Second the network thing. I've done two interviews in the last 25 years. Mostly it's a 30 minute call or coffee with the group leader just to make them feel o

Second the network thing. I've done two interviews in the last 25 years. Mostly it's a 30 minute call or coffee with the group leader just to make them feel ok about the decision they've already made to hire you. Same when hiring: I'd much rather hire someone who I've seen work before than go through a whole interview process, and still feel like it's a crapshoot at the end when making an offer.