After applying online, I received a phone call from the group administrator. She was serious, but nice and told me I was already halfway through the hiring process. The call was about scheduling a phone screen with senior scientists within the group. After passing the second phone screening, Pfizer invited me for an onsite interview and paid for travel expenses. However, at the group dinner the night before my interview, I realized Pfizer was wasting my time. The company had set up a dinner with myself, three local candidates, and senior people within the group. And one of those candidates was a contractor working for Pfizer, yet still applying for a full-time position. The candidates were nice people and qualified for the role. It made no sense for me to fly a 1000-mile round trip for this interview. The onsite interview consisted of 4 thirty-minute sessions with different group members. Lunch was provided as well as a site tour. The facility was new and designed to keep people at work. Open office space. A common area on each floor with an activities room, snacks, and freshly ground coffee. There was an onsite gym, but it was not free. Why would you ever want to leave work? Please, stay. The questions were behavioral based and bland. This is typical for an oversized company turned investment bank. Speaking about company culture is easy without having one. Don’t waste vacation time interviewing with this company if traveling. They prefer local candidates and a culture fit.

The interview was about 45mins long. It began with introductions from the interviewer. Next, I was asked to talk about myself after which I explained my career path to this point.