By this time in your career, others at your stage have advanced further. Do you feel your career progression has been slowed and, if so, what has slowed down your progression?
If the team at Gilead Sciences notices that your career progression has been slower than others at the same point in their careers, your interviewer may throw a curveball question like this your way. They hope that you will talk openly about how you feel your career has progressed up to this point.
"I'm sure you are referencing the two years between my graduation from my undergraduate program before I entered my Master's program. I was engaged to be married, and we were excited to start our life. I took a job as a pharmaceutical sales rep, where I gained a wealth of experience in frontlines in the field. From there, we started a family, and I felt the time was right to enter the program I'm about to graduate from."
"Looking back, I'm happy with how my career has progressed. Where others may have taken lab leadership roles earlier in their career, I've loved the opportunity to master all aspects of the lab setting before embarking on a journey like you're offering here at Gilead Sciences. I'm confident that my years of experience will pay off if offered this role."
When an interviewer sees slow career progression on your resume, they will immediately want to determine whether this is by your choice, outside circumstances, or a lack of motivation to create growth. If your career has progressed slower than you wish, you should feel free to be honest with the interviewer when discussing this. If you are a new graduate and are being asked a question like this, your interviewer may notice that you have gaps in your education. Come prepared to discuss those gaps and what you were doing during them.
Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.
Anonymous Answer
I believe that my career is constantly progressing. At this point, I feel I should progress further and find a more suitable role in a company such as Gilead.
Cindy's Feedback
I think this is an effective approach to the question, namely that Gilead is the solution to address this issue! You've set up your answer for a longer discussion about how could grow your career at Gilead. Perhaps add more detail about your chosen career path and how Gilead can help you achieve it.
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