Interviews will typically begin with some version of "why are you interested in this position?" or "tell me about yourself." This question is designed to assess what motivates you to apply for the position. For initial interviews, focus on the job description. For later interviews, mention what you've learned from earlier interviews.

Keep your response to 1-2 minutes and make sure to include the following:

1. Why you are interested in the job
2. Why you are skilled for the job (focus on your qualifications for this job)
3. Your relevant training and scientific/technical skills

Other possible questions that might get asked in this category are:

• "Why are you leaving your current position?"
  • In your answer, focus on what you are moving toward or what is attractive about this new position to you (e.g. applied nature of research, team-based, fast-paced) instead of what you are moving away from. If you're moving away from academic research, this is also how you should focus on questions about why.
• "Where do you want to be in 5 or 10 years?"
  • In your answer, focus on characteristics of your ideal job in 5-10 years instead of specific job titles. Start with a list of career-related values that are important to you (e.g. impact, deep expertise).

Behavioral interview questions are generally about the non-technical aspects of the position. The purpose of these questions is so they can predict how you will behave in the future. These questions commonly start with:

• Tell me about a time when...
• Give me a past example of a situation when you...

The STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) technique is useful for responding effectively to these types of questions. Start by describing the situation you were in, then what you were tasked with doing, then the action you took, and finally the result of your action. Focus on what you did as an individual, not what you accomplished as a team. We recommend preparing a handful of stories from your experiences that you can use to respond to these questions no matter how they are asked. 

You may be asked some version of "can you discuss your scientific background and skills as they relate to this role?" These questions are designed to assess your experience with the technical aspects of the position. They also tend to focus on the employer's scientific priorities. Your goal is to demonstrate how your research experiences align with those priorities.

To prepare for these questions:

1. Review the job posting and mark the scientific/technical requirements for the position.
2. Look up the company and department/team to get a sense of their scientific goals and priorities.
3. Practice describing how your technical skills directly meet and/or are transferable to the position. 

We recommend practicing with a peer or mentor (ideally this is someone with a scientific background who is not an expert in your field but is generally knowledgeable about the same subjects). Be sure to ask for feedback on:

• Clarity and concision
  While it is important to be thorough enough to demonstrate how your experience fits what they need, it is important not to ramble when talking about your research.
• Appropriateness of how you describe your science for different audiences
  You are probably going to interact with people with different levels of scientific expertise—from HR screeners to the hiring manager—throughout the interview process. 

There are a number of logistical considerations that you or the employer might want to ask about. Examples of what could come up in this category are:

• Start date
• Salary
• Visa considerations
• IP agreements
• Moving for the position
• Scheduling more interviews
• Background checks or verification
• Next steps in the hiring process

The general purpose of these questions is to make the process move smoothly and to avoid wasting anyone's time if there's a dealbreaker that can't be worked out. If you have dealbreakers, consider bringing them up on your own. See "Your questions for the employer" below for tips on how to do that.

Make sure to have questions for the hiring committee! The best questions are ones that you generate during the actual interview. Generating questions in the moment helps you to stay present with what you are hearing, and demonstrates your engagement and interest to the interviewer.   

Most people will also want to bring a list of prepared questions just in case. Here are tips for preparing those questions:

• Think about what you want to know about the organization/position that you couldn't easily find on your own.
• Questions should be about aspects of the position that you want to know about as an individual.
• It should be obvious how your questions are going to help you decide whether or not you'd take the job.
• You can ask about parts of the job description that are particularly important to you. Their current thinking about the position doesn't always match the job description 100% so it is always useful to confirm.
• Write your questions down in the same notebook you will be using to take notes during the interview.