Overall, the interview process was disorganized and impersonal. They ghosted me after the video equivalent of an "on-site interview." This position was for the Oregon site.

The interview had two stages:

1. A 30-minute video interview with the lab manager. They asked basic technical spectroscopy questions and questions about my experience and resume.
2. A day-long video interview with the material analysis team, which comprised 6 people. They did not want to have an on-site interview due to COVID.

I gave a 45-minute presentation on my thesis research with 15 minutes of questions. Instead of using one video conference room or link, I was given 8 different links in 8 separate emails, which was disorganized.

No one except the lab manager had their cameras on, so I was interviewing with a black screen the entire time. This felt impersonal and creepy.

I was asked some technical questions about spectroscopy and materials analysis, and why I wanted to work for the company. Some of the technical questions did not pertain to the job or my experience and felt like "curveballs."

Most of the people seemed nice, including the lab manager who was helpful. After the interview, I never heard back about the position, despite me reaching out on two occasions asking for a status.

Easy Questions:

• What is the typical depth of analysis for XPS?
• Describe the difference between Raman spectroscopy and FTIR.
• What are the benefits and pitfalls of grazing incidence angle XRD?
• Describe the difference between IR spectroscopy in ATR mode versus transmission mode.
• What range in IR spectroscopy are OH stretches?

Questions Irrelevant to the Job and My Experience:

• Describe the chemical mechanism of photolithography.
• What chemical structure for a polymer would make a good mask material for photolithography?