35 Common Academic Advisor Interview Questions To Expect

Updated 17 March 2023

During a job interview, it can be important to deliver specific and concise responses to convince the employer that you are qualified for the job you want. For an academic advisor position, you may encounter interview questions that require you to describe your experience working with students, recommending college courses and following curriculums. Reviewing examples of questions the hiring manager may pose can enable you to prepare informed responses and feel confident during the interview. In this article, we list 35 academic advisor interview questions, provide few sample answers and share a few interview tips.

General Academic Advisor Interview Questions

General academic advisor interview questions allow the hiring manager to facilitate a conversation with you and know more about your workplace conduct and career priorities. Here are possible questions the interviewer may ask:

Tell me about yourself.
What are your strengths? How do you plan to apply them to academic advising?
What are your weaknesses? How do you plan to overcome them?
Why do you want to be an academic adviser?
Why are you leaving your current position?
What do you know about this higher education institution?
What part of the job description convinced you to apply for this role?
What is the greatest achievement of your career?
Where do you see yourself in five years?
How do your former advisees describe you in three words?

Questions About Experience And Background

The job interview is an opportunity for you to discuss your professional experience and educational background as you respond to the hiring manager's enquiries. Here are some common questions you may encounter:

What is your favourite part of academic advising?
What is the most challenging part of academic advising?
Describe your ideal work environment.
How do you build trusting relationships with students?
Identify the disciplines that your former advisees studied.
What is the biggest lesson you learned as an academic adviser?
Describe your experience conducting virtual advising sessions.
What is the first piece of advice you give to a student who is considering pursuing a particular degree?
Tell me about a time you advised a student who was transferring from another university.
How do you prepare for an advising session with a student you are meeting for the first time?

In-Depth Interview Questions For Academic Advisor

The interviewer may also ask you in-depth questions to determine if you can apply your skills and adapt to situations in the workplace. Here are potential questions:

What do you do when a student is not meeting their goals?
How have academic advisors helped you in the past?
How do you adjust your advising techniques when the department updates its course curriculum?
What do you do when a student disagrees with your course recommendations?
Explain your practices for monitoring students' academic progress.
Tell me about a time you conducted multiple advising sessions in one day.
Suppose a class has low enrolment. How can you encourage students to schedule it?
How do you manage objectives between students and administrators?
Describe your techniques for tailoring your advising approach to different students.
What advice do you offer a student who is unsure about which discipline to study?

Academic Advisor Interview Questions With Sample Answers

Here is a list of questions you may encounter during an interview for an academic adviser position and corresponding sample answers:

1. Tell me about a time you advised a student on academic probation.

As an academic advisor, you may work with students who are trying to improve their grades. In your response to this interview question, you can show the hiring manager that you have experience helping students create class schedules that can allow them to return to good standing with the university. Specify the tactics you used during the session and emphasise the positive results.

Example: 'I encountered a second-year student who was on academic probation after a challenging semester. Before the advising session started, I reviewed her recent grades and learned that she took the maximum number of courses, all of which were highly technical and required major projects. When I met with her, I suggested that she took fewer courses and use some of her electives so she can raise her confidence and improve her grade point average. I also updated the roadmap to graduation so she could redefine her goals. That semester she improved her grades drastically.'

2. What qualities does a successful academic advisor possess?

The hiring manager may pose this question to test your knowledge about the expectations of the role. When you answer, mention qualities that you read in the job description to show your values match those of the employer. You can also highlight the qualities you have applied throughout your advising career to further highlight your industry experience.

Example: 'A successful academic advisor is competent in interpersonal communication. They can build meaningful connections with their students and school administrators. Advisors are successful at managing their time and organising their responsibilities to ensure that their students have what they require to enrol in their desired courses. They also possess the emotional intelligence to understand what students require to meet their academic goals.'

3. Suppose you are advising a senior in college. What courses do you suggest they take?

Your responsibility as an academic advisor may also be to mentor students whose graduation dates are approaching. Demonstrate to the interviewer that you can recommend courses that enable the student to maximise their knowledge of their respective fields and prepare for job searching once they earn their degrees. Consider providing an example to help the interviewer visualise your expertise.

Example: 'I suggest seniors enrol in courses that offer practical experience and require them to practise their technical skills. For example, if a student wants to become a social media coordinator, then I suggest they take a social media analytics course or content creation class to receive feedback on their skills and learn how to navigate different digital platforms.'

4. What advice do you offer to a first-year student who is nervous about starting their collegiate journey?

The interviewer may ask this situational question to gauge your experience advising first-year students and your understanding of the concerns they have when pursuing higher education. In your response, provide specific techniques that showcase your commitment to helping students resolve common issues.

Example: 'I suggest to a first-year student to take a seminar class to learn about the university and receive an opportunity to interact directly with their classmates and faculty members. I also encourage students to take an entry-level course in their major so they can learn the fundamentals of the industries where they want to work and begin to solidify their career aspirations.'

5. Why do you think academic advisors are important?

As a job candidate, it can be important for you to show the employer that you are dedicated to delivering genuine help to students. Exude enthusiasm in your response to this interview question to highlight your willingness to handle the responsibilities of an academic advisor.

Example: 'Academic advisors are important because they assist students through formative and, sometimes, difficult periods of their lives. Guiding and helping students meet or exceed their educational goals to optimise their college experiences is very rewarding to me, and I enjoy knowing that I played an important role in future professionals' fruitful careers.'

Tips To Prepare For An Academic Advisor Interview

Before your meeting with a hiring committee takes place, consider the following tips so you can discuss your professional background effectively:

Practise maintaining eye contact. Eye contact while you speak with the interviewer can show you are paying attention to the conversation and are exuding confidence about the words coming from you. As you contemplate what to say during your in-person interview, remember to be mindful of how you are saying it.
Record yourself. Consider recording a video of yourself responding to questions, so that you can see and review your body language, and speech patterns. You can also time the recordings to determine if your answers are concise and straightforward.
Participate in a mock interview. Another way to prepare for the interview is to practise reciting answers in front of someone else. Ask a friend or family member to pose as the interviewer and ask you questions, and request feedback so you can contemplate how to improve your performance before the real meeting occurs.