Thorlabs Interview Questions
& Process

They initially requested a technical writing sample. Following that, I had a brief phone chat with the hiring manager, and then a 30-minute call with the direct manager. Although I found the job posting on Google stating it was remote, I learned during the interview that it's actually a hybrid role based in North Jersey. Since I'm not looking to relocate, I had to decline the offer.

I had an interview with ThorLabs back in March for a software quality assurance gig. It was a two-part interview process. First up, I had a chat with the manager to see if I was a good fit. He also had me share my screen and asked me questions about how I'd test their website. Then, I had a two-hour call with four people from Thor who I would have worked with from different departments. Each of them gave me a technical test where they shared their screen and asked me to walk them through areas of Thor’s website I would test, right then and there. Anyone who’s done QA knows that just looking at an app or website and instantly knowing every single area to test isn't really a solid way to gauge a QA tester's skill. Test cases are usually made by actually using the product over time and getting input from developers on what they need. So, that should have been a bit of a warning sign, but I kept going. After the interview, I sent personalized thank you emails to everyone I spoke with, but then the manager ghosted me. I tried to get an update a few times, but never heard back. I put in hours preparing for and doing these tough, test-heavy interviews. I focused on Thor when I could have been exploring other options. At the very least, candidates deserve a quick automated email saying someone else got the job. I won't be applying to Thor again and wouldn't recommend this experience.

Sent my resume, got a call super quick, then had a phone interview not long after. After that, I went in for an in-person interview. They said I'd hear back in 2 days, but I didn't get anything. It's been over a week and I just got a generic 'thanks but no thanks' email, even after all the interviews.

I had an hour-long phone screen, and then they flew me out for an in-person interview, covering all my expenses. At the interview, I first met with the hiring manager. Then, I met with three people currently in the role. They asked a lot about my past work and my reasons for wanting to move into industry from academia. For a technical test, I was given product info documents to review and critique. We had lunch, and I had one more interview before finishing up for the day. It was generally a positive experience, but I declined the offer due to the location.