The Jackson Laboratory interview questions

Phone and in person. Nothing really special or different. Same questions as any animal industry. They try to prepare you for the hard labor you will be performing. They def. glorify the job like crazy. I was told about all the opportunity I would have to move up.

Received a very pleasant call from their HR office to schedule an interview. Was a bit of a panel interview; first sat down with the same woman from the phone; just as nice in person as on the phone- an excellent person for HR. She had standard personal questions; my background, why I applied for Jackson Labs, what I know about their organization, etc (It helps to do your homework, but I learned enough to ace that just by looking at the brochures and tv in their waiting area.) Be enthusiastic and excited about what they are accomplishing as an organization, and emphasize that you would love to be a part of that. Next was interviewed by the position supervisor and the person I would be replacing. They asked some of the mid-level questions; what do you know about the position, what is your background, how does it pertain to the position. They will ask about past projects in your portfolio- that is, something you've done that you're proud of, etc. as well as something you're not so proud of. Overall it went well. Next I was brought to be interviewed by the manager, who is former Navy- which I think helped my coming out of the military slightly. He had more in depth questions about my background, but he also talked a lot about the position and what they do there. Again, show enthusiasm and convey that you're excited about the position and you want to be an asset for them. He did ask what was something that happened at work where you messed up or things went very wrong, what did you do to respond to it, and what did you learn from it. He also did a basic check on learning, having me identify a BNC connector on a cable for a vibration detector and a bearing as well. He gave me a very lengthy tour of the facility, which made me more excited about the place. As we went along we spoke to other employees. I didn't meet anyone who had been there less than 5 years, most more than 10- which says a lot about the company. All in all I was interviewed by four people in about 3&1/2 hours and left at the very end of the day with a great feeling. I asked what the next step was, and was told that they would be interviewing other people for the position and would call the best two in for second interviews. I got a call at 9am the next morning asking me to come in again; which I thought was all-but a guarantee in. Turned out to not be an interview, but a sort-of meet-and-greet with the other employees in the section. Basically to see if you get along with them and how well you would work with them. It was much more informal. I kept it professional, but somewhat relaxed. I thought it went well, but I got an email a few days later saying they "were pleased with the caliber of applicants," and that "I was most notable of the applicants, but they had chose to continue their search at this time." Ouch. At least they had the professionalism to follow up and let you know though. In my job search I have had agencies who not only don't let you know when it's a no, but go as far as to avoid your calls when you follow up on it yourself. Overall Jackson seems like an outstanding facility and a great place to work- if you can get in.