Silliker Interview Questions & Reviews

Interviewed Feb 2009 in Madison, WI (took a day)

I applied online, received a call within a month from the Lab Manager, and we set up an interview on the phone. The interview was a 1:3 with all three people being from the lab, not from any outside office. They asked situational questions (e.g. "Tell me about a time you made an error. What was your course of action?") and background questions (e.g. "What kind of experience do you have in a laboratory?"). The interview was great because of the people I interviewed with. We clicked on a personality level right away and it went very smoothly. They are looking for people who would mesh well with the group in the lab. You need a sense of humor to work there. Be casual and calm, throw in a couple jokes, ask them questions. When I asked them questions during the interview, it really helped me to see what kind of people they were, and they were able to see that I was truly interested in the process of the lab. They pull random people from the lab sometimes for interviews with no preparation or interviewing experience, so they might be more nervous than you! You will have a lab tour, so if you wear glasses, you will want to put your contacts in since you'll have to wear safety glasses. You don't need experience in the science field at all to work there - just don't be stuffy and you'll probably get the job.