I had a disappointing interview experience during a panel interview with Ligand Binding Assay team in Pfizer. After being told following my second interview that I was “passionate and enthusiastic” and that I was being moved forward, I expected a collaborative and role focusing discussion. Instead, the panel interview felt more like an interrogation. Interviewers repeatedly went through my resume word for word, questioning minor details rather than discussing the role, team, or how my skills would contribute to the role until I asked them follow up questions. There was little opportunity for meaningful dialogue or to demonstrate technical depth beyond what was clearly stated on my resume. The experience gave the impression that the panel was more focused on extracting information rather than genuinely assessing fit. Additionally, after the interview, I followed up politely requesting feedback and did not receive any response, which felt unprofessional given the time and preparation invested. I would encourage future candidates to be prepared for very rigid questioning and limited discussion about growth, expectations, or team culture.

It took about a month after submitting my application for the hiring manager to get back to me. The interview itself was conducted by a Laboratory Scientist instead of the hiring manager. They asked questions directly about my resume while going through it bullet-by-bullet with me. The only other question they asked me was about PCR and what I knew about the process. From there, I was never notified that they wouldn't be moving forward with my hiring process until I reached out.