Pharma Interview Preparation: A Non-Technical Guide

Once your resume hits the spot, how well you are prepared for the personal interview is the next important thing in your recruitment process.

Usually, everybody knows the technical stuff. But, the most crucial part of your interview is the non-technical part.

Based on a handful of surveys conducted among pharma professionals about their interviews, here’s the list of the most asked non-technical questions.

Tell me about yourself!
Why do you want to change your job?
Why do you think you are a better fit for this position?
Where do you find yourself after 5 years?
Challenges you face at work and the way you rectify them!
Your greatest strength and weakness?
Do you have any questions for us?

Let’s see some of the best ways to answer these FAQs help you raise your selection chances 10x.

Table of Content

Answering Non-Technical Pharma Interview Questions

We’ll go step-by-step.

Don’t memorize every word but understand how to answer systematically.

Tell Me About Yourself!

This is the most common question in every interview. Occasionally, hiring managers ask this question and make up their further canvass.

The question is not as straight-forward as it looks.

To help you answer, I will rephrase this question as “Summarize Yourself”.

Then explain if asked.

Off the track and your entire interview will lead in wrong direction.

Sample Answers

The following sequence seems appropriate to answer.

Hello! I am <your name> basically from <your geopraphicals>.
If a fresher:
- Being a <your qualification>, I am a fresher looking for opportunities related to <your interest>.
If an experienced professional:
- Being a <your qualification> and having experience of <number of years> in <your domain>, I am currently working in <name of the company> as a <your designation and department>.
Summarize the key information that makes you a better fit for this opportunity.
Tell them why did you apply for the position (brief your goals).

That’s it! Create interest for them to explore more stuff. Later, you can answer their specific questions one by one.

Don’t waste your time explaining how and where you have grown up, what your parents do etc. unless asked.

In short, be precise and don’t leave the track.

Why Do You Want to Change Your Job?

Another tricky question! Answer this question without uttering the negatives in your current job.

Another way to ask this question is, “Why do you want to join our organization?” You can give a similar answer as below.

Calling it “tricky” because a question starting from “why”, puts you in immediate confusion. But if you are prepared, it’s pretty easy to answer.

They simply want to understand the reason for your job change.

Based on your answer, they test:

How well are you doing in your current job?
Do you have any performance-related issues in your current job?
Do you hate your job or your boss?
Are your relations good with the current company?
Are you really a professional who wants to acquire skills?

Therefore, make sure you talk about only positive ones showing them how you expect your career or life.

Never give purely personal reasons like:

You want a better work-life balance
Talk about your location preferences (sometimes okay)
You want a better job
Your boss is the problem
Your salary is not sufficient
You would love this opportunity because of the company’s reputation

Reasoning such things, you make yourself less competent.

Sample Answers

There are different ways to answer this question. For example, you might say,

I have enjoyed my current job and the team I am working with, but this opportunity fits me very well with the things I’ve planned for my career in the near future.
I enjoy teamwork and hence looking for an opportunity for interesting projects. I heard you have some great projects in the pipeline aligning with my interests.
I desire to acquire more skills and responsibilities.
What I really liked about this opportunity more than my present one is…Tell them one thing you can differentiate the best.

Remember to address what you like about their organization compared to the current one positively.

Why Do You Think You Are a Better Fit?

This question is very important for the employer to realize “Are you actually a better fit?”.

This question is most likely to be asked during walk-in interviews.

But prepare this even before revising your technical know-how. If you can’t constructively claim why you are a better fit, you are telling them you are NOT.

So, before appearing your pharma interview,

Collect the information:

Values of that organization
Key decisions
Business profile
Information about their product portfolio

Process it:

Note down these details
Analyze how well you fit in the available opportunity and
Propose to them how you can contribute to any of the above factors.

During an interview, co-relate this stuff with your skills and convince them.

Sometimes, a job description itself mentions something about the employer’s preference. For example, a statement like “Professional with a GMP certification will be an added advantage.”

In such cases, find out their pain points and propose how you can be of help.

In such cases, try to find out what their pain point is and how you can help that. If you get it right and are able to convince them, you are most likely to get selected.

Sample Answers

#1

Glad you asked this. Inline with your JD, I am GMP certified in the year ‘XXXX’ and have been able to crack it in 1^st attempt. Not only that, but also I utilized my know-how in helping my current organization effectively coordinate internal and external audits. I know you recently had a few GMP observations. I can contribute to the improvement projects apart from my regular duties.

#2

Well, I don’t know the qualifications and experience of other candidates. I would like to highlight my skills and exposure that makes me the best fit for this position. I am successfully managing a team of ‘X’ quality professionals in my present company that helped to reduce quality issues by ‘Y%’ last year. Now with this opportunity, I am ready to expand my output.

Where Do You Find Yourself After ‘X’ Years?

Employers ask this question to:

Know your career goals and vision
Know whether you are planning for long-term association with the organization or not.

When you face this question, clarify your milestones with approx. timelines.

Mention about exceeding your job roles, acquiring more skills, seeking more certifications, etc.

Talk about your long-term commitments or any personal goals also. But ensure to sound practical and professionally hungry for accomplishments.

Don’t forget to mention how this opportunity will get you there.

Don’t answer like this:

I am not exactly sure where I will be.
I have not estimated yet.
I see myself on the other side of the table (Over-smart).
Talk about promotion schemes in the hierarchy.

That’ll cause more harm than good.

Probable ways to approach:

Sample Answers

#1

Earlier when asked this question, I was not able to specify the details. I realized it was my gap to define clear and practical goals. After working out, I was able to position my goals effectively. I can see a picture of me leading the different projects as Project Manager in the coming ‘X’ years. When I read your job description, I realized that this opportunity will not only help me in achieving my goals but also improve my administration skills. I know, you also conduct such programs and that makes me more comfortable and confident.

#2

Well, I’m excited about this opportunity, and in the coming ‘X’ years, I can recognize myself as a Project Manager at-least. I have the potential to lead the project along with the team. If you think that I can deliver, I am sure you will consider me for this position and allow me to outshine.

How Do You Tackle Challenges?

This question is asked to check your professional approach.

For example, to check:

What is a “Challenge” for you?
Are you a problem-solver or creator?
Your achievements
Your strategic thinking
Your presence of mind
How you handle pressure

Challenges are meant to make you stronger. Do you shy away from challenges? OR Do you use them to master your skills?

Answer this question carefully as in convincing, you may end up showing them that the challenge was not solved but transferred to a different level.

Note down and classify in rough, the challenges as low and high-magnitude before the interview.

Avoid talking about low-magnitude challenges because it indicates you set lower challenges.

Being an experienced professional, explain the challenges you faced in your previous jobs.

To keep your response straight-forward, make use of the STAR technique. That shows your systematic thought process.

The STAR technique:

Situation – Explain to the employer how a challenge originated and in what circumstances.
Task – Detail your goals and roles.
Action – Explain the actions you took to rectify the challenge.
Result – Tell them how you were responsible for overcoming the challenge and if possible quantify your result.

Example of Using STAR Technique

Situation: I was working in intermediate manufacturing of drug API as a production executive with a role of the shift in charge. During the production campaign, we noticed that the yield for multiple batches was touching the lower acceptable range.
Task: We decided to investigate and rectify the probable causes. I was asked to do Value Stream Mapping (VSM) of a manufacturing process and coordinate with the expertise.
Action: During that, we remarkably found various things messed. But specifically, it came to our notice that one of the reactors that required a brine solution for chilling was unable to maintain the temperature. The temperature was within the acceptable range but on the lower side. In regular practice, it was expected to be on a bit higher side. While doing further troubleshooting, we observed that the brine valve was not opening as expected. The temperature was the crucial parameter to convert the reactant into the product. We did necessary repairs and carried out several batches further.
Result: Upon reviewing the yield for every batch, we witnessed satisfactory results. The problem was minor, but the process was so complex and time-consuming that we could not neglect any of the critical process parameters. I was recognized in the team as to map the process effectively and bringing out the actual cause (Never shy to take some credit).

This is just an example to show you how one should tie all things together. Remember to make it short and something worth listening to.

Your Greatest Strength and Weakness?

Your hiring manager may ask you about your strengths, weaknesses, or both during an interview. Professionals often ask what is the ideal answer to this question. Let us see both.

Answering Strengths

Well, answering in single words is okay but if you really want to stand out, it’ll be a good choice if you back it with a short story.

Locate your personal strengths and weaknesses.

Try to remember the times when you were the best and the worst. Asking your friends about this will also help.

Understand your job description and relate that to the one where you are applying. Put that on the table effectively and make them realize you are the deserving candidate.

Sample Answers For Strengths

I believe when it comes to quality audits, I am able to find out the gaps efficiently. Also, I am able to effectively monitor the investigations and make conclusions about the root causes. I think it’s my creative thinking that helps me do this job well. Being flexible with different roles, I am also deputed at different quality activities before. To keep track of my progress, I always have a summary of key learnings from each event.

Being able to perform better under pressure, I feel my greatest strength is the way I address issues efficiently. I never let myself down in challenging conditions (tell them how you handled and addressed major issues you faced in your previous experience).

#3 (For a fresher)

Though being a fresher here, I’ve accomplished every task assigned to me exceptionally well. Whether you see my project report, qualifications, or extra-curricular activities. I am a quick learner, I must say. Right now that’s what I can tell you about my strengths. I’m sure I’ll explore myself more as I grow in the industry.

Such responses definitely give you an edge over the competition rather than just using words like problem-solver, hard-worker, versatile, etc.

Answering Weaknesses

Compared to an earlier question, weakness is something very few talk about. It is well known that those who admit their weaknesses are the ones who improve.

Also, answering this question with a nodding head would convey to the hiring manager that you feel you are perfect.

Nevertheless, mentioning too many negatives can become more adverse than useful.

It is very essential that you identify and note down your negatives.

Choosing your weaknesses is very tricky during your pharma interview and hence select the ones that you can convert.

Tell your hiring manager how you are working on those weaknesses and ultimately turn them into your strengths.

In this case again, you can take help from colleagues who can suggest some improvements. Always keep in mind, smartly talking about your weakness (a few ones) adds up to your strength.

Sample Answers For Weaknesses

In the early days of my career, I was bit aggressive. Perhaps the spark from college life was taking over on professionalism. But with time and experience, I worked hard on improving myself. In exceptionally tricky situations, I feel this weakness still needs some attention from me.

Before I became manager, I was conflict-avoiding person just to finish off my tasks calmly. I identified this as my weakness as a manager when I realized people expect you to say what they want to hear. So arguments are not a problem but a different way to interpret. Since then, I am proactively trying to put forth profitable opinions to build a stronger team and positive results.

Expressing your weakness in a constructive way will ultimately emerge out as your strength.

Do You Have Any Questions For Us?

Before wrapping up the interview, recruiter may ask this question.

You may feel at this point, “What’s the point of me asking the question when I’ve not yet been selected?”

If you feel so, you’re wrong. Answering NO to this question means you are unwilling to know more about the opportunity, organization, or just not enthusiastic.

If you decide to say YES (and you should), never ask the questions like:

What is the bonus policy? – This question sounds like you consider money more important than your job. Anyhow, while sitting for a CTC discussion, you’ll get a chance to ask this question, and also make sense then.
Will I get a regular promotion if I perform well? – This is a dumb question to ask. It will make your employer laugh rather. “If you perform well, you’ll get promoted”. This is the answer you’ll get. So don’t ask.
What is the leave policy? – Asking this question during your interview indicates that you are more concerned about the benefits you’ll get from the company than how you can benefit the company. Keep this question during negotiation when you get a job offer.

The next thing that may come to your mind is how many questions should I ask. Yes, asking too many questions would literally make them tired, looking like you are the one who is taking their interview.

To do this, select a few important questions that’ll keep the discussion healthy and positive for both of you.

Below are some examples that will add value to your interaction with the recruiter. Ask only a few of them:

What opportunities does this company provides for acquiring new skills?
What challenges this job role gets in general?
What do you expect from me in the first few months of recruitment?
I’ve seen the job description, but it didn’t mention whether I’ll be working in the office or on-site. Is this the right time for you to tell me?
Can you tell me organization’s hierarchy? I mean, if I get selected, where do I fit in this big picture?
Can you tell me about the product portfolio?

Such open-ended questions shows your eagerness and make them believe in you as a fit candidate.

Conclusion

These non-technical questions have their own importance either for pharma interviews or any other. A lot of these questions are the deciders of whether you are professionally cooked enough or not.

Therefore, it is crucial for you to prepare the answers well in advance with a clear thought process.

If you’d like to add any other questions or want to reflect your thoughts on this, comment below.

Pharma Interview Preparation: A Non-Technical Guide