I applied online. The process took 4 weeks. I interviewed at Santa Cruz Biotechnology (Paso Robles, CA) in Sept 2021
Interview
Interviewer was late and unprepared. I was taken aback by the lack of thought and professionalism invested in the process.
The pay range was laughably low. This was not disclosed during communication exchanges leading up to the interview in which I asked for wage information twice.
Overall this was a poor first impression from the company and my time was definitely wasted.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Tell me about your lab experience.
What is your greatest strength? Weakness?
I applied online. I interviewed at Santa Cruz Biotechnology (Paso Robles, CA) in Nov 2020
Interview
Applied through online job board and received a call to schedule interview. The initial interest seemed to randomly transition into apathy as the supervisor portrayed being busy. Furthermore, once something was scheduled the personnel actually forgot that they had scheduled an interview at said date and time!? Filling out a paper application upon arrival was an outdated process.
The actual interviews were outside in a nice setting with simple Q&A. The 3 people that I spoke with were friendly and I never felt nervous. My qualifications were way beyond what they were seeking. I have been committed to settling in the area but potentially passed for younger inexperienced candidates which are well known for hopping jobs (I've been in labs for over 10 years, the newer generations are predictable in this way).
I might try again in the future, but the overall reviews of the company are ominous. The main bad impression I experienced was they could not schedule an interview around my present employers work schedule. All my other Paso interviews were flexible and accommodating. I lost out on 2 hours of work (unpaid) and nobody expressed any appreciation for my sacrifice. Losing money for an interview with no job offer for simple entry level lab roles was a novel experience.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
They kept asking why I relocated to the area. They gave me the impression that past employees did not stay long. It's a town designed for wine tourism, not an economy for settling down long term.
I applied online. The process took 1 week. I interviewed at Santa Cruz Biotechnology in Feb 2018
Interview
Contacted me by phone within a week of application. Scheduled an interview appointment the following week. I was interviewed by what would be my direct manager explaining my role and what the department did in total workflow. Did not receive any questions. Then the local manager came in and just started talking about her daughter for 45 minutes.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Did not receive any questions pertaining to the job. Was asked about the current political climate of the US. Interviewer mostly talked about her daughter.