Interview questions at BioMarin Pharmaceutical

1. What is your greatest weakness? top question

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   No one is perfect and your interviewer doesn't expect you to be perfect either.

   While it is good to be honest and open, it will not help you to put yourself down.

   What's important is to find a weakness that you have overcome. How you turned what might be considered a negative into a positive.

2. About The Company

   Research the company (website, social media, etc) to learn about the company culture.

   What personal and professional qualities do they value?

3. About The Fit

   This is the time to clearly state a true weakness that you have overcome.

   Be as specific as possible and stay away from vague cliches like “I work too hard.” It would be difficult for anyone to try and explain how they overcame a weakness like that

   Mr. Simon emphasizes the Present-Past-Present method of responding to behavioral questions. When you are asked about your greatest weakness, you should be able to successfully use this approach as well. Here is an example of how someone might answer this question.

   Present - "I have always had a fear of public speaking, and believe this may have held me back in my career, especially when having to make presentations to management."

   Past - "Last year I learned about Toastmasters International and decided to join this group to help me gain confidence in myself and improve my ability to present to others in just about any situation."

   Present - "By overcoming this weakness I believe that it has made me a much stronger candidate for this position, someone you can count on to make presentations to management, conduct training and communicate at a high level."

   It's important to show how well you've overcome a weakness by motivating yourself and learning a new skill to grow professionally.

Pro Tip

Statistics

This question is asked 2.3x more frequently at BioMarin Pharmaceutical than at other companies.

2. What is the biggest lesson you've learned from a mistake you made?

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   Do your best to tell a positive story about how the mistake was made, how you dealt with it and what learned from it.

   We all make mistakes from time-to-time. Answering some of the following questions will help you understand your own view of dealing with mistakes and their consequences.

   For instance:

   • How do you use a mistake to improve your abilities?
   • Are you self-aware enough to acknowledge failure and weakness?
   • Do you take smart risks?
   • How do you view success, failure, and risk in general?
   • Do you take responsibility for past mistakes instead of putting the blame on others?
   • If the situation repeats, what would you do differently? What would you do again?

2. About The Company

   Before the interview, look over the job listing, research the company.

   Try to think of a mistake you have made in the past that is not too closely related to the requirements of the job you are interviewing for. What kind of challenges might you face if you get the job here?

3. About The Fit

   It’s your opportunity to emphasize the skills or qualities you gained from your past negative experience that are important for the job you’re interviewing for now. The best way to answer a question like this is to use the Present-Past-Present method.

   Start with the Present by ensuring the interviewer that even though you have made mistakes in the past, the lesson that you learned is to always carefully double-check your work and to make sure you plan ahead for any possible contingencies.

   Next go back to the Past to relate a STAR story that will tell the interviewer about a time when you made a mistake but were able to make the right adjustment to turn a potential negative into a positive. You might say something like: "I was responsible to provide one of our best customers a time frame for completing an important project. In my eagerness to impress them I miscalculated how long it would take and we missed the deadline. The customer was very disappointed and we nearly lost their business. After my manager explained the problem to me I worked very hard to improve my approach to project management and meeting timelines and nothing like this has happened again."

   Finally come back to the Present to tell the interviewer that you have the ability to learn from negative experiences and going forward you will approach all tasks with a mindset that will enable you to adjust quickly.

Pro Tip

Statistics

This question is asked 9.1x more frequently at BioMarin Pharmaceutical than at other companies.

3. Tell me about your greatest professional accomplishment

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   In preparation for answering this question, list the top 3 professional accomplishments that you are most proud of. No need for lengthy descriptions, just a sentence or two for each one to help you recall each situation.

   Write down your Key Selling Points - your top 3-5 skills that make you a strong professional.

   Make sure you have developed the story behind each accomplishment and have a strong command of the details of what happened so that you can tell the story clearly and distinctly.

   Along with each accomplishment, mark which of your Key Selling Points they showcase. How exactly?

2. About The Company

   Based on your research of the company, what are their current needs?

   • What are the major projects going on?
   • What are the expectations for the position you are applying for?
   • Think about which of your accomplishment stories best fit their needs and expectations?

3. About The Fit

   Once you have decided on the appropriate accomplishment story, think how you will relate it in an interview and how you will make it relevant to the the job you are seeking. One approach is to use the Present-Past-Present technique.

   Let's say that the accomplishment was leading your team in installing a new billing system and bringing it in on time and under budget.

   You might start off in the Present by talking about the importance of having good leadership skills.

   Then move to the Past to relate your story about how you successfully lead your team in accomplishing the objective.

   Finally, come back to the Present to address how you will be able to help them reach their goals (the ones you learned about when researching the company) going forward.

   Be sure to keep practicing your accomplishment story until it flows naturally and convincingly.

Pro Tip

Statistics

This question is asked 2.6x more frequently at BioMarin Pharmaceutical than at other companies.

4. Tell me about a time when you had to work with a difficult or disruptive person. It may be a client, manager, or coworker. How did you handle the situation? What was the outcome?

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   Look back on your experience. Have you worked with a difficult or disruptive person? Remember a few such situations and how you diffused them and turned things around. What are your approaches to resolving conflicting situations at work?

2. About The Company

   • What have you found about the company and its culture?
   • What have you learned about how the employees value each other?
   • How do they treat their customers?
   • Do they have any specific standards and policies?

3. About The Fit

   Using what you found about the company, choose one of your examples that fits best with the company standards and share your story.

   If it's a customer, how did you turn things around and made a customer happy?
   If it's a coworker, how did you diffuse a tense or difficult situation?

Pro Tip

Statistics

This question is asked 3.9x more frequently at BioMarin Pharmaceutical than at other companies.

5. Why were you successful in your last role? Give a supporting example

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   Think of the question as an invitation to discuss the professional characteristics that you're proud of or a particular achievement in your last job.

   • What steps did you take to become successful?
   • What personal and professional qualities did you use to reach your goals at work?
   • How did your actions help your team and the company to succeed?
   • What challenges did you overcome to become successful?
   • What are your lessons learned?

2. About The Company

   Research the requirements of the company you applying to and review the job listing. Make a list of job qualifications and skills that match the preferred qualifications of the ideal candidate.

3. About The Fit

   Explain your most important achievements at work, using the STAR method to provide specific examples of how your past work and achievements show how you will be an asset to the organization you're interviewing with.

   It’s your chance to tell about your Key Selling Points – skills that make you a successful employee.

   Emphasize the 3-5 strongest of them that helped you to achieve results at work to answer the question.

   It's important to provide the interviewer with evidence of how you achieved success in the workplace.

   For example, if you are in publishing, tell your story about how you ensured the timely release of 20 issues of the magazine, despite any problems you faced.

   The role of such an achievement for the company was particularly important and demonstrates how your work contributed to the business. Difficulties and ways to overcome them, new ideas, daily work, and its results will help the interviewer to assess your experience correctly.

Pro Tip

Statistics

This question is asked 11.8x more frequently at BioMarin Pharmaceutical than at other companies.

6. Why did you leave your last job?

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   There are a number of reasons why people leave or plan to leave their jobs. One very important recent factor has been the impact on jobs and job security due to Covid-19 and all of the issues raised by remote vs. on-site work.

   Regardless of the causes, there are three possible reasons that you left your last job or are planning to leave your current job:

   • You are looking for a career change
   • You are unhappy with your current employment
   • You were let go.

   Whatever the reason, it's best to always speak in a positive light.

2. About The Company

   Based on your research about the company and the position you are interviewing for, what do you like most about the company? What excites you about the work as it is outlined in the job description?

3. About The Fit

   Let's take a closer look at how you might respond to each of the three reasons for leaving your last job.

   1. You were let go

   You should simply state the facts (e.g. the company was downsizing, your position was eliminated, your department was offshored, etc.). Focus on the positive. You might want to share your accomplishments at your previous employment by relating a pertinent STAR story if you feel that would be relevant.

   2. You are looking for career advancement or a career change

   In your response you should be upfront, honest and as enthusiastic as you can be about the position. Consider using the Present-Past-Present method when giving this answer. Start with the Present by describing a career goal that is important to you. For instance you are a data analyst applying for a data management position and you are ready for this move. Then go back to the Past to indicate that at your previous job, there were little or no promotional opportunities in your field. Then come back to the Present and say that you are ready to take on the manager role and know that you will do an outstanding job for the company.

   3. You are unhappy with your current employment

   Sometimes a job just isn't going to take you to the next step in your career.

   Keep two things in mind when answering this question, 1) never "bad mouth" your current employer and 2) focus on the postive when speaking about the job and your reason for wanting to leave.

   The following is an example of how this question might be answered. This individual was looking to move up to a project manager position and did not feel that her current employer was the right place to achieve her goal. You might find her answer helpful in crafting your own response.

   "I really like my job as assistant project manager and love working with all of my coworkers on the team. However, the way the department is set up there is no real path to promotion. There are currently 3 project managers and they are all relatively new in their jobs. As far as I can see, they are all doing a good job and opportunties for promotion may not be opening up in the foreseeable future."

   Her comments were positive and her reasoning was clear and consise. Always try to keep your reasons positive and try not to create an impression that you were unhappy with the way you were treated.

Pro Tip

Statistics

This question is asked 2% less frequently at BioMarin Pharmaceutical than at other companies.

7. What were your responsibilities in your last job?

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   Remember your last (or current) job and compile a list of things you had to do while working there.

   If you don’t know where to start, picture your typical working day at one of your previous jobs, or college day if you are applying for your first job ever.

   Describe the categories of tasks in bullet points. Then, try to remember the less ordinary tasks you had to do as well, and add them to the list.

2. About The Company

   Research the company and the job description.

   • What do you expect to be doing in this job?
   • How would your performance be measured?

   List a few items in bullet points.

3. About The Fit

   Choose a few task categories that seem like a match between your experience and the requirements of the current position. Think of a couple of relevant examples to illustrate your experience.

   Craft your stories using the STAR method.

Pro Tip

Statistics

This question is asked 4.0x more frequently at BioMarin Pharmaceutical than at other companies.

8. What was the biggest mistake you made in your most recent job? How did you handle it?

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   Do your best to tell a positive story about how the mistake was made, how you dealt with it and what learned from it.

   We all make mistakes from time-to-time.

   Answering some of the following questions will help you understand your own view of dealing with mistakes and their consequences. For instance:

   • How do you use a mistake to improve your abilities?
   • Are you self-aware enough to acknowledge failure and weakness?
   • Do you take smart risks?
   • How do you view success, failure, and risk in general?
   • Do you take responsibility for past mistakes instead of putting the blame on others?
   • If the situation repeats, what would you do differently? What would you do again?

2. About The Company

   Before the interview, look over the job listing, research the company. Try to think of a mistake you have made in the past that is not too closely related to the requirements of the job you are interviewing for.

   What kind of challenges might you face if you get the job here?

3. About The Fit

   It’s your opportunity to emphasize the skills or qualities you gained from your past negative experience that are important for the job you’re interviewing for now.

   Put a positive spin on your response by defining the “mistake” as a “learning experience” that led to your increased competency in the workplace.

   Talk about a specific example of a time you made a mistake. Briefly explain what the mistake was; quickly switch over to what you learned, or how you improved, after making that mistake.

   You might also explain the steps you took to make sure that mistake never happened again. Say that something you may have struggled with in the past has actually now became one of your strengths.

   Pick a story that ends with a compelling example of a lesson learned. Tell your story using the STAR method.

Pro Tip

Statistics

This question is asked 6.6x more frequently at BioMarin Pharmaceutical than at other companies.

9. What experience do you have in this field?

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   Start with defining your Key Selling Points you want to emphasize for this position.

   • What job experiences brought you to those points?
   • What were the job titles and the most relevant responsibilities?

2. About The Company

   Do your research of the company and the requirements for the position.

   • What is the company looking for in terms of experiences and qualifications?
   • What problems are they trying to solve with this position?

   Most importantly, make sure you are able to highlight and speak about at least 3-5 of your key experiences that match up with the requirements listed in the job description.

3. About The Fit

   Using the Present-Past-Present method is a perfect way to answer this question.

   Starting with the Present, speak about your experience as it relates to one of the key requirements in the job description. You might say "I noted that the job description requires experience in employee training and this is an area in which I have a great deal of knowledge and skill."

   Then go back to the Past to describe how you improved overall training of staff from 82% to over 97% within your first year on the job. Senior leadership took note of this accomplishment for which you received a company commendation.

   Finally, come back to the Present to describe how you will help ensure that the company maintains the highest possible compliance with all employee training requirements.

   Nowadays, every hiring manager wants results, so think in terms of specific achievements and try to structure your example accordingly.

Pro Tip

Statistics

This question is asked 31% more frequently at BioMarin Pharmaceutical than at other companies.

10. What are your top 3 skills?

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   First, come up with a list of skills that you know you are good at – as many as you can think of. If you find this exercise difficult, use the helpful questions below:

   • What skills are you better at than your peer X? Your peer Y? Your boss Z?
   • What positive feedback could your manager, colleagues, clients, or even friends give about working with you?
   • What positive points were made about you in your last review(s) that involve the skills you demonstrated?
   • In which areas do you have professional knowledge and/or experience?
   • What records of achievement do you have?
   • What was the most impressive recent achievement you can think of? Which skills of yours made this success possible?

2. About The Company

   Research the company to help identify the kinds of skills needed.

   Carefully review the job description, this should detail the types of skills required for the job.

3. About The Fit

   Highlight the skills from your list that match the list from the job description.

   Pick 3 top skills. These are your Key Selling Points, and be sure to communicate them to your interviewer when asked this question.

   To bring these skills home to the interviewer you should use the Present-Past-Present method to tell your interviewer how any one of your 3 top skills will benefit their company.

   Let's say that working well in teams is one of the 3 skills you spoke about. As an example of how this works, starting with the Present, you might say "Although I can take on many projects on my own, I have always loved working as part of a team, collaborating with others, and learning from them to reach a positive outcome for the company."

   Then go back to the Past to relate a specific Star story, for instance: "At my last job, my team was asked to help an important customer set up and install the latest update to its inventory management system. Due to a tight timeline, we had to put in a lot of extra hours to meet the client's deadline. The team pulled it off within the timeframe and under budget. I was particularly proud of my role in this effort, which was noted by both the customer and my manager."

   Then come back to the Present to say, "In reviewing the company's website I noticed the importance that it places on teamwork and based on my skills and experience in working in teams, I am certain that I would be a great fit going forward."

Pro Tip

Statistics

This question is asked 4.9x more frequently at BioMarin Pharmaceutical than at other companies.

11. What are your strengths? Give an example

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   Reflect on your best professional qualities. What are they? Are you dependable, flexible, friendly, hardworking, a strong leader, formal, punctual, good team player?

   Pick at least three personal strengths that will help you at your new workplace, and make sure you can give specific examples to demonstrate why you say these are your strengths.

   If no key strengths spring to mind, ask your friends or colleagues what they think your greatest strengths are. What examples can demonstrate your success due to these qualities?

2. About The Company

   Make sure to research the company and read the job description thoroughly in order to identify the key strengths required for the role.

3. About The Fit

   Recruiters and hiring managers want to know how your strength relates to the job you’re applying for.

   Match the skills required by the position with your list of strengths. Choose up to 5 top skills. These are your Key Selling Points! Prove your point by providing examples.

   Craft your stories using the STAR method.

Pro Tip

Statistics

This question is asked 3.7x more frequently at BioMarin Pharmaceutical than at other companies.

12. What are your salary requirements?

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   The first thing to research is the salary range for your role in the market. What is the industry standard?

   Next, think of your qualifications for the role. Weigh in your traits, skills, education, and experience. Try this exercise, draw a line on a piece of paper where on the left side sits a complete beginner, and on the right side - the best professional in the world the company may try to invite for the role. Where do you position yourself?

   Now, remember that once you start in your new role, your qualifications will be growing fast, due to all the new experience you will be gaining - consequently, your value will rise as well. Your salary, on the other hand, will not increase as quickly. So, try to imagine where your qualifications will bring you, on that scale, in about a year into the new job.

   Map the scale against the industry range. Now you should be able to come up with an objective figure, as opposed to pure speculation.

   This is not real math, however, so your number cannot be very precise, of course. Define a range, which starts with the minimum that will keep you satisfied a few months into the job, and the maximum which, a year into the job, will give you the lifestyle you would ideally like to have at that time.

   Make sure the range stays within 40%-60% between extremes. Remember, the higher the position up the ladder, the wider the range can be. What is the number in the middle? Will you feel comfortable with this number?

2. About The Company

   Research the company and find out what they are paying. The best places to find this information are Glassdoor, LinkedIn, PayScale and other similar websites.

3. About The Fit

   Based on your research, does the company fit your desired salary range?

   Now, whether you should be giving a range, or a single target number is a matter of debate. I personally think that a single number, given in a suggestive manner, is better than the range, because when given a range, they may logically gravitate towards the lower end, especially since you’ve said that the lower number is acceptable.

   One example of how to structure your answer of a single target number is this:

   I have done my research and based on the average for the industry, location, and my level of expertise, something like XXX seems reasonable to me. What do you think?

   Besides giving the factual answer that the interviewer is asking for, such an answer will also show you to be someone who takes the initiative, who goes the extra mile, and someone with data-driven and analytical mindset.

Pro Tip

Statistics

This question is asked 89% more frequently at BioMarin Pharmaceutical than at other companies.