my expectations. The third round was with my direct supervisor, and we talked about career path and working culture. Two days later, I got a call about a phone offer, but I didn't pass the background check.
Confirmed questions2 questions
- Could you tell me about your past experiences?
- Do you have any reservations about our organization's current position?
PhRMA Interview Questions
Quoted word for word from PhRMA interview reports.
“Is your smile appealing?”
Read reports →“Can you tell me what you know about the 340B program?”
Read reports →“Could you rank politics, policy, and advocacy and provide your rationale?”
Read reports →“Given that I was still attending law school at night, how would I manage balancing school with the travel demands of the position?”
Read reports →“Given Pharma's recent negative press, how would you respond if friends or family brought it up with you?”
Read report →“Do you have any reservations about our organization's current position?”
Read report →“Could you elaborate on your interest in the specific policy mentioned?”
Read report →“What makes you passionate about this industry?”
Read report →“Can you introduce yourself?”
Read report →Formats, difficulty and experience
Across all 20 PhRMA interview reports.