Do you have any experience handling a budget as part of a project?

"During my ten years of working as a project manager with a large manufacturer, I've definitely had to manage a budget for every project that I've led. The scope of my experience really spans the budgeting process from the research necessary to create a budget plan, tracking and updating through the process and meeting the requirements of the budget. At times when I realized that we may have under-budgeted a project, I approach whoever is necessary to ensure that proper funding is available, and if not, I take necessary measures to stay within budget."

As a consultant for Eurofins Scientific working as a project manager with clients, you will likely be relied upon to work around a budgeting process. Talk to your interviewer about your experience in working with budgets on large projects and give them some idea of your ability to plan for, monitor and stay within a budget for a project. If possible, give any details on your experience that you can and talk about how you would bring this experience to working with clients.

"As we've discussed already, a bulk of my experience as a project manager comes in the construction field where budgeting and meeting a budget are the key to success. I'd consider my expertise, and the biggest factor for budget success, to be my ability to plan for and create a budget during the planning phase of a project. With industry experience and research, a properly planned budget sets the tone for the project and what resources can be used up front. I think my ability in this area would be extremely beneficial to my potential clients here at Eurofins Scientific."

"Following my PM experience, all my awarded studies have to have a tailored budget that meets the scope of work entailed. The project's budget must be effectively managed to ensure proper revenue is generated. overburns and change orders need to be thoroughly reviewed. in my previous role had to work and review budgets to ensure the scope of work was accurately captured."

Talk about a time that you successfully educated another individual or group in your area of expertise. What made your educational experience effective?

"Probably the aspect that I love the most about my current job is being the lead for training new hires into our department. Because of my years of experience and my innate ability to effectively orientate new employees, my director asked me to take this duty about four years ago. My approach with any new hire is to customize their training based on their knowledge and experience so the training is effective for them. What works for one person may not work for another and I always need to be fluid with this. I also prioritize the need to make orientation and training a hands on experience for the new hire because classroom learning can only take a person so far in the learning process."

The role that you are interviewing for with Eurofins Scientific will likely involve providing education to clients in your area of expertise. For this question, your interviewer will be looking to hear that you are comfortable and effective in providing education by having you talk about a time that you have done so. In the example that you provide, try to point out some key items to making business education successful like developing a plan/goals, respecting differing viewpoints/opinions, making it hands on and making it fun.

"As you can see from my resume, I've spent the last seven years working in the corporate tax field. While in this job, I worked very independently for a private organization, so I've been out of the training and education side for a while now. During my first job out of college as a CPA though, I was very adept at providing education to the clients that I worked with on a daily basis. What I learned in that experience was the importance of putting material out there in a manner that the person being trained understood. As well, talking to clients and understanding my client's wants and needs were very important for me to be able to best educate them. I really believe that these skills would enable me to hit the ground running with Eurofins Scientific and your clients would benefit greatly."

"Empowering new colleagues with tools and training provide a fundamental element to the team and the organization. I take pride in providing effective training to new colleagues as this provides a platform where these individuals can perform their duties independently and reduce workloads. I believe in tailoring training to individuals as all people are different."

If you are hired for this position here at Eurofins Scientific, what do you think the biggest hurdle for you would be from the start?

"As you can see from my resume, most of my career experience is in the food industry. If fortunate enough to be hired for this position, the biggest area for learning for me would be the finance side of other industries like technology, telecommunications and healthcare. From day one, I would begin by thoroughly research the clients here at Eurofins Scientific and speaking with as many industry experts that I know through business networking. While learning the ins and outs of other industries is the biggest learning curve for me, I see it as a great opportunity for me to become more proficient and effective in the work that I'd be doing for you."

For this question, you can showcase your research that you've done on both Eurofins Scientific and the role you are interviewing for by being upfront and honest about what you feel would be the biggest learning curve for you if hired for the position and giving your plan for how you would approach this hurdle. In your answer, make sure that you highlight your skills and abilities in making a molehill out of a mountain on your way to success in this role.

"While this may sound funny to you at first, I think the biggest challenge for me from the start will be adapting to the great corporate lifestyle and culture here at Eurofins Scientific. When I saw this position being open for applicants and I did my research, I was extremely excited to hear about the flexibility and openness to the ideas of your staff members. I've been working for six years in an environment that is very opposite of an open culture for new ideas and for me personally, it will feel foreign for me to bring new ideas to the team here and have them be accepted."

"Within each organization, there are company standard procedures and policies to be adhered to. My immediate target is to get familiar with these policies. to research the clientele base of the company in order to provide a service that supersedes client expectations. I will need to settle in quickly by learning what other teams do within the organization, this way will help me to know who to approach."

At Eurofins Scientific, workloads in our lab setting can vary on a daily and weekly basis. How do you prioritize your time on the busiest of days?

"Honestly, the biggest aspect I love about my job as a Clinical Lab Scientist is the variety of work that I do. A couple of months ago, our lab had a Monday morning where we were slammed with a lot of high priority tasks that needed to be done by the following morning. I took the lead in getting together with our Lab Technicians in making a plan for getting everything done. My philosophy is always to focus on one task at a time and finishing it to completion before moving on the next task. This plan worked well through diligence, focus and teamwork and our Director was very pleased the next morning with the accolades that we received."

As you've likely experienced throughout your career up to this point, no two days are alike in a laboratory setting. For this question, your interviewer is looking to hear about your ability to plan and prioritize your work based on need while also having the ability to take on high need items that pop up throughout the day. If possible, try explaining this by walking through an example of a hectic day that you've had to deal with in the past that demonstrates your ability to be planned, flexible and accomplished at the end of the day.

"At the beginning of each work day, I take five to ten minutes to make a priority list of my work that day. I take into account the customer that needs the work done and deadlines when prioritizing. Being that my current organization works across multiple states and communication is almost solely electronic, I make time each day for working through email. More often than not, high priority items come up that need to get added high on my list and I am very confident in my abilities to prioritize work in any setting."

"PM responsibilities are more to do with prioritizing tasks. At the start of the day, my motto is to review emails and prioritize urgent tasks accordingly. Communication is key to clients/internal teams to ensure they are updated on project and task status."

Have you ever been involved in a lab audit process before? What steps do you do in your daily work to ensure that audits go as smoothly as possible?

"Just a couple of months ago, the clinical lab that I work in was a part of a Joint Commission audit and our whole team was extremely proud after minimal findings in the audit. Having trained and worked in one of the best labs in the country prior to taking my current role, I knew the importance of having standardized processes documented and followed on a daily basis and the importance of standard record keeping practices. These really paid off during the audit and if hired for this position, one of my top priorities would be learning the laws, regulations and audit processes in a new lab industry."

In any industry that laboratories are utilized, the labs are subjected to scrutinizing audit processes to ensure that lab operations are safe, effective and operating within all aspects of laws and regulations. For this question, the main focus of your answer should be on the fact that you understand what an audit can entail and the work you do to ensure that your lab is in the best shape possible at all times should an unannounced audit happen.

"Yes, I have been involved in several audits during my time as PM. To be prepared for audits it is essential that whatever you do a record has to be kept. Documents should be correctly versioned and properly filed for easy retraction when requested. All documentation needs to be fully completed. approved and signed."

Have you had the opportunity to fully design a training program? If so, what were the keys to it being successful?

"After a few years of our customer satisfaction surveys dropping regarding customer satisfaction, I put together a training program for our sales staff that focused on the customer experience. The program was designed to help promote an empathetic approach from our sales staff when working with their customers. My process for designing the program started with a simple survey to our sales staff on their perspective of what impacted the customer experience and how they demonstrated empathy. After results were received, there was a pretty significant gap that likely had a huge impact on the satisfaction of our customers. With goals then set for the training, I designed a fun and interactive experience for our sales staff that involved some role playing, a video and slides with direct feedback from our customers. When we held the training during a monthly sales meeting, I could see a lot of eyes open in the room and our Director of Sales and Service, who I worked very closely with during the creation of the program, really helped hammer home key points with his staff. I received a lot of compliments from our staff following the training. Being only six months out from that training, I'm eagerly awaiting results after we send out the next customer satisfaction survey."

Depending on your career experiences up to this point, you may or may not have developed a formal training program. If you have, your interviewer will be looking to hear about a successful program you saw through the whole design process was on. Talk in detail about the keys to it being effective. On the flip side, if you are looking to break through into the business education consultant side of things and don't have direct experience designing a program, use your career experience and your knowledge of training programs to discuss your strong points that you would bring to the role and your willingness to become successful in this role.

"As you can see from my resume, this would be my first venture into designing training programs, but I think my experience in my supervisory and management roles make me a great fit for this position. I have a lot of experiencing in coaching individuals on a 1:1 basis and also facilitating training for my staff. I have an innate ability to speak in front of a large group and lead by example while making training and education both interactive and fun. While actually designing programs would be a new effort for me, I feel like I'm ready for the challenge and would use my knowledge and training in effective business processes to be successful in this role."

At Eurofins Scientific we seek to hire those who think outside the box. When was the last time you made a suggestion for workplace improvement? What was the outcome?

"Last year I made a recommendation for our office to incorporate a recycling program. We were going through a lot of single-use coffee pods. It bothered me how wasteful it all seemed. I presented a spreadsheet to my supervisor comparing the single-use pods vs. investing in a built-in coffee machine. The savings over two years were significant, and my boss has now presented my idea to our head office. It feels nice to be heard in the workplace, so I continue to keep my eyes out for opportunities for process improvements."

The interviewer would like to know if you are an engaged employee; offering suggestions and providing more profound thought when it comes to processing improvement in the workplace. Give an example of a time when you suggested an improvement in the workplace. It can be big or small! Did anything significant come out of your suggestion?

"I made some recommendations for change in our CRM system. The suggestions were surrounding how items received documentation and how outstanding tasks became highlighted. Our head office made the changes and a lot of people in our office commented on how much they liked the changes."

How do you stay organized and on track when working on a long-term project?

"I really pride myself on my ability to multitask and my ability to stay organized in key in multitasking. For me personally, organization starts with using technology to my advantage and I do this through the use of my Outlook calendar and tasks functions. I take time each day to update my tasks and project work and use my ability to prioritize tasks to ensure that the right things are being worked on. In looking to bring these skills to long-term project work with your clients, staying organized and on task will be extremely important for the success of both Eurofins Scientific and your clients."

Working for Eurofins Scientific in the role you are interviewing for will require an innate ability to manage projects from conception to final implementation. For this question, your interviewer will be looking to hear that you have the ability to maintain organization to meet deadlines and customer expectations. Talk about your personal methods for organizing project work and give any examples that you have of your methods being successful. In the consulting and advisory industry, customer satisfaction and word of mouth are integral to success and growth of a business and effective project management is key in satisfaction.

"In my work, the ability to stay organized and on track comes down to having a plan of attack for each project and keeping track of the plan as milestones are hit. If you are familiar with the program Trello, it really helps me organize all of the components of the projects that I work on and give me the ability to track who is doing what, what deadlines are coming and what milestones have been hit. But even with a great program like this, I always have the ability to re-prioritize due dates and new tasks as needed with any project."

Based on your work experience, where do you feel your strongest skills in supply chain management would benefit our clients here at Eurofins Scientific?

"As you can see from my experience, my wealth of experience is supply chain management is strong and applies across many different industries. The one skill that I believe I could bring to the clients here at Eurofins Scientific is my understanding and knowledge of the legal issues surrounding the management of large supplier contracts. I have witnessed things go sour too many times when legal issues weren't ironed out in the contracting process and I have taken it upon myself to learn this aspect of supply chain management in detail."

As a supply chain expert, your interviewer will be able to tell a lot about your knowledge, skills and abilities from your resume and your conversations during your interview. For this question, your interviewer is looking for you to set yourself apart from your competition for the job by talking about a unique skill or two that you bring to the table that others may not. In your answer, try to maintain focus on the consulting side of the business and explain how your skills will truly assist clients of Eurofins Scientific.

"Having been in the field for almost 15 years, day to day operations of a successful supply chain operation are almost second nature to me at this point in my career. What keeps me in the field at this point in my career and is driving into the consulting side of the business is my knack for problem solving at a very high level. Last year, I developed a new routing plan for a materials distributor that ended up saving the organization close to $500,000 on yearly delivery and maintenance costs and my problem solving skills during that project were essential to receiving buy-in from senior leadership at the organization."

Rate your communication skills from 1-10 with proper examples backing your given rating.

"I rate my communication skills as a 9/10 as I will, on occasion, have times when I am not as clear as I would like to be. My supervisor and co-workers will attest to my clear and concise communication skills. Because I am an open leader, my team will let me know if I need to clarify anything."

On a scale of 1-10, how skilled are you in communication? Why did you choose that particular rating for yourself?

"I will rate myself an 8.5 because I consider myself a strong communicator. It is the foundation of all success in business. I am always striving to be a better communicator, so I leave the rest of the scale as an aspirational measure."

What roles are you comfortable assuming in working as part of a larger team?

"I am really comfortable working in any role within a team and I think my experiences throughout my career demonstrate this well. At many times in my career, I've been the legwork of team operations and have easily taken direction on projects and been able to hit pre-established deadlines. As well, I've lead many projects and have shown my ability to lead others in a team effort and the ability to delegate tasks and set milestones for projects. If hired for this position, you can be rest assured that I have the ability to be a key team players with your clients in helping better their business."

Coming to work for a consulting business requires the ability to work as part of a larger team on the projects you will be heading. Teamwork in this setting requires versatility and your interviewer will be looking to hear that you have that versatility in your answer to this question. Many times, you will be taking the bull by the horns and leading the way. Other times, you will be the worker bee researching behind the scenes. You may be tasked with being the organizer of projects behind the scenes as well. Make sure that you highlight your ability to be flexible when working as part of a team here.

"From a very young age in my career, I've always been a natural leader in a team based environment. My excellent communication skills, honesty, critical thinking and decision making skills have proven time and time again that I can lead others in the most effective way possible. And while being a leader comes naturally to me, I can easily let others take the lead on projects."

Talk about a time you had to work with a very difficult person. What was the situation and how did you handle it?

"In my current role, I have a customer that flies off the handle very easily if things don't happen just right and I learned this from my first interactions with him. In seeing this happen from the start, I have always maintained a calm demeanor when he was upset and showed empathy by asking questions about his expectations and how to fix situations for him. To this day, I expect difficulty from him when we work together and the years we've had a working relationship together have better prepared me for more clients like him in the future."

At some point in any person's career, they have to work with a colleague or customer who is extremely difficult. Rather than looking to hear the fine details as to why this person was difficult, your interviewer will be looking to gain insight into how you personally handled the situation and others like it to ensure that a sound relationship was fostered even when you faced difficult circumstances. In your answer, some key things to focus on are your ability to be tolerant, understanding and a great communicator in these situations.

"A couple of years ago, a close colleague of mine had a very abrupt turnaround in her attitude and performance on the job. She was very curt and abrasive in conversations when she was normally very talkative and friendly on the job. After noticing some concerns in her work, I approached her with an open mind and asked her what was going on to cause these things to change. I showed concern and approached her as a friend and this approach prompted her to tell me about some issues happening in her personal life. By taking this approach, rather than getting upset or even made with her, I showed her that I cared and valued her as a person and my approach helped her open up and turn her life at work back around to the positive side."

If hired for this position at Eurofins Scientific, what would be the ideal project for you to lead?

"If I'm fortunate enough to come consult with Eurofins Scientific, my ideal project would be working with the leadership staff of a high profile employer on a corporate restructuring project that makes them more efficient and more profitable in a short amount of time. As you can see from my experience, I really thrive when working with high level leaders like CEO's and Presidents on what I would consider my greatest area of expertise."

To fully understand the reasoning behind this question, your interviewer is looking to get a sense for what type of work you prefer to do, what your strong points are and where to best position you with clients if hired for the position. Prior to your interview, be sure that you research the clients of Eurofins Scientific and the typical projects that are led with them. Make sure your desires align in some aspect of the business and speak openly and honestly about your most desirable project.

"Being passionate about manufacturing and technology, my ideal project would put me face to face working with a team of engineers and production staff to help implement the creation of a life changing product in the medical field. This area of manufacturing involves high cost materials and the need to produce items accurately and efficiently. My project management skills would thrive in this atmosphere."

Do you have expertise in working in a team based lab environment?

"I do have experience in working as part of a much larger team during my time working for the University of X five years ago. In this environment, our research projects were assigned in teams. In this environment, I was comfortable taking a lead role among my fellow technicians while helping provide guidance and representation from my colleagues to team leaders. If hired for this position, I would be very grateful to step back into a fast paced, team based atmosphere here at Eurofins Scientific."

Depending on your laboratory background prior to this interview, you may be used to a smaller and more independent work environment. For this question, your interviewer is looking to gauge your experience and thoughts on working in a large lab environment at Eurofins Scientific. If you don't have experience in a larger, team based environment, there is no need to fret. Simply explain that you are a team player and talk about the roles you have played in a team based environment in the past.

"For the last five years starting my career out of college, I have worked as a Medical Laboratory Technician in a small clinical lab setting. While I have always found the work to be very rewarding and beneficial to other, my main reason for searching for a new career path was to be involved in a larger team environment like you have here at Eurofins Scientific. I am a people person by nature and would love to bring my skills to the team based efforts that you put out on a daily basis."

Would you say that you are a goal oriented person on the job? Why would you say that?

"If hired for this position, one of the first things that you'll learn about me is that I am very driven to succeed in all that I do on the job. For me, personal drive definitely centers around goals and my desire to achieve them. I have the focus to set goals myself and to work towards goals that are set by my organization, my leaders or my customers and I would bring this ability with each client that I work with here at Eurofins Scientific."

Success in business consulting is most often measured in the achievement of goals for clients and for this question, your interviewer will ideally be looking to hear that you are driven by goals and that you have the ability to set them as well. In your answer, give your interviewer the sense that you are goal oriented by giving an example or two of a time where you set and worked towards a goal as part of a team effort. Explain your part in the achievement of the goals and your ability to stay focused on the end result.

"I would definitely say that I am goal oriented in the work that I do on a daily basis. In project management, I work off of both time related goals and production related goals and these really drive my daily tasks and my delegation of responsibilities to other team members. If given the opportunity to come work for Eurofins Scientific, my clients would greatly benefit from my ability to both set and achieve goals with them."

What importance do you feel that zero-based budgeting plays in supply chain management?

"In my experience, zero-based budgeting is most appropriate to implement with organizations that are in need of a cultural shift from that of freely spending and wasting to one that runs a pretty tight ship. When I have seen it be effective, organization were forced to find alternate means of success when the front-line leaders had buy-in into the process of the philosophy. In my time, I've trained several organizations on the tactic and helped them implement a zero-based budget from scratch."

Since becoming one of the hottest trends in supply chain management, zero-based budgeting is a very foreign concept to a lot of businesses and industries. For the clients of Eurofins Scientific, it is important for you to understand that this tactic will for for many, but not for all. Prior to your interview, make sure that you can speak knowledgeably about the concept of zero-based budgeting and research the topic if you need. Explain to your interviewer where you feel this will be appropriate in your work as a consultant with them.

"Zero-based budgeting has its place in the supply chain world for sure. With my current organization, we were in a dire need for both sales and revenue growth and this program really helped turn us around in year one of running it. To make sure that the program was successful, we put our entire leadership team through some very focused training that I was a part of creating. I'd look forward to bringing what I learned there to the clients here at Eurofins Scientific."

Talk about your ability to prioritize record keeping in the lab setting. How have you effectively done this in your past work?

"In my current role, I am required to keep a notebook with my work that I do each and every day. In the notebook, I record all of the samples that I test. On a weekly basis, our department secretary enters important notes into an electronic record keeping system. Before moving on to my next task, I always ensure that I document my work before moving on. This ensures that my work is fresh in my mind and documented properly. Are you able to expand on record keeping procedures in the lab here at Eurofins Scientific?"

Keeping and maintaining accurate records in a lab is vitally important, for many reasons. This is certainly no different at Eurofins Scientific. To give your interview a feel for how you prioritize and keep accurate records, talk about the steps you take in ensuring each specimen is recorded and labeled while also talking about any documentation systems that you have used in the past. Make sure your interviewer walks away knowing that documentation and record keeping is an important job for you.

"In the medical lab setting where I currently work, we have to document many things on a daily basis. I update medical records in our EHR on specimens that I examine. I am required to update maintenance and cleaning logs on all of the equipment that I use. I also am required to take temperature and humidity reading twice per day and document them in an online log that we use. All of these tasks are important in keeping our patient records accurate and our laboratory clean and safe."

How did you maintain a good relationship with your most recent boss?

"My current boss is a very particular individual. Over the years I have taken the time to understand her preferences, her stress triggers, and what she enjoys seeing in my work. I find that if I stay one step ahead and maintain a positive attitude, we can work productively together."

The interviewer wants to know that you are capable of maintaining a harmonious relationship with those who are considered your leaders. If your relationship with your boss wasn't fantastic, what efforts did you take to make it better? Here are some suggestions: - Try to understand what your boss values the most - Keep your cool, even when you want to lose it - Anticipate their needs and stay one step ahead - Take leadership opportunities to show your worth - Adapt to their preferences Some basic ground rules for a stable working relationship with your boss are open communication, proactive listening, and not taking things personally. Discuss the ways that you cultivated a healthy relationship with your boss.

"I value having a strong working relationship with my boss. I want to learn what they do and take on as much work to help our team as possible. I scheduled regular update meetings with my boss and went the extra mile wherever I could."

How do you get back on track when a schedule falls behind so you don't miss important milestone deadline

"As an experience professional in project management, I pride myself on my ability to consistently monitor the progress of the project and spot where we may be falling behind on items. At those times, I work closely with the person or individuals assigned to that task to ensure that the job gets back on track. At times, this has involved me intervening and taking care of things that I can or reaching out to other resources for help. Milestones and deadlines are the key to the successful completion of a project and one missed item can create a bad domino effect that pushes a project back. For me, not letting that first fallen domino touch the next is the key to staying on track."

In the world of project management, it is rare that a project goes from the planning stages through to implementation without a hiccup or two along the way. As the manager of the project, you are ultimately responsible for keeping the project on task and your interviewer is looking to hear how you will do that for the clients at Eurofins Scientific. One important thing to consider highlighting is your ability to monitor and track progress regularly so the train doesn't get too derailed off the tracks. As well, you can talk about your ability to think on your feet, problem solve and coach others to bring tasks back up to date.

What sourcing experience would you bring to the clients here at Eurofins Scientific? What role do you feel it plays in the overall success of a great supply chain management program?

"From what I've found in my time working in supply chain management, many organizations get very complacent in their sourcing. In my mind, a sound tactic is to research options and negotiate new contracts through a sourcing process on a yearly basis. Last year, I worked with a client that was doing all of their short line trucking in house. They were experiencing large amounts of fleet cost and employee turnover on the trucking side that was leading to halting operations. In short order, I helped them outsource their freight hauling between facilities and cut their total overall costs almost in half. What made me even happier was when I received a personal call from the CEO that production was increasing with the better service from the third party hauler."

The process of acquiring goods and services through sourcing varies from business to business and industry to industry, but the overall processes of sourcing are consistent throughout. Knowing that the clients of Eurofins Scientific often need work in cost savings through sourcing strategies, make sure that you reiterate to your interview that it is important to consider for every client that you work with. Then, talk about the specific experiences you have and don't hesitate to point out a success story that you have from implementing a new sourcing strategy.

"While sourcing certainly has many realms within different industries, it is always important to consider different strategies to help increase bottom line revenue for an organization. Last year, I worked with a manufacturer that was getting priced out of their market and were at a point where lowering retail prices more would put the line out of business. After a meeting with the design and production leadership, I learned that the costs of the components they were utilizing were extremely high. I worked with both the design staff and the purchasing staff on finding new suppliers for almost every component. We tested the components for safety and quality and when it was determined that the components were indeed of the same quality, it ended being a win-win situation for the company."

What do you feel makes you qualified for a Laboratory Technician position here with Eurofins Scientific?

"In looking to come work for Eurofins Scientific, I bring a wide skill set as a Lab Technician. While casually looking for a new position, I love the fact that this organization does such great work in the food and pharmaceutical industries. My experience in sample preparation and pH adjustments in my current role would bode well in getting up to speed and productive quickly in this role."

Based on your application and resume, your interviewer can get a really good sense for your experience and education. For this question, they are looking to hear from you directly on why you feel you are the best candidate for this position. Prior to your interview, be sure to research Eurofins Scientific and the specific lab services that they provide and match your interests to that work. As well, be sure to point out that you are comfortable in a small, intimate lab environment as a detailed technician.

"Based on everything I've read about Eurofins Scientific and learned from our conversation so far today, I would be very comfortable stepping in to the lab environment here. I am a very independent worker that can take work and run with it with little direction. As well, my experience in the hospital setting has prepared me for a more focused role in microbiology here at Eurofins Scientific."

Eurofins Scientific values philanthropy and community giving. How do you choose to give back to others?

"I work a lot but, when I do have free time, I spend that with my grand-kids. It helps to give my son a bit of a break as he is a full-time single dad. In addition to this, I volunteer at the local drop-in center every Christmas to help feed the homeless. Giving back is very important to me."

The interviewer would like to know that you are socially responsible and a team player - even outside of the workplace. Your answer can be as simple as babysitting your grand-kids every Sunday, to a standing-volunteer gig, to charitable contributions.

"Volunteering and charitable acts are important to me. I spend time volunteering at the local drop-in center every Sunday."

Due to the nature of Eurofins Scientific business and services we may ask that you complete a full background check. Are you willing to comply?

"I can fully understand why Eurofins Scientific would need to conduct background checks on all potential employees. I have a squeaky clean record and am happy to comply with any of your requests."

Many companies will ask for a background check before employing you. This due diligence could include a criminal record check, a credit check, a drivers' abstract, and education verification. The request will vary from company to company so you should always be prepared to comply with all requests. If there is a mark on your record, this is the best time to disclose that information. If you have a clean record: "I can fully understand why Eurofins Scientific would need to conduct background checks on all potential employees. I have a squeaky clean record and am happy to comply with any of your requests."

"If you have a mark on your record: "I can fully understand why Eurofins Scientific would need to conduct background checks on all potential employees. I did have a charge against me approximately six years ago for a DUI. I have gained my drivers' license back since then, but I thought I should disclose that to you ahead of time."

Many of the management and higher level roles with Eurofins Scientific require a Degree in Business or similar. Please walk me through your post-secondary education.

"I would be thrilled to be considered for a management level position with Eurofins Scientific. Although I do not have many years' experience in this type of position, I do have a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management from Walden University online. I graduated with a 3.6 GPA. I am very proud of this grade because I worked full time during my studies and still graduated top of my class."

Your post-secondary background is on your resume; however, the interviewer is asking for you to go into further detail on your experience. This is a great time to brag a little bit about any scholarships, awards, or accolades you may have received during your post-secondary studies. Be sure to discuss how your education has prepared you for a position with Eurofins Scientific.

"If you do not have a formal post-secondary education: "I did not have the opportunity to attend University; however, everything that I have learned on the job has been incredibly valuable. I would be thrilled to join your management team down the road so if you feel there are gaps in my knowledge, I would be happy to consider attending any required classes or workshops."

What are the most common sterilization techniques you've used in a laboratory setting during your career?

"The method I use with my current employer is an autoclave system that applies both pressure and heat to our equipment to sterilize it prior to and at the end of each use. From my training on the system, this is the most effective method for killing microbial cells in a lab environment and ensuring that no future samples are tainted. Making sure that equipment is sterilized is a part of my mental checklist that I walk through with each sample and it has become very ingrained into the routine of my work."

In asking this question, your interviewer is very aware that there are many methods, each with their own pros and cons, in sterilizing a laboratory setting. With this question, they are looking to see the different methods that you are familiar with and why they work. But more importantly, your interviewer will be looking to hear that you understand the importance of a sterile setting and that you take priority in this in your work.

What lab equipment do you have experience working with and how would you rate your proficiency in learning new equipment?

"As you can see from my resume, my experience in the medical field has exposed me to working on microscopes, colorimeters, RIA's and other standard lab equipment like burettes, beakers and petri dishes. Since my studies in college, I've shown a great knack for being technologically advanced and I've always welcomed new advancements in our field. If hired for this position, my first priority would be to learn how to proficiently use all of the equipment needed for my job."

In the varying types of environments that Lab Technicians can work in, there is a wide variety of equipment that needs to be learned and mastered to do your job effectively. While you may not have had exposure to every type of equipment you'll be working on if hired at Eurofins Scientific, it is important for you to demonstrate your ability to learn and become proficient in the equipment you'll be working on. Talk about the experiences you've had up to this point while explaining your ability to be open minded in training on new tools.

"Throughout my career as a Laboratory Technician, I've been exposed to and mastered many useful tools to help me do my job and I look forward to doing this for the remainder of my career. Just last year, my current employer purchased an ion chromatograph to help better analyze water samples. Prior to coming to our site, I spent two days offsite training on the new machine. From the first day in use, I was able to operate and train others how to operate the tool."

If you were to join Eurofins Scientific in this role, you will be counted on to lead projects. Talk about a time you had to lead a team of individuals. What leadership skills do you have that you will bring to the table here?

"In my current role, I've been asked on numerous occasions to lead finance projects for my organization and I always do so with open arms and an open mind. On a recent project, I pulled together a team that included members of sales, production and upper management. to make this project successful, it was up to me to know each team member's area of expertise and delegate tasks based on their knowledge. A great part of the teams success was due to my ability to lead in a manner that promoted communication among individuals who never had the chance to work together and I accomplished this through fun ice breaking activities with the team and regular email communications outside of our in-person meetings."

The ability to lead others in project work or any other aspect of a business comes down to the fine details and traits of being a great leader. The experience you have can come from many different areas and can include project management, supervising/managing or even mentoring others. When you answer this question, be sure to demonstrate your ability to communicate effectively, bring unity, lead by example and empower/teach others and talk about how you will use these skills if hired at Eurofins Scientific.

"As you can see from my background, I have extensive experience as a Sales Manager and Director and I know that the skills I honed in these roles will transfer nicely to this position. I have always found that leading teams is best accomplished by leading by example and walking the talk that I put out to my staff. I feel that I've also developed great skills in mentoring and coaching my staff and I've been commended on these skills by both sales leadership peers and my team. In this role, I would bring this same approach when working with clients."

Eurofins Scientific Interview Questions

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1. Do you have any experience handling a budget as part of a project?
2. Talk about a time that you successfully educated another individual or group in your area of expertise. What made your educational experience effective?
3. If you are hired for this position here at Eurofins Scientific, what do you think the biggest hurdle for you would be from the start?
4. At Eurofins Scientific, workloads in our lab setting can vary on a daily and weekly basis. How do you prioritize your time on the busiest of days?
5. Have you ever been involved in a lab audit process before? What steps do you do in your daily work to ensure that audits go as smoothly as possible?
6. Have you had the opportunity to fully design a training program? If so, what were the keys to it being successful?
7. At Eurofins Scientific we seek to hire those who think outside the box. When was the last time you made a suggestion for workplace improvement? What was the outcome?
8. How do you stay organized and on track when working on a long-term project?
9. Based on your work experience, where do you feel your strongest skills in supply chain management would benefit our clients here at Eurofins Scientific?
10. Rate your communication skills from 1-10 with proper examples backing your given rating.
11. What roles are you comfortable assuming in working as part of a larger team?
12. Talk about a time you had to work with a very difficult person. What was the situation and how did you handle it?
13. If hired for this position at Eurofins Scientific, what would be the ideal project for you to lead?
14. Do you have expertise in working in a team based lab environment?
15. Would you say that you are a goal oriented person on the job? Why would you say that?
16. What importance do you feel that zero-based budgeting plays in supply chain management?
17. Talk about your ability to prioritize record keeping in the lab setting. How have you effectively done this in your past work?
18. How did you maintain a good relationship with your most recent boss?
19. How do you get back on track when a schedule falls behind so you don't miss important milestone deadline
20. What sourcing experience would you bring to the clients here at Eurofins Scientific? What role do you feel it plays in the overall success of a great supply chain management program?
21. What do you feel makes you qualified for a Laboratory Technician position here with Eurofins Scientific?
22. Eurofins Scientific values philanthropy and community giving. How do you choose to give back to others?
23. Due to the nature of Eurofins Scientific business and services we may ask that you complete a full background check. Are you willing to comply?
24. Many of the management and higher level roles with Eurofins Scientific require a Degree in Business or similar. Please walk me through your post-secondary education.
25. What are the most common sterilization techniques you've used in a laboratory setting during your career?
26. What lab equipment do you have experience working with and how would you rate your proficiency in learning new equipment?
27. If you were to join Eurofins Scientific in this role, you will be counted on to lead projects. Talk about a time you had to lead a team of individuals. What leadership skills do you have that you will bring to the table here?

Eurofins Scientific Interview Questions

1. Do you have any experience handling a budget as part of a project?

2. Talk about a time that you successfully educated another individual or group in your area of expertise. What made your educational experience effective?

3. If you are hired for this position here at Eurofins Scientific, what do you think the biggest hurdle for you would be from the start?

4. At Eurofins Scientific, workloads in our lab setting can vary on a daily and weekly basis. How do you prioritize your time on the busiest of days?

5. Have you ever been involved in a lab audit process before? What steps do you do in your daily work to ensure that audits go as smoothly as possible?

6. Have you had the opportunity to fully design a training program? If so, what were the keys to it being successful?

7. At Eurofins Scientific we seek to hire those who think outside the box. When was the last time you made a suggestion for workplace improvement? What was the outcome?

8. How do you stay organized and on track when working on a long-term project?

9. Based on your work experience, where do you feel your strongest skills in supply chain management would benefit our clients here at Eurofins Scientific?

10. Rate your communication skills from 1-10 with proper examples backing your given rating.

11. What roles are you comfortable assuming in working as part of a larger team?

12. Talk about a time you had to work with a very difficult person. What was the situation and how did you handle it?

13. If hired for this position at Eurofins Scientific, what would be the ideal project for you to lead?

14. Do you have expertise in working in a team based lab environment?

15. Would you say that you are a goal oriented person on the job? Why would you say that?

16. What importance do you feel that zero-based budgeting plays in supply chain management?

17. Talk about your ability to prioritize record keeping in the lab setting. How have you effectively done this in your past work?

18. How did you maintain a good relationship with your most recent boss?

19. How do you get back on track when a schedule falls behind so you don't miss important milestone deadline

20. What sourcing experience would you bring to the clients here at Eurofins Scientific? What role do you feel it plays in the overall success of a great supply chain management program?

21. What do you feel makes you qualified for a Laboratory Technician position here with Eurofins Scientific?

22. Eurofins Scientific values philanthropy and community giving. How do you choose to give back to others?

23. Due to the nature of Eurofins Scientific business and services we may ask that you complete a full background check. Are you willing to comply?

24. Many of the management and higher level roles with Eurofins Scientific require a Degree in Business or similar. Please walk me through your post-secondary education.

25. What are the most common sterilization techniques you've used in a laboratory setting during your career?

26. What lab equipment do you have experience working with and how would you rate your proficiency in learning new equipment?

27. If you were to join Eurofins Scientific in this role, you will be counted on to lead projects. Talk about a time you had to lead a team of individuals. What leadership skills do you have that you will bring to the table here?