Sandia Postdoctoral Fellow Interview

Interviewed Dec 2009 in Livermore, CA (took 2 days)

Applied online, got an email back asking for a phone interview. Got a call the same day, talked for about 30-45 mins about my thesis work as a whole and the specific relevant experience and how it matches with the position description. On-site interview a few weeks later.

HR is fantastic! Very organized, got all of my paperwork to me (overnight FedEX) with return envelope provided. Very quick turnaround on questions and also genuinely nice people.

Standard job talk format, 1 hour presentation followed by panel interview and 1:1's, lab tour. Fairly well attended for a job talk. Not many questions asked during my talk, but several afterward. Very polite interview, low stress. About 25 mins of questions and formal interviewing followed by a quick lab tour. Took me out to lunch and then back for a few more meetings. HR followed up with me about my impressions and kept me updated on the status of my application.

Manager made a verbal offer several weeks later (I've been told this is very typical; I got nervous and then kind of forgot about it). HR emailed an offer package and followed it up with a hardcopy via FedEX. Drug testing was done at a local sample collection facility. Background check was pretty standard-- pulled my credit report, character references from folks who have known me >=10 years. My friends/family told me that the investigators were very polite and professional.

The culture is a nice mix of academic freedom with corporate mission (and budgets!). Expect the standard couple of big fish to throw their weight around in your interview. I'm convinced if they aren't talking they aren't breathing. Most of the other folks on the interview won't pay too much attention to them, seems like a quick test to see if you can handle being heckled.