*This happened a while back, but I still remember the process very vividly.
After applying for the position, I received a phone call within 2 weeks. The phone interview consisted of fairly average questions - things like "What are you strengths?", "Do you know about the company?", etc. Once the phone interview was finished, the interviewer said they would talk to the hiring manager and call back if they wanted to proceed with an in-person interview. Within 2-3 hours, I received a call saying that they would like me to come in the next day for an interview, in which I agreed. Within 30 minutes of that phone call, I received another phone call asking to push the interview to 2 hours from then. As a new graduate, I panicked and accepted as interviews were difficult to come by. I rushed to change into a suit and drove down with my resume and references.
The first portion of the interview involved a 45 minute to 1 hour written exercise, in which I was given a regulatory document from Canada and Europe, respectively. I was told to read the documents as best I could to summarise the differences between regulations on medical devices in both regions. Once that was completed, I met with the manager of the QA/RA department, and then with the owner. Now here is where I advise potential applicants of BTNX's technical department to pay attention.
The owner is a smart man - he has done business for over a decade, and after listening to multiple hiring stories from others here, he has a routine. In the beginning, he will talk about the company and how there is a great research laboratory in the back; really top-notch stuff. At some point, he will ask you how committed you are and to rate yourself on a scale from 1 to 10. He writes this information down on the back of your resume. He then goes on to talk about the demanding yet rewarding place that BTNX is. Despite all of that small talk, as a recent graduate, you will keep nodding your head in order to get the job. He will then ask you, "Are you hungry? Are you hungry for a challenge?". Again, you will nod and answer yes as your stomach growls from missing your lunch. He will then pause and look at you to ultimately say, "You know what, I'm going to give you a chance. You got the job, can you start tomorrow?". Taking you by surprise and off-guard, you will of course end up saying yes. This is where the interview takes a turn.
I said yes, and was told that I would be on a probationary period of 6 months. If he liked the way I was working, my probation would be lifted. I was then told that, "The salary... is not that great, some few cents above minimum wage". I thought to myself, that's fine, I'm trying to get that experience. The owner then brought me to the back to meet the technical department. The facilities did not match the description given earlier. It was a fairly small unit with a bunch of desks, and a room with computer servers and random quality control tools. A Gilson pipette, some pipette tips, some beakers, and some gloves - the bare essentials. There was no real laboratory and no real research being performed on-site.
My advice to those being interviewed for the technical department is this... it's not a difficult interview, and you will be given the job on the spot if chosen. The job will not be what you expected however. It will end up as a job on your resume, but in actuality, you are being trained to become a businessman as opposed to a laboratory technician or scientist. There are great people in the department and brilliant minds, but they won't be given the opportunity to pump their scientific ideas out as much as they will be thrown into business deals, regulatory problems, and marketing projects. To anyone with a scientific background - try the interview out for experience, but this job is not for us.
