By Dani Babb, PhD | Helping Professors Find Jobs for 25 Years
Introduction: Why Faculty Interviews Are Unlike Any Other
Faculty job interviews aren’t just about answering questions—they’re about demonstrating your educational philosophy, student-centered mindset, and institutional fit.
Whether you’re aiming for an online adjunct role or a tenure-track position, academic interviews involve far more than just proving you’re qualified. You’re being assessed on:
- How well you understand teaching and learning in today’s higher education landscape
- Your alignment with the institution’s mission, values, and student body
- Your ability to clearly communicate your teaching practices, research agenda, or leadership philosophy
Unfortunately, most applicants—even seasoned professors—walk into interviews thinking like job candidates, not like educators stepping into a community.
Let’s break down what really happens in these interviews, what hiring teams are looking for, and how you can prepare.
Common Faculty Interview Formats
Unlike traditional corporate hiring, academic hiring processes often include multiple rounds of evaluation and a variety of interview formats, including:
- Phone screenings or recorded video interviews to assess basic fit and availability
- Panel interviews with faculty, department chairs, and HR
- Teaching demonstrations—live or pre-recorded—to evaluate instructional skill
- Open forums with students or other faculty members
- Mission-alignment interviews, especially at faith-based or DEI-focused institutions
Each of these requires a different type of preparation. For example, teaching demonstrations demand clarity, energy, and adaptability, while panel interviews require you to read the room and balance your answers across multiple perspectives.
What They’re Really Listening For
Yes, interviewers want to know about your degrees, your subject-matter expertise, and your experience. But beyond that, they’re paying attention to your:
- Student engagement strategies (especially in asynchronous or remote learning)
- Understanding of assessment, equity, and accessibility
- Willingness to collaborate with other faculty and take part in curriculum development
- Ability to navigate technology platforms like Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle, or Brightspace
- Familiarity with adult learners, first-gen students, or underserved populations
Faculty interviews are not only about what you teach—but how and why you teach the way you do.
Where Candidates Often Struggle
From 25 years of preparing professors for academic interviews, here’s where we see the most common gaps:
- Vague answers to questions like “How do you handle student engagement?” or “How do you know your students are learning?”
- Overly corporate phrasing when transitioning from private sector to teaching
- Not knowing how to discuss assessment, accessibility, or diversity and inclusion
- Underselling or miscommunicating online teaching experience
- Rambling answers with no clear takeaway
Practice matters—and rehearsing with someone who knows what the institution is actually trying to evaluate can help you avoid these missteps.
How to Prepare: Practical Steps You Can Take Now
Here’s how you can begin preparing more effectively for academic interviews:
- Study the institution’s mission and student population
Be ready to explain how your teaching aligns with their values. - Create short, specific stories from your teaching, mentoring, or curriculum design experience.
- Be ready to speak to both traditional and non-traditional learners, especially if the school serves working adults or online students.
- Develop clear answers for questions like:
- “How do you handle a disengaged student?”
- “Describe how you build community in an online course.”
- “How do you assess learning outcomes in your classes?”
- Record yourself answering questions to catch filler words or overly technical language.
- Work with a coach or peer who understands the current academic landscape.
Why Interview Coaching Still Matters—Even for Experienced Faculty
Even seasoned educators benefit from interview coaching. Why? Because knowing your subject matter isn’t the same as knowing how to talk about it strategically in a high-stakes interview.
Our coaching is built specifically for academic roles, with feedback from real faculty hiring committee members. We help you:
- Practice live answers with real-time feedback
- Clarify your teaching and leadership philosophy
- Strengthen your examples so they reflect student impact
- Tackle difficult questions or red flags (career changes, gaps, tech hesitance)
We don’t script you—we help you sound like yourself, only more prepared and confident.
Final Thoughts: This Is Your Classroom Before You Get the Job
A faculty interview is your first chance to teach. Even when you’re not delivering a formal lesson, you’re still communicating how you approach education, connect with students, and think critically about learning.
Treat the interview like your classroom. Be clear. Be present. Be prepared.
Want Help Preparing?
At Faculty Job Tools, we offer customized interview coaching for educators applying to online, hybrid, or on-campus teaching roles. If you want to polish your delivery, anticipate tough questions, or practice with someone who’s actually been on a faculty search committee—we’re here to help.
About the author...
I founded Faculty Job Tools to help educators navigate the academic hiring process with clarity, confidence, and results. Since 2003, I’ve worked with tens of thousands of professors and aspiring instructors to land meaningful teaching positions across higher education.
As a professor, doctoral mentor, and author of multiple editions of Make Money Teaching Online, I bring decades of firsthand experience on both sides of the hiring process. I regularly interview deans, department chairs, and hiring managers to learn exactly what they’re looking for—insights I share directly with every client I work with.
I also lead a community of educators in the free Online Faculty Jobs Networking Group on Facebook, where members post job openings, share advice, and support one another through every step of the academic job search.
I remain personally involved in every part of Faculty Job Tools because I care deeply about helping educators find opportunities that fit their expertise and passion. My goal is to make the process straightforward, transparent, and genuinely supportive—for every faculty member who’s ready for their next chapter.