The job was listed online directly by the professor, so I heard back within two weeks about the interview. The research labs for NYU Langone and the Medical School are in the hospital complex, so you need to travel to the East River waterfront from the 33rd Street stop on the Lexington Avenue subway line. The bus was taking an epic time to arrive, so I ended up walking. It was a long hike. I encountered a disturbing array of vagrants on my walk, which I later realized was probably related to the thousand bed men’s homeless shelter right next to the hospital complex. I did not feel safe. The interviews themselves were unstructured and consisted of an interview with the professor and a separate interview with a current research technician. I had done undergraduate research and had published citations, so the professor had already contacted my mentor for a reference. The professor was really looking for someone to stay for the long term, noting that career research technicians were a standard arrangement in her native country. But since the position was funded by short term grants and was at-will employment, she couldn’t guarantee any level of stability. I could be fired at any time for any reason - or no reason at all. She was also concerned about my ability to work with the rodents used in her research. As my resume clearly reflected, I had no prior experience regularly killing, skinning, and dissecting rats. I honestly had no idea how I’d react to being bitten or scratched by rats while performing experiments on them. The research technician was an Ivy League humanities major who was preparing to apply to medical school. The professor told me she hired the research technician because of her elite credentials - in spite of her lack of scientific knowledge or experience. The current technician was a pleasant interviewer, but I had to lead the conversation. I never heard back. But given my lack of rat killing experience and the professor’s fixation with graduates of elite universities, I wasn't surprised or disappointed. The NYU research technician salary really isn't enough to cover the cost of rent, transportation, and food in New York - particularly if you have student loans - even if you lived in a sketchy neighborhood requiring a long commute.

Was contacted for brief phone interview. PI was respectful during in person interview. Thoroughly explained the role. Asked standard interview questions, including what technical skills can you contribute to the laboratory?