I applied online. The process took 4 weeks. I interviewed at Takeda Pharmaceuticals in May 2021
Interview
Due to Covid it was all via MSTeams. I had a phone call with the recruiter, then MSTeams videocall with the hiring manager. This was then followed by 9 interviews over 2 days. There were some technical glitches but overall a good experience. They got back to me within a few weeks with their decision.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Normal interview questions for the most part. Tell me your experience. Strengths and weaknesses.
I interviewed at Takeda Pharmaceuticals (Boston, MA)
Interview
Good thing about the interview process was that the PM was actively hiring, therefore I got to the final stage in a relative short time. However, I found rudeness in the post-interview treatment, being myself the one that reached out several times to learn they would not proceed with the offer. Interview process for my role was intensive, going from 1:1 conversation with different people to a whole team oral presentation, lasting a total of 6 h. The only feedback I got is that they expected more details in my oral presentation about how I performed my routine work... IMO, that would have not been ethically correct with the NDA I had with my former company.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
The questions were technical for my job description: procedures, experience in cell culture, experience in mAbs production and protein purification. They would reinforce all the negative statements instead of being curious about other capabilities or how could I compensate the lack of experience (not knowledge, that is important to stress). The rest of the 1:1 interviews, I kept answering the same questions all over again (guess they tested coherence?), but I felt they were not really wanting to know me. I guess it depends on the team dynamics.
The phone screening with hr first and then with the hiring manager. The final interview is on-site with the whole team. The seminar is optional and depends on your application title.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Specific skills checklist and personality questions
I applied online. The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at Takeda Pharmaceuticals (Cambridge, MA) in Sep 2024
Interview
Interview has a screening phone call with recruiter followed by a 30 min zoom meeting with hiring manager. Then in person interview started with a 40 min seminar + 20 min Q&A, followed by several 1-on-1 interviews with various stakeholders.
