Hello! We’re Neehar and Alex, two engineers here at Benchling. We both started last September and recently graduated from Stanford with Computer Science degrees. Neehar is on our Lab Automation team and Alex is on our Developer Platform team. When we were thinking about joining Benchling (especially online!), we had a lot of questions about the interview and onboarding process, so we wanted to share what we learned.
Note: Every Benchling strives to embody our leadership principles, many of which we’ve included throughout this post with #hashtags. From what we’ve seen, these values are clearly shown here at Benchling, even in the interview and first-day stages.
When it became clear in May 2020 that the COVID-19 pandemic would last longer than a few weeks, my plans for after college changed a lot. After graduating in June, I faced the tough task of re-recruiting for a new position completely virtually.
I first heard about Benchling from a friend who recently joined as a software engineer. Some friends of mine also went through the interviews. They had nothing but good things to say about the people they met, even though they didn’t end up joining. They all spoke highly of the company’s collaborative culture, friendly interviewers, and important mission.
When I interviewed for my first job in the fall of 2019, I looked for companies that were growing quickly, taking on tough problems, and having enough structure to help me do well as a junior engineer while still making a difference. When I looked at my priorities again in the spring of 2020, I saw that I had added a new factor: how was the company responding to COVID-19? I was now asking myself:
Benchling checked all of these boxes and happened to still be interviewing for new grad positions!
Alex: Just like Neehar, COVID-19 made me look for new graduate jobs again while I was living with my parents. Over the course of my Computer Science Master’s curriculum, I had become particularly interested in Biology and Bio-Computation. We believe this is why Benchling’s mission statement says “speeding up the pace of life science R
My priorities had also shifted since Fall 2019, but not in the same ways as Neehar’s. At first, my main goal was to get a job at a company with a well-known product and a strong engineering brand so I could grow as an engineer. Nevertheless, after COVID-19 put off my job at a big FAANG, I had a completely different view on stability and brand. I decided that I wanted to join a company with the following criteria:
After working at a big company before, I realized that Benchling, a start-up in its growth stage, is a really cool place to be. After a year, Benchling has far exceeded all of my expectations.
Throughout the phone and onsite interviews, we were impressed with everyone we met along the way. All of our interviewers were engaged, helpful, and friendly. We genuinely felt that they wanted us to succeed and that we were working through a problem together, as opposed to them just watching us (#show-empathy). Our interviewers were also forthcoming about their experiences at Benchling. They were comfortable answering questions about what it’s like to be an engineer here — both what is going well and where there’s still room for growth (#admit-mistakes-and-shortcomings).
We also appreciated that all the questions asked were relevant to the Benchling product. There were no hard questions meant to lead to a mysterious answer, and we never thought we could have done better if we had just practiced the “right” set of questions the night before. Our recruiter prepared us by letting us know what a successful interview looked like.
Now that we’ve thought about it, we can say with certainty that the people at Benchling were the best indicator of how great it would be to work there. You should pay attention to how the interviewers treat you because your coworkers will always play a huge part in your success and happiness, no matter what you’re working on.
Landing a job at Benchling, the leading R&D platform powering the biotechnology industry, is no easy feat. As a fast-growing startup working at the cutting edge of synthetic biology and biotechnology, they attract top talent across software engineering, product, sales, marketing and more.
If you have an interview coming up at Benchling you want to be as prepared as possible. In this comprehensive guide, I’ll share insider tips on how to tackle the most common Benchling interview questions. With the right preparation, you can highlight your relevant skills and demonstrate how you’ll bring value to the Benchling team.
Overview of Benchling’s Hiring Process
The typical Benchling interview process consists of
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Initial phone screen with a recruiter (30 mins)
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Technical phone interview (1 hour) – for engineering roles
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On-site interview (3-5 hours) – panel interviews, coding exercises, etc.
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Final interview with hiring manager
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Reference checks
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Offer made
Benchling assesses for technical proficiency, problem-solving ability, collaboration skills and passion for their mission of accelerating life sciences R&D. Expect a blend of behavioral, technical and case-based questions aimed at evaluating your competencies and fit. Preparing stories and examples that map your background onto Benchling’s needs is key.
Now let’s look at examples of the top questions asked across different Benchling interviews and how to conquer them.
Most Common Benchling Interview Questions
1. Why do you want to work at Benchling?
This open-ended question tests your knowledge of and enthusiasm for the company. Be ready to discuss what excites you about Benchling’s product, mission and culture.
Tips for a Strong Answer
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Show passion for how Benchling empowers scientists through technology.
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Highlight their rapid growth as exciting opportunity to have impact.
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Note their collaborative, transparent culture appeals to you.
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Avoid generic answers – be specific on WHY Benchling appeals based on your career goals and interests.
2. What is your greatest strength?
With this common question, the interviewer wants to understand what unique value you’ll bring to the role. Pick a strength directly relevant to the position.
Tips for a Strong Answer
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Choose a strength that applies to the role, not a generic one.
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Provide a specific example that showcases this strength in action from your work experience.
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Explain how you’ve further developed this strength over time.
3. How do you handle a disagreement with a coworker?
For a collaborative startup like Benchling, cultural fit matters. With this behavioral question, they assess your conflict management style and communication skills.
Tips for a Strong Answer
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Emphasize being professional, calm and respectful always.
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Discuss how you find common ground and accomplish shared goals together.
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Share an example of successfully resolving disputes through open communication.
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Note that you involve managers only when necessary, after trying to resolve independently.
4. Tell me about a time you faced a difficult obstacle. How did you overcome it?
Another common behavioral question, this reveals your problem-solving attitude in challenging situations. Share an example that demonstrates resilience, creativity and a solutions focus.
Tips for a Strong Answer
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Choose an example relevant to the role that highlights useful skills like persistence, critical thinking, collaboration, etc.
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Walk through the systematic way you approached addressing the obstacle.
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Share any creative solutions you came up with.
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Be sure to explain the positive outcome thanks to your efforts.
5. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Benchling wants to understand your career goals and growth ambitions. Demonstrate you’re interested in developing at Benchling long-term.
Tips for a Strong Answer
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Convey enthusiasm for growing your skills and responsibilities at Benchling.
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Share interests in progressing into leadership roles like overseeing a team, managing projects, etc.
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Avoid expressing hopes for quick promotion or sounding overly ambitious.
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Focus on your commitment to add value and earn opportunities to take on more over time.
Role-Specific Benchling Interview Questions
Let’s now review some common Benchling interview questions tailored for specific roles:
For Engineering Candidates:
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Explain a complex technical project or product you worked on previously.
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How would you improve the performance of an existing product?
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What tradeoffs do you make when designing new features?
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How do you balance rapid innovation with writing maintainable code?
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Can you describe the full stack, architecture and technologies used in our product? (Do your research!)
For Sales Candidates:
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How would you go about identifying potential clients for Benchling?
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Walk me through your process for closing a complex enterprise deal.
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How do you determine what pricing plan to offer potential customers?
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What tactics would you use to upsell customers to expanded or premium products?
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How do you proactively retain and expand existing client accounts?
For Marketing Candidates:
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How would you create messaging that resonates with Benchling’s audience of scientists and developers?
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How would you measure the ROI and impact of marketing campaigns?
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What channels would you use to increase Benchling’s brand awareness?
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How can Benchling leverage social media or community building to support our brand?
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What is your experience managing high-traffic websites and landing pages?
For Product Management Candidates:
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How would you identify areas for improvement in an existing product?
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Walk me through how you would build and manage the launch of a new product or feature.
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How do you balance feature requests from different stakeholders like customers, sales, and executives?
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What principles or frameworks guide your product development process?
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How would you measure adoption and usage for a new product?
Excellent Ways to Prepare for a Benchling Interview
With thorough preparation, you can highlight your relevant skills and showcase how you’ll make strong contributions at Benchling.
Here are some tips for interview success:
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Research Benchling’s technology, products, business model and competitors.
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Review the job description closely and think of examples that align with required skills.
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Reflect on past successes; create a library of stories that highlight strengths needed for the role.
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Brush up on technical knowledge if interviewing for an engineering role.
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Prepare smart questions to ask about Benchling’s challenges, company culture and team initiatives.
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Practiceyour responses out loud to common interview questions.
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Review your resume and be prepared to expand on the bullet points.
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Plan your interview attire. For Benchling, business casual is appropriate.
With focus and practice, you’ll be ready to put your best foot forward in the interview process at this exciting, fast-paced startup. Best of luck as you look to join Benchling in powering the future of life sciences!
Stage One: Coding Challenge
The first step is an online coding challenge that you can do whenever and in any language you want.
Stage Three: The Onsite Interview
During the onsite interview, candidates solve technical questions, participate in a behavioral interview, and get a product demonstration. All the problems presented emulate real-world challenges that Benchling engineers tackled as they were building the product (#unite-around-the-mission). The same axes as above apply for evaluation.
The product demonstration is not an evaluation of your skills; this time is just for you. It was very helpful to see how the product works in this part of the interview. It helped us imagine ourselves as scientists and understand how the Benchling product could be used in the real world.
You’ll have a behavioral interview as well as a few technical interviews. This was one of the things that really stood out to us as candidates. We liked that by talking about our pasts, we were able to show some of our behavior skills, like working together, communicating, and being humble. The fact that Benchling creates the time and space to evaluate interpersonal skills in addition to technical skills speaks to how much they value these traits in potential team members (#think-and-communicate-clearly).
Throughout the phone and onsite interviews, we were impressed with everyone we met along the way. All of our interviewers were engaged, helpful, and friendly. We genuinely felt that they wanted us to succeed and that we were working through a problem together, as opposed to them just watching us (#show-empathy). Our interviewers were also forthcoming about their experiences at Benchling. They were comfortable answering questions about what it’s like to be an engineer here — both what is going well and where there’s still room for growth (#admit-mistakes-and-shortcomings).
We also appreciated that all the questions asked were relevant to the Benchling product. There were no hard questions meant to lead to a mysterious answer, and we never thought we could have done better if we had just practiced the “right” set of questions the night before. Our recruiter prepared us by letting us know what a successful interview looked like.
Now that we’ve thought about it, we can say with certainty that the people at Benchling were the best indicator of how great it would be to work there. You should pay attention to how the interviewers treat you because your coworkers will always play a huge part in your success and happiness, no matter what you’re working on.
how programmers overprepare for job interviews
FAQ
How many people work at Benchling?
Can you tell me about yourself sample answer?
What interests you about working for this company?
What was the interview process like at benchling?
I interviewed at Benchling (Cambridge, MA) There was an initial phone screening, followed by a call with the hiring manager. The third interview was a video call with multiple team members. Everyone was friendly. The questions were more personable and not as technical. Tell us about your experience Why are you interested in this role?
How long did it take to get a job at benchling?
I applied online. The process took 4 weeks. I interviewed at Benchling (San Francisco, CA) Standard recruiter screen, hiring manager interview to see how you communicate, a scientific presentation on zoom with a panel and finally an in person product demo.
How long does a final round interview take?
The final round interview is split up over two days, which I liked since both parties can cut losses if the hiring committee doesn’t feel that the candidate is a good fit. Interviews were very practical and centered around Benchling’s product.
Should I give a sole presentation at the 4th interview step?
What was really not ok when they asked me to give at the 4th interview step a sole presentation on my previous projets – that is very shady practice and the reason why I retrieved my application. That can lead to a law suit esp since there was a business relationship between them and my previous employer.. Not recommend it.
