Was just contacted this morning from Dow about setting up a phone interview for next week for a job I applied to in Freeport. Does anyone know what interview/recruiting protocol Dow likes to follow and what kinds of timelines I should expect (quick, slow, etc)? Thanks!

No help, but if you get the job, you should live on the beach in surfside.

I rather doubt that's an option. The wife works in League City as an emergency vet, so that would be a long commute from Freeport before and after a 14 hour (minimum) shift. If I landed the job, Alvin might be a better bet to split the difference.

You're doing it wrong!

Split the difference and live on the beach either on Surfside Island or Galveston Island around the San Luis Pass. The worst day of work for either of you would be forgotten by the time you made it home after driving the Blue Water Highway home with the windows down.

A Jeep or convertible would be bonus points!

Well, I do have a corvette who's top can come off.

http://search.har.com/engine/2626-Swan-Lake-Dr-Surfside-77541_HAR20226761.htm

http://search.har.com/engine/342-China-Clipper-Freeport-77541_HAR68379784.htm

Don't over think this!!! And I better get an invite once you pull this off.



[This message has been edited by AgLA06 (edited 3/22/2013 8:29p).]

Get the wife a job in Lake Jackson. It is a nice town.

If you are an engineer, expect to be there for a few hours as they have you interview with some critical people, if its a plant position obviously.

That's all my knowledge, I work closely with them as we are one of their tenants in Freeport and in Seadrift.

The phone interview may be with a recruiter type or may be with a hiring manager (person you're working directly under). This is usually more of a feel you out type discussion to decide if it's worth it to bring you down for a plant interview.

If you do a plant interview, that will be with the hiring manager and some other folks you'd be working with. Depending on the position, you may interview with 2-4 groups. HR makes you do a bull**** "what was a time when you exhibited (insert desirable trait/action)?" Series of questions. So be ready for that.

There's generally a very relaxed atmosphere, so relax and be normal. The biggest things they're looking for are: do you get **** done and will you fit in with the group.

Wear workboots, khakis/slacks, and a long sleeve buttondown to the plant interview. Skip the suit and tie, only the CEO wears those.

They'll decide that day whether they like you, and you should hear back in a day or two.

If you're doing R&D, legal, marketing, or HR, ignore everything I just said.

Solid advice and I'm sure some of this will be similar.

(1). I'm a PhD chemist, so will have a hand in QC/QA as well as R&D based on the job description if I get an offer.

(2). Person I'm talking to in the morning is a recruiter (i.e. Talent Specialist)

(3). I'll let you know if the talk with (2) goes alright.

Cro

I worked for Dow for 26 years before moving on. I also have a PhD in chemistry. Be glad to answer any questions you might have.

Good luck,

Cincinnatikid

Phone interview with the talent specialist (ie, HR) went well as far as I could tell. She said she had to finish up interviewing all the candidates this week and was planning to pass the info along to the hiring manager.

She told me that I would either have a phone interview with the hiring manager, and then a site visit, or just the site visit (assuming they are interested). Once it gets to that point, I'm not sure if I should be expecting the random interview questions, or strictly technical ones about the job itself.

I would certainly anticipate some technical questions from the hiring manager. In a purely technical role like that they need to get a feel for your abilities. I think they tend to focus on the work you've done in the past, but that's just what I've heard.

What kinds of things did you talk about with the recruiter? HR may make the hiring manager go through their standard questions, but maybe they get that out of the way in the first round.

I had a few of the "standard HR" questions with the recruiter:

1. Tell me about a difficult experience and how you made it through it.

2. Let's say you are working on a project that is a high priority for one person and you are asked to work on a second, and both have strict timelines. How do you handle it?


In general though, we mostly talked about why I think I would be a good fit for Dow, why the job interests me, why I'm leaving my old job. Then it got more into specifics, what technical skills do you have, can you tell me about them? etc...

Freeport to LC isn't all that bad of a drive - 45 minutes or so barring any major problems on 2004 with traffic.

I'm assuming you will be over at OCD, since that is about the only area in Freeport that is doing anything anymore. Seems they are mothballing block after block at Plant A and B.

Dow used to be a great company, but they are just another big corporation these days. I used to know a whole hell of a lot of people working there (dad spent 22 years there, I grew up in the Brazosport area and still live relatively close). They are about to have another big layoff of technical folks though, or at least that is one of the rumors floating about.

That's peculiar. I'm surprised they would be actively interviewing folks if mass layoffs are looming.

I echo the rec to live in Lake Jackson. It is a good place to live. I grew up there, Bwood class of '85

Got the phone call from the hiring manager for the job I applied to. Phone interview scheduled for next week. Site interview after that if I don't mess it up.

There was a round of layoffs late last year, mostly affected Europe where several facilities were shut down. Nothing else looming.

Lots of growth in Freeport now across all 3 sites.

Good luck on phone interview.

quote:

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Nothing else looming.

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I wouldn't bet money on that.

Cro, I'm a phd in biochemistry, working in toxicology now, I interviewed at Dow in midland as well as Dow agro in Indianapolis last year and I'll probably look seriously at them both again when the time comes in a few years. I'd be interested in getting touch, however the job works out. I'm looking to make my next job-move into agrochemical as a toxicologist.

Layoffs will again occur at Dow, but it is very business specific. Just make sure the business you are interviewing with is profitable.

I would not be surprised if some individual plants that are not being profitable are shut down or sold. That has happened and will continue to happen. Because of that, some people will end up working for other companies, some will get moved to other facilities, and some will get packaged out. Those who get packaged out will either be near retirement (and most of that group will be happy to be let go) or poor performers who need to be cut.

I would be shocked if they had another round of broad across the board layoffs in the near future. There are a lot of groups staffing up, and many new plants being built. I'm sure it will happen again sometime (seems like it's on about a 5 year interval). When it does, I would expect it to follow the same pattern I said earlier (near retirement or poor performers).

Phone interview with the hiring manager in an hour or so. Hope I make a good enough impression to get to the next step.

Good Luck!

Knocked that interview out of the park. Site visit for all day interview will either be on Friday in two days, or next Friday.

Ok, so the on site won't be today because (I guess) HR is dragging their feet. Guess it will be next Friday then. Sucks cuz I'm already on vacation so it will be less obvious to my current employer if I had gotten to go today.

Is this the NMR Specialist job they've posted?

oddly enough my neighbor is one of the main HR guys at dow chemical but he doesn't handle freeport and is moving back to Michigan to do HR stuff up there.

No, this is for an Analytical Chemist / Research Scientist position.

I don't remember seeing that one, but I haven't been keeping up lately.

Good luck next week.

How did the on-site interview go?

Thanks for checking in. As it turns out it couldn't be scheduled for Friday (yesterday). It's actually going to be this coming Wednesday, and all day at that. I have 7 interviews lined up (counting the breakfast, lunch, and HR talks). Gonna be busy.

7 interviews is a good thing. Sounds like several groups are interested.

Standard for jobs at his education level and field