Harvard University Interview Questions & Reviews in Cambridge, MA
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Updated Apr 22, 2012 – Interview questions and reviews posted anonymously by interview candidates.
Ratings are reflective of location and job title.
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Difficulty Rating [?] Based on 12 ratings 
“Average” Interview
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Interview Experience [?] Based on 12 ratings
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| 1–10 of 12 Harvard University Interviews | Sort by |
Staff Assistant at Harvard University
Posted Apr 22, 2012
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4.0
Difficult Interview
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Overall Neutral Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed Mar 2012 in Cambridge, MA (took a day)
First off, I was not given a job description by the staffing agency. So I was given the job description only 10 minutes before the interview. The person interviewing me had been at this particular office for 16 years. She wanted to know primarily when you would ask for help. I would advise other candidates for this type of position to ask lots of questions about the position and culture of the office.
Interview Questions
Other Details
I got the interview through a Staffing Agency and the interview consisted of a 1:1 Interview.
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Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
Staff Assistant III at Harvard University
Posted Mar 13, 2012
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2.0
Easy Interview
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Overall Neutral Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed Dec 2011 in Cambridge, MA (took 2 weeks)
Applied through the Harvard site, and received a request for a phone-screen interview. Spoke for about 30 minutes w/HR manager, and was asked to come to meet with her and hiring manager two weeks later.
The HR manager asked rote questions and her phone manner left something to be desired, but 1 on 1 with her was terrific, her tone was more conversational than formal and we spoke for 50 minutes and she gave more than ample opportunity for me to focus on my experience and what I felt I could bring to the position.
1 on 1 with the hiring manager was another story, as they were most likely pressed for time and spent most of the time rehashing the job description I had already gotten from HR and didn't really press me to contribute or highlight my skills. I had the distinct feeling there was already an internal candidate, which fit with the complete lack of response via phone or email (either negative or positive) afterwards.
Interview Questions
Other Details
I Applied Online and the interview consisted of a Phone Interview and a 1:1 Interview.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
Executive Assistant at Harvard University
Posted Mar 8, 2012
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2.0
Easy Interview
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Overall Negative Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed Feb 2012 in Cambridge, MA (took a day)
The H.R. representative kept me waiting for a long time before I was invited into her office. She asked me almost no questions. She had very little to say about the job. She acted completely uninterested. I later discovered that she hired an internal candidate. I don't know why they even bothered to interview me! It was a big waste of my time.
Interview Questions
Other Details
I got the interview through a Recruiter and the interview consisted of a 1:1 Interview.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
Research Assistant III at Harvard University
Posted Oct 31, 2011
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3.0
Average Interview
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Overall Positive Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed Jul 2011 in Cambridge, MA (took a day)
Had interned with the research group before interviewing for a full-time position, so I already knew the individuals I was interviewing with. Usually, though, a departmental HR rep will call you for a brief phone screening before an in-person interview, thus why I marked it as part of the interview. It was a pretty casual process, four 30-minute interviews, one with each researcher within the department. Each asked me about my previous experience with their department and in policy research, then asked about my career goals and how I saw this position fitting in with them. Very straight-forward.
Interview Questions
Other Details
I Applied Online and the interview consisted of a Phone Interview and a 1:1 Interview.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
Director at Harvard University
Posted Sep 14, 2011
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4.0
Difficult Interview
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Overall Positive Experience
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Received and Accepted Offer
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Interviewed Jan 2010 in Cambridge, MA (took 2 weeks)
Incredibly thorough process. I was the top candidate from the beginning, but they still called all four references and talked to them for an hour a piece, and gave me a two hour group interview. It wa a bit overwhelming, but it was definitely fair, given the rigor. I was not an inside candidate or connected to anyone at Harvard.
Interview Questions
Negotiation Details
Cordial, Flexible. They gave me a 3k bonus to compensate for a lower salary than I was hoping for.
Other Details
I Applied Online and the interview consisted of a Phone Interview, a 1:1 Interview, a Group/Panel Interview and a Background Check.
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Helpful Interview?
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Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard University
Posted Jul 20, 2011
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3.0
Average Interview
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Overall Positive Experience
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Received and Accepted Offer
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Interviewed Oct 2009 in Cambridge, MA (took a day)
very casual. Lunch meeting with the 2 professors I was going to work with
Interview Questions
Negotiation Details
there is very little room for negotiation since the salary is set by NIH
Other Details
I applied In-Person.
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Helpful Interview?
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Director at Harvard University
Posted Jul 14, 2011 — 1 of 1 people found this helpful
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5.0
Very Difficult Interview
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Overall Negative Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed Jun 2011 in Cambridge, MA (took a day)
The individuals I met with at Harvard were pleasant enough, and in fact asked good questions, were fair and made the interview mostly enjoyable, not that I was expecting that. I met with 3 individuals for approx. 30 min each. The last interviewer was the person I would work most closely with, if I were to be offered a position. It became clear, that though this was a new position, the 3rd interviewer was passing off all the activities she did not like to the new position. Though I was warned at the beginning of the 3rd interview that I would be given a "quiz" to test my accounting skills, I certainly wasn't looking forward to this and it affected the quality of my interview. So, at the end I was given the quiz which was supposed to take 10 min. It ended up taking more than 20 min. Here is my problem: I was interviewing for a Director of Finance position, that surely had some accounting skills related to it but were not referred to in the job description. In fact, I was surprised that Harvard had the gall to pull this shenanigan for a Director level position. Nonetheless, I bombed this "quiz" and wasn't offered a follow up interview. While, I would apply for future positions at Harvard, I am glad that this particular position didn't work out considering the quality of the interview at the end, and their "screening" process.
Other Details
The interview consisted of a 1:1 Interview and a Skills Test.
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Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
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Research Intern at Harvard University
Posted Jun 3, 2011
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1.0
Very Easy Interview
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Overall Positive Experience
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Received and Accepted Offer
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Interviewed Sep 2010 in Cambridge, MA (took a day)
I submitted a resume and application for the position and was contacted by email to set up an interview. The interview was with 2 project managers who were young and laid back. They asked me very simple questions about my knowledge of current affairs, social media marketing, research, and other job related experience. They then asked me about what languages I spoke and how it would be applicable to the job. They then asked me what project, specifically, I would like to work on and why. They also asked me when I would be available and explained in detail what time commitment the job required.
Interview Questions
Negotiation Details
There was nothing I was able to negotiate.
Other Details
The interview consisted of a Group/Panel Interview.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
Student at Harvard University
Posted Jan 6, 2011
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3.0
Average Interview
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Overall Neutral Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed Feb 2009 in Cambridge, MA (took a day)
Interviewer was very nice. He asked me about my previous experiences and what past experiences helped shaped who i was today. There was no pressure or anything. He didn't really seem too interested however. It could've gone better if he had given me more time to ask more questions and stuff.
Interview Questions
Other Details
I Applied Online and the interview consisted of a 1:1 Interview.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
Manager of Sales & Markewting at Harvard University
Posted Mar 27, 2010
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4.0
Difficult Interview
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Overall Positive Experience
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Received and Accepted Offer
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Interviewed Apr 2008 in Cambridge, MA (took 3 days)
Competency based interviews. Asked questions that elicit examples of a behavior. Have plenty of examples of how you have performed in various settings in the past. Try to pick out the key competencies of the position you're applying for and think of examples of those specific qualities and behaviors.
Interview Questions
Negotiation Details
I asked for more money, but didn't get it. I felt confortable asking and was given a raise within the year.
Other Details
The interview consisted of a 1:1 Interview and a Group/Panel Interview.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
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