Your career in childcare is either just about to get started, or take a huge step forwards. Considering the childcare interview questions you may get asked in advance is essential.
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.
After obtaining the necessary qualifications, getting some experience and applying for jobs that seem suitable – you’ve reached the interview stage.
This is your chance to impress your potential new employers.
Meeting them face to face is often daunting. Not just in the childcare profession, but for everyone.
And if you want the job, you need to give a good impression.
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.
Above all, that depends on what the interview questions will be!
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.
Here are a few of the basics:
Basic Childcare Interview Questions
- What do you enjoy about working with children?
- What makes you want to work in a nursery?
- What qualities will you bring to our nursery?
- Are you capable of working in a team?
- Can you talk to us a little about your experience working with young children?
- What aged children have you worked with before? Which ages do you prefer working with?
- What do you find most challenging about working with children?
Furthermore, you will also be asked how you would deal with certain difficult situations, for example:
Situational Nursery Interview Questions
- How would you handle a child who didn’t want to participate in activities with other children?
- What would you do if two children were in disagreement?
- How would you handle a complaint from a parent?
- How do you determine what the next activities should be to promote learning and development?
- How would you report a safeguarding concern?
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.
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.
They might include:
Specific Nursery Nurse Interview Questions
- How do you define success as a nursery nurse?
- How do you know if your teaching techniques are effective?
- Is it more important to offer a learning environment, or a fun environment?
- What do you hope to have achieved at the end of a working day?
- What is the most important item in a classroom/nursery?
If you’ve studied well and earned your qualifications, you should have no problem answering any of these questions.
Interviews can be a bit nerve-wracking. Try to stay calm, memorise your answers to the above, and you should do just fine.
Good luck!