The application of life design in higher education institutions is increasing. Still, the role of an ‘Assistant Director of Life Design‘ is quite new. There is not a degree you can earn in ‘Life Design Education’. Instead, I needed to demonstrate that my experiences and motivations fit well with this new role.
While exciting, I had to prepare for my interview(s) slightly differently than I did for previous roles. I had 3 interviews:
- Initial Phone Interview (2 people)
- Zoom Interview (around 5 people)
- On-Campus Interview (20+ people over a few hours)
Here are 3 things I did to prepare for all my life design educator interviews:
1. Read the Book
Some of the goals and frameworks of the role I was interviewing for could be found in the book ‘Designing Your Life‘ by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans.
So I read the entire book ahead of my interview.
I also mapped out the book on a blank wall at home. I like to visualize things and it was a nice way to remind myself of the key concepts throughout the interview process.
2. Scan Socials
Our team is encouraged to be active on social media, especially Twitter.
I checked out the social media profiles and feeds of all listed team members, especially those I was interviewing with.
While I also checked out LinkedIn profiles, Twitter provided a more dynamic perspective.
3. Prepare Stories
One of the great things about our team is our diversity (e.g., education, experience, backgrounds, etc.).
I think I was the first archaeologist to interview for this sort of position. I wanted to talk about my archaeological experiences, but contextualize them so they were relatable and relevant.
I looked at the job posting and created 3-5 stories that translated my experiences, especially my archaeology ones. These stories aimed to connect my experiences with desired attributes for this position, as well as key life design concepts.
Closing Thoughts
The main strategy behind my interview preparation was doing my research and translating my experiences. The actionable steps I mentioned above helped ease my nerves throughout the interview process, which helped me have better conversations and get to know my future team.
What questions, suggestions, or thoughts do you have about preparation strategies for new types of positions? Let me know in the comments.
