I completed an online application in October, but did not hear back about it until December, when I was asked to schedule a phone interview. I had a conference-style interview over the phone with two potential supervisors and their superior. They were primarily interested in my research experience, asking me to explain in more detail some of the projects outlined in my resume, and described the particular project I would be working on. The day after the interview, they called to schedule an in-person interview next month.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
They asked if I thought it would be difficult to transition from an academic to work setting, in terms of being on time every day, calling in sick if I was going to be out, etc. I thought this was a really strange question to ask, because most of what they seemed concerned with sounded like common sense.
The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at Westat (Rockville, MD) in Apr 2026
Interview
Had a phone interview with hr and met with the team very nice people. The process itself took a couple weeks to get time that lined up with our schedules
An online application, followed by a phone interview with Human Resources, and finally two panel zoom interviews. I received an offer after the second zoom interview. In addition the project I worked on required a background check and a clearance.
The phone screen interview was great and relaxed. The team interview also went well. They mainly asked about my experiences/skills. I've apparently answered most of their questions before they asked it.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Q: Tell me about yourself?
Q: They also asked if I have experience or comfortable using a certain software for data analysis (listed on the job qualification preferences).