Daycare Worker Interview Preparation Guide

I’d like to think I react to situations as opposed to stress. The reality is, when handled correctly, many problems avoid becoming unnecessarily stressful. Come to think of it, I belive I actually work better under pressure. It’s help me produce some of my best work and to be honest I like being challenged. From a stress management point of view, I like to burn off the day with a workout or by going for a run.

You're looking for someone who enjoys working with the elderly, or a caring, sociable, and nurturing person.

The employer is asking this question to get a sense of whether you would take the job if it were offered to you, and how long you’d be likely to stay for.

While it might sound like an opportunity to talk about yourself, it’s actually the time to demonstrate to your potential employer how much you know about them.

With this in mind, expressing your passion and excitement to work for this particular organisation is a must!

Avoid vague answers like “it seems like a great place to work”, and get specific.

Do your research so you’ll know about the various projects the organisation is involved with, who their clients are and what their plans for the future are (most annual reports on an organisation’s website can tell you this).

For example: “I know you’ve just launched a program focussing on working specifically with young people with mental illness and that this role is linked to that project. I’m extremely passionate about mental illness and have experience working with young people so I would be very excited to be part of your work in this area.”

This is a fairly obvious question, and the answer to answering this question successfully lies of research you do to prepare yourself in advance. Be sure to know about the school district, the needs of the school, the successes of the school, the faculty, the board, the educational vision that the school promotes, the reputation, demographic, activities and neighborhood. Have some sense of what the school struggled with but also have excelled in to provide a balanced vision of your own that would be a good fit at this district.

The interviewer is looking for signs of creativity. Working with children demands a fair bit of 'making it up as you go along. So be creative, and again draw from your experience. Have you done anything especially unusual that has worked?

This is a little like asking "Tell me everything you know" about quality early childhood education. Obviously no one can fully answer this question in the few minutes allotted to each question, but their selection of what they mention and, perhaps even more importantly, what they forget or leave out will tell you a lot about their values and perspectives as a teacher. You, of course, must be clear about your values and priorities in your program in order to determine if the candidate is a good match. I know that I like to hear each candidate include health and safety first and foremost. While we may all like to hear them explore the more exciting areas of curriculum, parent work, diversity, etc., if they don't start the job with an awareness of safety, the rest doesn't matter too much because you may have hired an accident waiting to happen. I'm also looking for them to talk about more than the children. What do they have to say about their relationship with and the role of the parents in their classroom? What do they mention about supporting the home culture? How do they develop curriculum? Have they talked about positive and healthy relationships with their co-workers? This question can also be a lead-in to more follow-up questions about specific skills. Take good notes as they answer this question so you can review it and compare with your own list later on.

Mentioning a head injury should be an immediate red flag so a cautious nanny will suggest a trip to A&E to get checked out. A more detailed answer might give options depending on whether the child lost consciousness or seems disorientated, or shows any other signs of concussion. A nanny who says they’d just let them back onto the trampoline to carry on playing and doesn’t make it clear that she would inform you what happened later needs to refresh her First Aid training.

☛ Yes. Sometimes when a parent/guardian is connecting with many services terminology can be confusing when sharing information.
☛ This statement could simply mean that a referral has been sent to our service and, if not clarified, an assumption might be made that the actual supports CISS provides have already been confirmed.
☛ It is always best to ask for parental/guardian permission to call the CISS Intake Coordinator and seek clarification.
☛ Giving permission to call CISS helps toward effective planning for your child.

No matter what your discipline style is you’re looking for signs of empathy and a few things that they shouldn’t do. A professional nanny will never suggest allowing the other child to retaliate or completely ignoring the behaviour (ignoring works when a child hits an adult but not between children because it means the victim hasn’t been comforted). She should also say she follow any lead you give and that she would talk it over with you afterwards.

The interviewer wants to know that you are sincere and committed to your profession. Answer this question honestly, saying what you think and why. Give examples from your experience.