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Killer questions at science job interviews and how to ace them – Nature.com


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Linda Nordling is a freelance journalist based in Cape Town, South Africa.
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Preparing for a scientific job interview? Knowing in advance the types of questions that recruiters love to ask can give you a considerable edge, and can buy you time to work on your answers. In this article, we’ll look at some of the favourite or most revealing questions that are used by hiring managers. These data were gleaned from Nature’s 2024 global survey of more than 1,100 laboratory heads and research leaders from academia, industry and other sectors.

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Nature 635, 771-772 (2024)
doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-03761-z
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Researchers in the fields of life sciences, healthcare, or the intersection of medicine, industry, and information technology.
Yiwu, Zhejiang, China
International School of Medicine, Zhejiang University
The School of Science and Engineering (SSE) at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-Shenzhen) sincerely invites applications for mul…
Shenzhen, China
The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK Shenzhen)
The School of Science and Engineering (SSE) at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-Shenzhen) sincerely invites applications for mul…
Shenzhen, China
The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK Shenzhen)
We seek outstanding applicants for full-time tenure-track/tenured faculty positions. Positions are available for both junior and senior-level.
Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
Southern University of Science and Technology (Biomedical Engineering)
Qiushi Chair Professor; Qiushi Distinguished Scholar; ZJU 100 Young Researcher; Distinguished researcher
No. 3, Qingchun East Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang (CN)
Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital Affiliated with Zhejiang University School of Medicine

How job-seeking scientists should walk the line between high-calibre and humble
Want a new job in science? Six charts to help you land it
Nail your tech-industry interviews with these six techniques
‘Can you work with less-qualified people?’ and 19 other curveball questions to navigate at industry interviews
Hiring in science
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Nature (Nature) ISSN 1476-4687 (online) ISSN 0028-0836 (print)
© 2025 Springer Nature Limited

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