I applied online. The process took 2 months. I interviewed at GSK (Stevenage, England) in Nov 2019
Interview
Having completed an eligibility form, online assessment and application form, I was invited to the assessment centre. Completed a group task (6 of us), after which we were split into pairs and an interviewer asked each pair questions. Got a chance to tour the facilities and ask questions to the current industrial placement students. Then had two interviews - a technical interview and strengths-based interview.
Interview questions [2]
Question 1
Questions in the technical interview were designed to find out how you would approach and test scientific questions. Based on scientific knowledge. eg. Compare and contrast cell lines and primary cells.
Strengths-based interview asked a lot of competency questions. eg. How do you motivate others? What would you do if you saw someone breaching the rules? What skills have you learnt recently? What is your weakness? What is your greatest achievement?
Split into general interview and technical interview. Very standardized format where no follow-up questions are asked by interviews. General interview involves STAR questions. Technical interview consisted of testing job-specific knowledge.
Full assessment day with a technical and behavioural interview in the morning with two interviewers then a group interview in the afternoon with other student candidates and a panel of around 5 interviewers. For the second part they gave us a case study and observed how we interacted with each other to answer a scientific problem.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Describe a pharmacokinetics graph in the context of drug discovery.
Interviewers were very friendly and welcoming, they guide you through until you get the right answer if you are unsure. They start by explaining the job, then ask typical STARR questions, then about 4 technical questions
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Give us a time when you faced a challenge, how did you manage it?