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PAREXEL
www.parexel.com Waltham, MA 5000+ Employees
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PAREXEL Interview Questions & Reviews

Getting the Interview  61 Interviews

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22%
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Interview Experience  57 Ratings

43%
28%
28%
61 interview experiences
Updated May 6, 2013
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Interview Outcome:   All No Offer Received Offer

Drug Safety Associate at PAREXEL

Accepted Offer – Interviewed in Durham, NC Apr 2008 – Reviewed Oct 21, 2010

Interview Details – Interviewed with HR and then several Medical Monitors, two who were married, clueless and hard to understand besides the scripted ramble of their credentials that made me question the integrity of the company. They never asked me questions regarding my skills or qualifications, just told me theirs. Met with another Medical monitor who I assume was brand new but at least licensed, Duke trained and inquired about my experience. Did not offer to show me the department or to meet with any of the current employess which I now regret. Misinformed me with their pro "flexibilty" yet they offer none in the safety department.

Interview Questions

  • Associate Medical Director asked if I was married or had any kids that would interfere with the position.   View Answer
  • I was asked during the same interview by a Senior Medical Director if I was physically active or exercised.   View Answer

Negotiation Details – Yes, somewhat they started at 65k I bumped them to 70k we agreed on 68k which was their ceiling.

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Drug Safety Associate at PAREXEL

Accepted Offer – Interviewed in Waltham, MA Aug 2010 – Reviewed Oct 20, 2010

Interview Details – This interview process was a joke. Parexel uses an outside resource, Kenexa, to help them staff this position. Recruiter had no clue about any of the job details. She didn't call on scheduled time we were supposed to talk. She couldn't answer any of my questions. When I went in for in person interview, the hiring manager wasn't focused, didn't make eye contact, answered her phone during interview, and didn't come across very professional at all. Because I heard so many great things about company, I told myself this must have just been a bad day. HR didn't even give me any benefit details until after I had an offer. My references were checked once before offer by outside recruiter per hiring manager's policy, then outside company did my reference checks a second time. This whole process was very unorganized. I thought it would be different when I started. It wasn't. I resigned after 2 weeks. The trainer that was supposed to train me, had her own training to do. I was a burden to her. She left me all alone. I was working 10-12 hour days with no help whatsover.

Interview Question – Do yo have any colleagues that would be interested in this position?   View Answer

Negotiation Details – They could only pay up to 70K. No negotiation. For the work that is required, this is a sweatshop.
This position is a trainwreck. Do not work in their drug safety group. Very high turnover, high stress.

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Business Analyst at PAREXEL

No Offer – Interviewed in Lowell, MA Jul 2010 – Reviewed Aug 17, 2010

Interview Details – I went through two phone interviews, one with the staffing agency, then one with a director. I was invited in to meet with two personal that worked in the area. I found the vision of the director clouded when it came to the vision of the employees who actually do the job. Their mind set was more a clerical support role, while the director leaned toward a more mentor, supervisorary role. I received mix messages, and knew I was over qualified upon interviewing with the team support personal.

Interview Question – Why should I hire you, what can you do for the company. I was asked by the support personal.   View Answers (2)

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Quality Management at PAREXEL

Accepted Offer – Reviewed Dec 26, 2012

Interview Details – Informal hiring interview. Interviews experienced difficulty providing a concrete and understandable job description.

Interview Question – Why do you want to work for Parexel?   Answer Question

Negotiation Details – Challenging. They will attempt to get you to accept the most minimal salary rate.

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CMA at PAREXEL

Accepted Offer – Reviewed Dec 22, 2012

Interview Details – Telephone interviews then one in-house interview.

Negotiation Details – What were you able to negotiate? What advice would you give others considering an offer?

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Project Specialist at PAREXEL

No Offer – Interviewed in Berlin (Germany) Nov 2012 – Reviewed Dec 12, 2012

Interview Details – I applied to the role in their Berlin office. A few days later I had a phone interview that went well and was invited to a face to face interview. I had read many poor company reviews but gave them the benefit of the doubt.

I was told I would be talking with three people at 10am but when I got there the recpetionist told me that in the last 10 minutes they had changed it 11am and I would be speaking with 2 people. Again, i thought, innocent mistake, maybe a scheduling conflict. When the 2 interviewers arrived they gushed how such delays and lack of professionalism was not the company style.

The interview was standard: talk us through your CV, how do you go working in groups, blah blah. It went well except for a few lost in translation moments as English was clearly not their preferred language (but the role was for an English speaker - but I was told in the phone interview they would prefer the candidate to speak german too as it "makes it easier around the lunch table.") At the conclusion they thanked me for my time and told me I would hear more within 4 days.

Four days came and went without news. I called HR who said they had no idea what was happening and said they would follow it up and I would hear shortly. Weeks went by. I wrote it off and finally a month after being assured I would hear more I got a pithy email saying I didn't get the job, no feedback, no explanation for the delay.

 I don't mind not getting the job, looking for a job in Berlin you get a few knock backs, but to me Parexal seemed poorly organised and unprofessional. It makes me think maybe all those bad company reviews were right and i dodged a bullet.

Interview Question – How will we 'on-board' you?   View Answer

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CRA II at PAREXEL

Accepted Offer – Interviewed in Nov 2012 – Reviewed Nov 26, 2012

Interview Details – Excellent recruiting team. All phone interviews

Interview Question – How do you keep yourself organized? How do you handle an unreported SAE?   View Answer

Negotiation Details – What were you able to negotiate? What advice would you give others considering an offer?

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Clinical Research Associate I at PAREXEL

No Offer – Interviewed in Oct 2012 – Reviewed Nov 24, 2012

Interview Details – After I'd sent my appliction, I was contacted within two weeks and asked to be available for a telephone interview. The position was based in Budapest, Hungary but the first inteview was conducted by a person based in London. It probably went relatively well since in about other two weeks, I was invited for an interview in the Budapest office of the company. The second interview took place in the presence of two Hungarian persons (a leading professionalist and an HR lady) and another HR specialist called in from Poland. The language of the interview was English and its form was a conference call. At the and of it, I was informed that it was the last round and I will get a response within two weeks. Neither of these proved to be true. I got a response, an invitation for third round at the end of the third week. This was also conducted by a London based person via phone. Same promise, same result. I was questioned by yet another person who also promised that they would inform me about the result within two weeks. It never happened.

Interview Question – Since I have worked as a freelancer for 12 years now. The most difficult though not unexpected question was: How could I adapt to a strict system after so many years of being my own boss.   View Answer

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Clinical Research Associate II at PAREXEL

No Offer – Reviewed Oct 25, 2012

Interview Details – Applied through a recruiter and received quick email back from recruiter with interest - after a brief phone interview, was passed on to another outside recruiter, than in internal Parexel recruiter. Had 20 minute phone interview with Parexel recruiter, which ended abruptly.

Interview Question – What systems did you use in your previous work experience to keep yourself organized? (Even after I answered the question, she persisted, looking for some other answer?)   Answer Question

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Clinical Trial Associate at PAREXEL

No Offer – Reviewed Oct 22, 2012

Interview Details – Applied on Friday. HR called on Monday to schedule a phone interview on Tuesday. The following week they said the position was on hold. I followed back on the "hold". After two months the position was cancelled.

Interview Question – No hard questions. HR questions about organization, projects, stress management and who I was   Answer Question

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