I applied online. The process took 2 months. I interviewed at Thermo Fisher Scientific (San Francisco, CA)
Interview
Applied: Summer 2025 for an R&D Scientist role in the SF Bay Area.
I think the timeline will be most useful for others applying to similar roles.
Day 0: Applied online the same day the job posting went live.
+3 days: Phone interview with a recruiter. Standard screening, mostly questions about my past experience.
+10 days (after recruiter interview): Notified via email that I would have a 30-minute online interview with the hiring manager. The interview was scheduled a week later.
+10 days (after HM invitation): Hiring manager interview took place. Standard questions again — mainly about my past experience, knowledge of their products, and how TF’s technology compares with competitors.
+3 days (after HM interview): Recruiter informed me I would move forward to the final round. The earliest they allowed me to schedule, however, was two weeks out.
+17 days (after scheduling): Final round consisting of a 45-minute presentation (on any relevant past work of my choice) followed by five 30-minute interviews with a manager, staff scientists, a director, and a VP. The interviews were a mix of behavioral and technical questions.
+2 weeks (after final round): No communication or feedback. I noticed TF reposted the exact same job description on their website.
+3 days (after repost): Received an email that I would not be moving forward. The recruiter mentioned I would receive feedback from the hiring manager, but I never heard back.
Overall impression:
The process was structured and moved fairly quickly at the beginning, but slowed down significantly after the final round. Communication from the recruiter was professional and timely up to a point, but the lack of feedback after being told to expect it was disappointing. The interviews themselves were reasonable and professional.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Do you understand how TF's product/technology works?
Had two virtual interviews, around 30 minutes each. Basic behavioral questions with the usual “describe a situation where you overcame an obstacle” type questions. Talked through resume, felt rather low pressure.
I interviewed at Thermo Fisher Scientific (Greenville, NC)
Interview
Generic star questions, just what you expect anywhere else. So I guess you should find the standard questions and have an answer for them. Other than that getting the interview wasn't hard
I applied online. I interviewed at Thermo Fisher Scientific (Middleton, WI) in Feb 2026
Interview
Preliminary screening questions ("What is the minimum salary you are willing to consider?" "How did you hear about this position?") followed by a 10-15 minute phone screen with HR. I was briefly asked about my resume and given some general information about the company. The actual interview was an hour long, the first half with a group leader in molecular bio and the second half with a group leader in analytical chemistry. No other staff were present. The interviewers were polite and friendly, but the questions were pretty tough and I honestly was surprised that I got an offer. The official offer came about a week after interviewing but they said it could take as long as two weeks.
Interview questions [4]
Question 1
How do you set standards for yourself and others, and how do you uphold them?