I have a BFA in studio arts (illustration) with an art history minor, so this job wasn't at all something I had in mind until the listing popped up during a job search. I was searching for an entry-level job in a museum (preferably collections care) or in an adjacent field, but it was late 2020, so a lot of museums weren't really hiring, and the ones that were were looking for qualifications I didn't have, and private art restorers were looking for couriers with their own car, which I also didn't have, so when I saw a historical interpreter position was open at the site I now work at, I was desperate enough that my stage fright and anxiety did not matter to me anymore.
The hiring process for my site involved a short audition as part of the interview where I had to memorize both an excerpt of one of Abigail Adams's letters that was assigned and a second period-appropriate monologue (I ended up choosing one from Mercy Otis Warren's 1776 farce "The Blockheads", a decision I agonized over). I hadn't acted since high school prior to this, but for some reason I still can't fathom, they hired me.
I think the best thing you can do is just apply whenever you see an opportunity, even if you're not sure you have the qualifications yet, and let whoever is in charge of hiring decisions figure that out. I wish I had more advice! I have plenty of advice about doing the job itself, but as for the hiring process, I'm still mystified, even though, over time, I've gotten more confident in my skills and feel less like I accidentally tricked my work into hiring an art student instead of an actor.
Let me know if you have any questions about anything though!
