Before this role, I interviewed for another position in the same field. During the interview, the HR representative showed strong interest in my past work experience and asked for many details, even though much of it was not relevant to the position at hand. Throughout the conversation, the HR often reacted with exaggerated expressions of surprise, which made me feel uncomfortable. I was then asked to complete two tests. The first involved some basic calculations, which I understood as relevant to laboratory work. However, the second test was puzzling: I was asked to copy label information from a sheet of printed labels into an Excel table within 25 minutes, while the HR recorded the exact time I took. I could not understand the purpose of this exercise—were they simply trying to measure typing speed? The next day, I received a direct rejection. Overall, the experience left me with a very negative impression. It felt as though I was not seriously considered as a candidate, but rather that they were more interested in extracting information from me.

Was greeted by the HR first, ordinary HR conversations. Then I was brought to the hiring manager (maybe the department head). General interview questions. Had a mini exam paper on the basic math of chemicals such as concentration and calculations, etc. Ended with salary expectations.