Merck Interview Questions

Application

I applied online. The process took 1 day. I interviewed at Merck (Kenilworth, NJ) in July 2015.

Interview

They put me in a conference room and 5 interviewers took turns coming in the room. Questioning was not intensive but they all asked the same thing. It didn't come across that they were trying to see if I would say the same thing, rather they were just winging it and asking the usual questions. But they made me feel very comfortable and no games.

Interview Questions

Application

I applied through an employee referral. The process took 3 weeks. I interviewed at Merck in February 2018.

Interview

I spoke with several interviewers. Although we did speak about my experience in reviewing regulatory documents the questions were not in any depth. They seemed to be more interested in my personality and perhaps my 'fit' for the position within their group.

Interview Questions

Application

I applied through other source. I interviewed at Merck.

Interview

Interviewed by the potential district manager. They wanted to see how you would react on the spot, for example: "how would you sell me this pen?". They were looking for strong soft skills, and the ability to interact with many different personalities. A positive attitude plus a very competitive edge combined with the potential to lead among district members (usually 12) was a winner.

Interview Questions

Application

I applied through an employee referral. I interviewed at Merck (Los Angeles, CA) in April 2016.

Interview

It was by far one of the best interviews I've ever been through. All the managers at Merck are very professional, smart, driven, and comforting. Coming from someone who doesn't have any pharma experience, it was nice to have them ask questions about my background rather than questioning my inexperience. Remember to keep positive and motivated!

Interview Questions

Application

I applied online. The process took 5 days. I interviewed at Merck (Miami, FL) in May 2015.

Interview

It was a behaviour-based interview, the hiring manager was very nice, be prepare to give a lot of examples, during the interview they paid attention to your body language, so you have to stay positive and it will be much easier to project your confidence. After the first interview ended i had the next one the same day, it was someone on the phone, it was much more difficult than the face to face one, so i had to give additional examples.

Interview Questions

Application

I applied online. The process took 5 days. I interviewed at Merck in December 2014.

Interview

No phone screen. Asked to interview in person for a position that needed filled quickly. Met with two gentlemen, one was much more laid back and "down to earth." The other asked a series of "typical" questions (describe a time when you had experienced a conflict at work and how you resolved it). Refer to the STAR format...it works. Decision was made in a week. I was second in line, but given I didn't have pharm sales exp prior, the other candidate was extended an offer.

Interview Questions

Application

I applied online. The process took 3+ months. I interviewed at Merck.

Interview

Very long and arduous. We were brought into a hotel with different shifts of interview. We individually met with two different hiring managers- not necessarily your own. This was on top of several initial phone interviews. Then I met with my hiring manager separately and then had to wait for approval etc. It took a total of 2-3 months- including the offer- by the time I went off to training.

Interview Questions

Negotiation

Not too bad. The manager offered me one amount- I came back with another and he met me a number we could both agree upon. I was instructed to do this by a current employee who did not counter-offer and was not happy she didn't. Too many people want the job so bad- they jump at the initial offer. Of course they aren't going to give you the best offer up front- and after all of this interview process- aren't going to turn you away without at least saying no. At least you tried and they will remember that. It shows tenacity.

Application

I applied through an employee referral. The process took 4+ weeks. I interviewed at Merck in August 2011.

Interview

Panel Interview with 3 of the managers from surrounding area and 2 different divisions within company. There was two sales reps for good measure and to give an understanding of the role of the sales rep in everyday situations. They also asked a few questions to see if I woudl be a good fit with the team.

Interview Questions

Negotiation

Negotiated best salary after asking for 20% increase over original offer

Application

I applied through an employee referral. I interviewed at Merck.

Interview

Similar to other pharma companies. The standard S.T.A.R. format; The STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) format is a job interview technique used by interviewers to gather all the relevant information about a specific capability that the job requires. This interview format is said[by whom?] to have a higher degree of predictability of future on-the-job performance than the traditional interview. This technique is a behavioral interview technique.

Interview Questions

Application

I applied through other source. The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at Merck (Chicago, IL) in October 2011.

Interview

There was a phone screen with was brief and a interview with three people in a group interview
Questions were relatively basic and no tricks. Very professional environment
Was offered the job about a week later. I have heard other drug companies can drag their feet and require much more.
The sales mangers at Merck actually conducted the interviews and they had a lot of freedom to make decisions.

Interview Questions