Overall, I found the interview process very unprofessional and was left with a poor impression of the company. After applying online I received a phone call from the Managing Director. He described the potential role in more detail and we scheduled a face-to-face interview early in the following week. The day before the interview, the Managing Director called me up again and asked if I wanted to do a week of working in their lab as well as the interview, which I agreed to. Before starting my 'trial week' I was interviewed by the Managing Director and a member of the lab staff. The interview felt more like an opportunity for the Managing Director to show his success growing the company rather than a chance for me to prove my worth as an employee. Although I appreciate the transparency around the company’s background and direction of travel, I felt like my application was not taken seriously, and they just wanted me to start my ‘trial week’. Within all interviews, I always try to answer questions professionally, leaning on the STAR technique to articulate my suitability for the role; it felt like there were limited opportunities for this. Though there were one or two good questions where I felt like I could demonstrate my ability, most of what they did ask I felt didn't really probe that deeply into my experience or my suitability for the role. While working in the lab I noticed several things which in my opinion did not seem like good practice: some chemicals were stored in the staff room fridge, eye protection was not worn by any lab staff, food and drink consumed in, and most surpsingly - the Managing Director's dog frequently walking into the lab. In total I worked in their lab for somewhere in the range of 25-30 hours between Tuesday to Friday. After finishing work on Friday, I was told to expect to hear from the Managing Director personally in about two weeks. However, after many weeks of no response and after several attempts to contact the Managing Director I gave up waiting for a response. Considering the time I devoted working in their lab, the least I'd have expected was some honest feedback. I've left the process frustrated and a general feeling that I'd been taken advantage of.