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We’ve written this series to offer perspective and practical advice to academic job seekers applying for faculty jobs at private liberal arts colleges. Graduate programs at R1 universities do many things well, most notably preparing skilled researchers to advance their fields by generating new knowledge.
However, the nation’s top graduate programs can do their students a disservice by pushing them to pursue faculty roles at doctoral-granting institutions without giving them enough information about other types of institutions, including undergraduate-focused, small colleges. For scholars who find satisfaction in holistically developing undergraduates for lives of meaning and purpose, a liberal arts college can be a great place to work.
The members of your search committee want to hire a tri-athlete: (1) a disciplinary generalist with the potential to be a productive scholar, (2) a dedicated teacher, and (3) a considerate colleague willing to contribute to the broader community. During the interview, there will be countless moments to demonstrate your command of each area.
Do Your Homework
Like all parts of the search process, interviews require preparation (likely more than you can accomplish in the hotel room the night before the interview). The search committee knows a lot about you from reading your CV, cover letter, and any supplemental materials included in your application dossier.
Learn something about everyone listed on your visit agenda. What classes do they teach? What was the last thing they published? How long have they worked at the institution? Has this person mentored undergraduate research, taught a first-year seminar, or led an off-campus study program? This research will surface unexpected connections and give you topics to discuss.
Pro tip: Carry a small 3×5″ Moleskin-style notebook. Use the agenda provided for your visit to set up notes for each of your scheduled meetings, including who you will meet, their title/role, a note about each of them, goals for the session, and questions to ask. These reminders will keep you focused and give you a place to jot down brief notes.
Beyond researching individuals, learn about the department and the campus. Skim the courses of study bulletin to review the degree requirements for majors. Identify interdisciplinary minors or certificate programs related to your interests. Read the last few issues of the campus newspaper to get a sense of the student body. If the campus has a strategic plan, consider how these goals might shape your approach to teaching and working with students.
Plan a Lively and Interactive Teaching Demonstration
In addition to asking you to give a formal research presentation to the faculty, teaching demonstrations are common when interviewing at liberal arts colleges. This can sometimes involve taking over someone’s class for a day or teaching a mock class to majors.
If you are asked to prepare a session like this, mixing some lecture components with more interactive work is usually best. The committee wants to see how you deliver content. Are you clear, organized, and engaging? But they also want to see how you relate to students. Since it can be tough to get a group of students you don’t know well to jump right into a discussion, have some planned activities with a bit of structure and assigned roles instead of relying on them volunteering responses in a large group.
Your faculty peers will pay attention to how you encourage students, offer feedback, draw connections on the fly, and respond to questions. If you stand in front and read from your slides — no matter how good your slides are — you deprive the committee of valuable evidence.
Present Yourself as a Good Citizen of the College
At every opportunity, demonstrate your willingness to be a team player, not a prima donna. Avoid responses that might come across as arrogant or entitled, especially statements that suggest that you are too good to work there.
Demonstrate you have the growth mindset to succeed in an environment like this by asking colleagues to talk about assignments that have worked well in courses. Don’t be afraid to talk about lessons you have learned as a fledgling teacher or researcher, including some early mistakes you’ve since corrected. Authentic questions rooted in humility are appropriate for someone early in their teaching career.
When in doubt, ask not what the college can do for you but what you can do for the college. Be prepared to discuss how you might contribute to interdisciplinary programs or general education courses. Now is no time to ask for additional course releases or start-up funds. (Save these asks for the negotiation stage if you receive an offer.)
Picture Yourself Here
While you want to present yourself as the ideal future colleague, the campus interview is your primary chance to learn about the college and determine whether this is the place you might live and work for decades.
Beyond informational things like search timelines or HR benefits, ask about work-life balance. In our estimation, work-life balance is one of the best parts of working at a liberal arts college, and you stand to learn a great deal by asking others how they pursue this elusive aim. You might ask: What strategies do you use to make time for scholarship and being an excellent teacher? How easy is it to unplug and have a life outside of work? Do people seem happy? If you get the job, these are the kinds of things that will occupy much of your time and energy.
Search committees often grow impatient with candidates who ask too many questions about local housing prices, schools, and spousal-hire opportunities. These are good questions to save for if and when you have been offered the position, not the interview.
Breathe and Roll With It
Things often go haywire during a campus visit. Your plane might be late, the tech might fail during your job talk, or the dean’s schedule might change, requiring you to meet first thing in the morning.
Take Lisa’s friend for an example. En route to an interview, the airline lost his suitcase, leaving him with no choice but to buy toiletries and a passable “interview suit” from a big box store that was open late. He showed up the next day undeterred with a big smile, a funny story, and a somewhat ill-fitting blazer. His resilience wasn’t lost on anyone, and he was offered the job.
Remember, everyone on the search committee has a job-search catastrophe story like that, so they will understand should any befall you. Take a deep breath and do your best to be calm and gracious — exactly the kind of colleague any of us would wish for.
