Hello wise and all-knowing Hangout posters, I have two interviews coming up next week. They are both chemistry-related /science jobs, and both entry level positions (lab assistant, lab tech, etc.). What kind of interview questions should I expect from them? Any other general advice is welcomed too
Know the organization, know the organization, and know the organization. Research their history, current objectives and "in the news"- whether you go to their web site or Google them, find out about their current scientific initiatives. They will most likely ask scientific and technical questions- but they may also ask about the "people skills" stuff. You want to position yourself as a: 1) Highly detail-focused worker. In situations where slight mistakes can be costly, you want them to know you are a careful, conscientious employee. Perhaps think of an example when you had to use a detail-focused approach to solve a problem. 2) Positive individual who can work well within groups or independently. Your work may entail long hours of isolated assignments or you may be involved in teamwork constantly. So you let them know that you can segueway comfortably between isolation and groups. 3) Person who enjoys their work and will continue to improve your knowledge in the field. Employers prefer individuals who are dedicated to their field and are willing to continually undergo training (and independent study) to strengthen their knowledge and capabilities. That would be a good start. Bring your resume and list of references. If you have participated in lab-related projects and assignments, and these are not on your resume, you may want to list these on a separate sheet and bring them to the interview- you can title this Resume Addendum: Lab Projects. Hope this helps.
They're most definitely going to ask for your previous lab experience - start thinking about a response to that, and get as detailed as possible - think of all the processes you know how to do, all the chemicals you've worked with/created, etc.
One of the most important aspects of an interview is the questions that you ask them at the end. Think of a bunch of things you want to ask about the postition, day to day duties, advancement, etc...