I'll get my coat.
dave
Did they give you a good grilling ?
I'm sorry to hear this too. I think they need some tweaking of their own techniques too though. Four interviews, and a giving you a handbook detailing how your life with Novartis could be like, only to not take you on? Cruelty.
Better luck next time....I hate it when they tease you.
Dear members:
Is it a must to wear a suite and tie during an interview at pharma in Switzerland?
Many thanks,
Alex
I would always wear a suit to an interview unless the company specifically asked for anything else.
Celgene are opening up a new place in Neuchatel, looking for people right now.
Update.
OK, finally got offered, and accepted, a position as a Medical Writer with Crucell / Berna Biotech in Niederwangen, starting in November . Salary is a lot more han I'm getting as a postdoc and the working conditions and benefits seem pretty good.
Anyone else working there?
Interesting point though, try to avoid making job applications during the Summer. They either try and get you in and interviewed before you and they go off on their hols (not such a bad thing in my case) or you wait months for a reply, if at all, since everyone is away sunning themselves. Makes you wonder why people post job offers at the beginning of the Summer in the first place.
Meet up with the Basel Curry folks. There are plenty of folks that work for Novartis showing up to these.
Thanks for the advice, but I think you're a bit late
Congratulations! PaddyG.
As I mentioned a long time ago(?), I got interviewed too in Novartis and finally received a verbal offer recently (about after little more than 2 months!) and accepted. I've been waiting for the official offer letter to sign for a week. It seems like everything is very slow in Swiss. Hopefully my family and I can move to Swiss within this year.
Congrats on the job, and good luck
You should know, though, the people here are Swiss, but the country is Switzerland
You should know, though, the people here are Swiss, but the country is Switzerland [/quote]
Thank you, evilshell. I didn't notice that. Appreciate your comment.
Hi I work in a recruitment company who deal with Novartis on a regular basis. I just browsed the messages and thought I would let you know what I know . I have placed many people at Novartis in the clinical research field and I know that the HR Managers usually take minimum of a month to reply to people after an interview and sometimes do not reply at all. Even if you think you have done well at the interview this can be misleading, you never can really tell what they are thinking. Also it is almost impossible to get in contact with HR after an interview for feedback - well thats from our point of view. Also the working life there can be great but you are pretty much on your own and thrown in to the deep end without much help from others. Sometimes I had complaints from my candidates that the job was not representative of the job description, eg medical doctors were doing administrative tasks and nothing more. Another friend of mine in Reg Affairs was so bored she didnt have enough work so she resigned.
Anyway sounds like you were successful in another company so thats great.
Hope my comments help
OOOOH! Good Luck! I used to work there and really did not like it. I felt over all there was a conflict in the aspirational ideals of Vasella - wanna be UN Goodwill Ambassador to the Universe, general philanthropist etc and Ebling - ex Pepsi, big FMCG (and McKinsey I think), Ruthless, Kickboxing henchman to Mr V.
I felt they had a very beaurecratic process orientated system, always 'issues' and not 'solutions' or optimism. Very unrealists target setting and rubbish at launching drugs successfully. It's a numbers game for them, through enough molecules at a market and something will work! I also think they have a disturbing, underlying blame culture, I saw a couple of my colleagues treated REALLY badly before I left.
This sounds like a bit of a rant, but I'm not the only one who hated it. Saying that there are loads of people who love it so it's a bit like Marmite probably, you either love it or hate it!
Goombie, I wish to agree with you. Either love it or not, I'll see it after I start working there. I will start in early November. Wish me luck!
Sorry BBQ...a couple years later, how did things at Novartis work out?
Good evening to everyone,
After a looooong time I got the official offer from Novartis that I will work in NIBR as a doctoral candidate. Now I have to wait for these residence permit and visa stuff In the contract the starting date is writing 1st of April but unfortunately coz of a small mistake of HR it can delay:S. Will that be a problem for the contract? Will they change it? or may I have problems with the strict procedure of swiss government?
Thanks
hi guys, i have an interview at novartis for laboratory professional role next week.
any advice?
i realy want to work for novartis as i know its one of the best pharma companies in the world.
can anyone give me some good interview tips please. the job is quality control/assurance based.
Sorry you did not get the job. I will come back to the listings tomorrow, Paddy! I think I can cough up some useful sources!
Congrats!
I wish I didn't need to search for a new job in the summer... I have one procedure ongoing, now, though. Hope it turns out as well as yours!
PS: I posted this before I noticed this was an old discussion. Are you still in the job, and do you like it?