Waters Sales Representative Interview Questions
& Process

This was the longest interview process I've ever experienced, spanning 3 months and a total of 6 interviews. There was about 1-2 weeks between each one. The first and last interviews were with HR. The second, third, and fourth interviews were with the Hiring Manager and Senior Directors. The fifth interview was a group presentation of a business plan. They asked normal questions about my background. The Senior Directors didn't seem engaged and didn't seem to read my CV or Business Plan. The Hiring Manager and HR conversations were very engaging. I got very little feedback or direction during the whole 3-month process. Nobody was very forthcoming about where I was in the decision-making process or about company specifics, they just kept scheduling more appointments.

The interview process started with a screening call via MS Teams with a Talent Acquisition Specialist. This was followed by an interview with the Hiring Manager. The final stage was an interview with a Market Development Specialist from Mexico, as the role supports Latin America, including Brazil. I had concerns that Portuguese was only a plus and not mandatory, given the role's focus on Brazil, a significant revenue generator. I also noted that the Market Development Specialist inquired about my experience with Waters' instruments, which I lacked, though I had experience with competitors like Shimadzu, Agilent, Bruker, and Sciex. This seemed to contradict the job qualifications which specified LC-MS/MS and sales experience, which I possess.

It was a super long interview process, taking over 4 months. They weren't always great at letting me know what was happening next. The company has a really strong culture that might feel a bit off-putting if you're not already part of it. I've heard from others who interviewed here that it felt like they were just doing due diligence for someone they already planned to promote internally.