Biola University Interview Questions
& Process

The interview process was a bit drawn out, but it was pleasant overall. It had three interviews. The first was with the head French professor and the division chairperson. The second was with the head of the Department of Modern Languages. The third was with the Executive Secretary to the Provost. Everyone was warm and welcoming. After the third interview, I was surprised when the Executive Secretary told me I wasn't hired yet, but that she had me fill out an employment packet just in case. I asked who would make the final decision, and she said the division chairperson. I thought the process would be more linear and it took longer than I expected to get hired. It seems like this is how they regularly do things. It was my first time being interviewed by the initial person, then having two more interviews without them. It works, but I wouldn't design it that way.

I talked with two people: the Director of University Communications and Marketing, and the Associate Director of Interactive Media. Since it's a small team, I actually worked closely with the latter person once I was hired. The first interviewer asked me more general questions to see if I got the team's goals. They're focused more on how the University looks to the outside world (like attracting students) instead of internal stuff (like helping professors with Blackboard). The second person I talked to dug into my technical background, my skills, and if I was eager to keep learning and growing as a web designer.

I followed up a few times via email with Campus Safety and the dispatch manager finally replied, inviting me in for a skills test. The test involved memorizing details from three different dispatch reports for 3 minutes, then answering questions about specific details from those reports. I also had to respond to different scenarios about how I would dispatch units. It seemed like there wasn't much I could do to prepare. A few days later, I was invited for an interview with two staff members, which was pretty standard and low-key. They said I'd hear back on a certain day, but they didn't contact me. So, I went back in person a few days later to ask about it. The manager wouldn't even talk to me directly but sent the secretary to tell me to check my email. That evening, I got a generic email saying I didn't get the job, with a brief note saying they forgot to email me sooner. I then emailed requesting feedback on why I wasn't hired, but the manager refused to respond.

I got this invite in the mail for a group interview, and they sent some stuff to read along with a parking pass. It was a group thing with about 8 other people applying and 7 interviewers, who were from Admissions, Marketing, and HR. We got asked hypotheticals about how we'd handle specific admissions situations. Then, we were split into groups to get ready for individual presentations on more scenarios. We presented one by one and then had a Q&A with the panel. Finally, we had to rate ourselves, answer some quick questions, and respond to a tricky letter from a potential student.