I applied online. The process took 4 weeks. I interviewed at MIT (Cambridge, MA) in Aug 2012
Interview
I was hired for a biomedical research position in a professor's lab. My hiring process seemed very informal, especially compared with my interviews for industry positions and former job at a company. A week after applying, the PI contacted me, and we had an agreeable conversation over the phone. About a week later, he arranged for some other folks in the lab to meet me, show me around and take me out for lunch. None of the questions were very difficult and I was given the impression that an offer was likely given that I was invited in in the first place. Things moved quickly with an offer; I received a verbal offer from the PI, and he asked for my thoughts, got a sense that I seemed likely to accept, and sent me a formal offer a week later. I was working in the lab 2 weeks after my in-person visit. The process was curiously simple, and I would caution others not to assume this is a reliable pattern from lab to lab.
On the downside of "informal", starting at the lab was a bit awkward. On the plus side, a grad student did take initiative to help me get situated, and someone had put together a welcome packet- more than my others before me had gotten. But there really wasn't much by way of official "orientation" or a clear message or timeline concerning what I needed to do to appropriately integrate into the lab.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Nothing stands out. Nobody really went for the tough questions.
I applied online. The process took 3 weeks. I interviewed at MIT (Boston, MA) in Jun 2016
Interview
Overall, it went well. Met with lab staff in addition to the main professor. Had a group of people all part of the group I would be working in interview me all at once. Took about 3 hours. My experience matched up well with the lab's needs. The McGovern Institute is beautiful and everything seemed top-of-the-line
I applied online. The process took 1 week. I interviewed at MIT in Mar 2016
Interview
I interviewed with the head of the lab and assistant over Skype. Shortly after, I was asked for references. Only a few days after that, I received an unofficial offer. Overall, it was a very quick process. During the interview, it was easy to tell that my skills and interests aligned with those of the lab. The questions were straightforward and clearly asked to ensure that I would be a good fit with the lab.
I applied online. The process took 3 days. I interviewed at MIT (Cambridge, MA) in Jun 2015
Interview
Initial telephonic interview to make sure that resume was checked out and to find common interest in research. By the end of the telephonic interview, I was asked to come over for an in person interview at the MIT campus in a couple of days.
In person interview consisted of meeting the team members and going on a tour of the facilities and getting to know what the work would be like. I was asked to build an electronic component following a demo by the team member and I was able to do it quickly. The team member gave me compliments on completing the device as it usually takes a while if it;s being fabricated the first time.
After the tour, I got a chance to interact with the person in charge of hiring and it lasted for about 20 minutes.
The whole interview lasted for about 2 hours and I was told at the end that I would be having a quiz to complete along with the submission of 3 professional references.
