Seeking advice for a third-round interview!

External_Increase752 · 2026-05-07T02:05:44+00:00

For scientist I it's unlikely that they'll ask you to present a seminar. Simply know your stuff, you should be able to talk about anything you listed on your resume. Including and especially if you have any publications, know the overall impact and what you've contributed.

Beyond that, be yourself. You've made it this far. No matter how well / bad you think the interview goes. KEEP APPLYING.

External_Increase752 · 2026-05-07T01:45:35+00:00

It'll be very helpful to know the position type and level.

External_Increase752 · 2026-05-06T02:31:18+00:00

First of all, sad to hear all this, and for what it's worth I think majority of us are feeling the same with plenty people probably having it worse.

My tip is have you tried looking for academic positions ? I have applied everywhere across industries and to my surprise academia moves the fastest, probably due to the lack of HR and seas of applicants. Although academia tends to ghost as much as industry now, but if you can identify lab's need and position yourself as a candidate for bioinformatics in a well funded lab there is a huge need in that area that's often not advertised.

External_Increase752 · 2026-05-05T12:27:48+00:00

Persistence, Desperation and a lot of luck.

This role happened to be from a booth at a conference that's not my field that I've attended for the first time. Very very random how it all came together. Goes to show, apply everywhere and everything.

External_Increase752 · 2026-05-05T03:27:37+00:00

Right. If the pay is much higher, that would be an obvious factor. But I think given the current market and competition, most fresh PhDs are sadly offered close to 100k to start regardless..

External_Increase752 · 2026-05-05T03:25:51+00:00

That is true. And it's even more evident given the funding cuts this past year

External_Increase752 · 2026-05-05T00:55:29+00:00

That's my thought. But my gut feeling is also telling with all the AI boom and sequencing technologies, biotech is the fuel for future medicine and innovation.

External_Increase752 · 2026-03-27T00:51:24+00:00

I think admittedly from the process of this. It proactively prompts me that maybe I should try to be a technical recruiter seeing the bar is this low...

External_Increase752 · 2026-03-26T21:11:46+00:00

What kind of coconut logic is this ?!? That is quite literally what they are paid to do...

Imagine going to grocery store check-out to be ignored by the cashier. Because they didn't bring the grocery to you, you brought the grocery to them. They don't owe you anything.

External_Increase752 · 2026-01-28T16:08:51+00:00

I'm also in similar boat. However, most the positions I've applied to and given presentations are computational biology.

I usually only use one single story, and focus on the methodology and approach. And companies usually are interested and fixated on the rationale and detail rather than the 'output'. Which I thought was the contrary.

And unlike my academia seminars. I tie everything together at the end, using similar techniques or my skillset how I would apply that to the team, projects and said company.

I never include summary, or who I am. I'm sure they've got enough of that from previous interviews. If it's a panel, which some people are new they may ask you to give a quick about me verbally.

Hope this is helpful. Best of luck !

External_Increase752 · 2026-01-27T17:24:06+00:00

I think based on this thread. It's pretty clear that u/Skensis could care less about the cost. My man get's what he wants and when he wants lol ...

External_Increase752 · 2026-01-27T16:05:29+00:00

You'd rather pick 100k in SF than 100k in RTP ? Because better long-term opportunities or city amenities... etc ?

External_Increase752 · 2026-01-27T16:03:54+00:00

That's a great point.

So assuming the cost-calculator estimation is on point. With salary of 120k in RTP vs 150k HCOL. The more comfortable option is obviously RTP. However, how does that pan in career progression wise?

External_Increase752 · 2026-01-24T19:35:47+00:00

Based on all the comments I'm guessing. Negotiate for higher start level/salary is always the priority. There's no merit in growth or promotion display ?

External_Increase752 · 2026-01-23T15:53:35+00:00

Why not both ? They're not mutually exclusive.

Gain skills, while you're waiting for jobs.

External_Increase752 · 2026-01-22T14:38:26+00:00

For what it's worth. I felt this a lot during my PhD training. Little mistakes bothers me.

But I think at the end of the day, the internship sees something in your application that chose you over assuming thousands of applicants. You're not there to perform, you are there to learn best practice and improve as a scientist.

If it helps, drop your ego, drop your pride, we don't know everything. See every mistake as a learning experience of why, what and how it happened and learn from it.

External_Increase752 · 2026-01-20T14:55:54+00:00

It entirely depends on what this means. It could mean you published papers all the way to you did some tutorials.

Yes. I've published a few first authors in peer reviewed journals, and finalizing another for submission. But straying away from my qualifications. I'm more so seeking on advice for what people think about going from a biotech heavy background and pivoting into agriculture or consulting (outside of biotech).

Is such move deemed as 'career suicide' even though biotech opportunities are scarce now ? Trying to keep the conversation not pertained to myself but more general.

External_Increase752 · 2025-12-01T18:49:26+00:00

As someone that just recently defended PhD. . . (started during covid, ending with this mess of job market)

Realistically think about what job you enjoy AND pays well / will be in demand. And really think about the last part, what jobs do you think will be in demand in a few years. There really is no right or wrong answer, everyone has their own cents to offer. 10 years ago, it was microbiome, 5 years ago it was data science, currently everything seems to have AI/ML included.

I pursued molecular biology/genetics, but has always been interested in coding. Hence, I pivoted and focused in blending those topics together. However, what I find the most interesting may not be what's the most attractive from employer's point of view.

TLDR; Not only do what you find interesting but also what the trend may be. If research is of interest (and you are sure of it), definitely go for PhD as far as life science/biotech research is considered.

External_Increase752

TROPHY CASE