The thought of a job interview can be scary but it’s important to remember that your potential employer REALLY wants you to be right for the job.
With the right preparation and a small amount of research, you’ll be able to approach your childcare interview in a calm, relaxed way and land your dream job.
1 Research
Once you know that you’ve been offered an interview, spend time researching your potential new employer. Nurseries, schools and creches usually have detailed information on their websites. Have a read and get to know them before the interview. For extra points you could even look at their Ofsted Report. Knowing a few key facts about your potential employer will show that you’re interested in the role and will help you answer any questions.
Rebecca Moore, Operations Manager at The Village Nursery Group, explains all about apprenticeships at her nurseries.
Nursery job interview questions to prepare for
Many of the questions you’re likely to face at a nursery interview are predictable. If you have answers prepared for these, you’ll be well on your way. Going over these questions as interview preparation will also help you clarify your own thoughts, priorities and motivations surrounding your career in childcare – all really important to take next steps that are right for you.
How to hire the best childcare workers
When you’re hiring childcare staff, you’re looking for dedicated, fun, and energetic people. They’re just as passionate about play, as they are about working with children and developing their abilities.
But how can you draw out evidence of knowledge, competency and understanding, as well as qualities in a single interview?
We asked TSW Childcare route manager, Rachel Cox, and the wider apprenticeships and Flying Start team for their most insightful childcare interview questions. What follows are their recommendations to help you find the best people for your setting, even if they have no experience yet.
There are so many childcare occupations working in nurseries, schools, private healthcare settings, NHS hospitals, doctor’s surgeries and other caring environments where children need support.
You might be advertising for:
Regardless of their title, you want to see they can translate the curriculum into the setting and allow the children to reach their potential.
Remote Interview or Face-to-Face?
The pandemic has meant that many interviews are now held remotely but remember that most normal standards still apply.
Below are our top six tips and techniques to ace your interview.
Finally, you might be asked about your thoughts on certain aspects of childcare. There may not be a right or wrong answer to any of these, the interviewer will just want to gain an understanding of how you think.
Having examples in mind before you go to the interview will be incredibly useful. Determine what they are, practice talking about them, and you should be fine.
Here at Shine Childcare we interview a large number of candidates a year. We have shared some secrets around what we look for from a staff member to help you get started.
Preparation is everything. All of your hard work so far can go out the window if you don’t determine what you’re going to talk about.
There’s no way of knowing exactly what you’ll get asked. But we’ve put together a few common questions that get asked of prospective childcare practitioners.