Why Should We Hire You For Our Childcare Centre?

So, you’re on the hunt for a job in childcare. You’ve submitted a number of applications to different childcare centres and have just been asked to come in for your first interview, but what can you do to prepare yourself for a sit down with your potential future employer?

We’ve put together a few handy pointers to help you land your dream job in childcare. From preparing for your interview to common interview questions and answers, we’ve got you covered.

How to prepare for your interview

It’s completely normal to feel nervous in the lead-up to and during your interview, but a bit of preparation can go a long way to calming your nerves.

Chances are you probably did a bit of research about the childcare centre itself when you first applied for the position and put together your CV, but it’s well worth familiarising yourself with the centre a little more if you’re invited in for an interview. Jump online and do some research. Getting to know the centre can help you understand their values and childcare philosophy and whether or not they align with your beliefs. While an interview will help them to determine whether you’re a good fit for their centre, it’s also a great opportunity for you to see whether you think they’re a good match for you too. 

Not only should you get to know the childcare centre, but as a childcare worker, you should also have a good understanding of the National Quality Framework (NQF) and Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF). Depending on the job role, you might also need to also know about contemporary pedagogy, workplace health and safety and child protection regulations. Have a thorough read of the job description to see what the role entails and what skills or qualifications you need. This can also help you to position your CV and interview answers to address the qualities they’re looking for.

When it comes to the interview, do your best to demonstrate the skills and personality traits that make for a good childcare worker. 

What do they ask you in a childcare interview?

Familiarising yourself with common interview questions is one of the best ways to prepare yourself for an interview, and often preparation is key to confidence.

Chances are the interviewer will ask you a range of different questions that are designed to assess your personality, professional experience, whether you’re a good fit for their team and how you would handle specific scenarios that could pop up while you’re on the job. Think about how you would answer these questions yourself and practice your responses. As they say, ‘practice makes perfect’ and it could mean the difference between a job offer or rejection.

But how do you answer childcare interview questions? To help you prepare for your interview, we’ve pulled together some of the most common interview questions and some potential answers to help guide you in the right direction. 

General childcare interview questions

One of the main purposes of an interview is for the interviewer to be able to get to know you, your personality and your traits. Here are a few general questions you can expect to be asked during your interview:

• Can you tell me about yourself?

• What are your strengths and weaknesses?

• What are your long-term goals?

• Why did you leave your last job?

• What’s your greatest personal achievement? 

NQF and EYLF interview questions

As a childcare worker, you’ll be expected to have a sound understanding of the NQF and EYLF. Further to this knowledge, you can refer to the job description to get an idea of the skills and capabilities required for the job. Here are some questions you might be asked in relation to the NQF and EYLF:

• Can you explain the importance of the EYLF?

• How would you build and maintain a positive relationship with the children in your class?

• How would you build a relationship with a new family at the centre?

• Can you list the seven quality areas of the NQF

• What is your understanding of the NQF?

Scenario or experience-based interview questions

Working in childcare, it’s likely that you’ll be faced with a number of challenges and different scenarios that you’ll need to navigate. These questions are designed to evaluate your professional experience and how you would handle common scenarios. Here are some examples of experience-based questions you might be asked:

• Tell me about your most challenging child and how you worked with them.

• What would you do if a child was injured while in your care?

• How would you resolve an issue with an upset parent?

• What are some important qualities you should nurture in young children and why?

• How would you resolve conflict between children?

To help you get a feel for how you should be answering these interview questions, we’ve pulled together a few common questions and provided some suggestions to help guide your responses. When thinking about how you would answer these questions yourself, be sure to reflect on your own personal thoughts and experiences and don’t be afraid to show your personality.

Interview question: why do you want to work in childcare? 

Interview answer: questions like this are a great opportunity to demonstrate your passion for working with children. If you don’t have extensive experience working with children, you can pivot your answer slightly to chat about other experiences that are relevant to working with children. However you choose to answer, it’s a good idea to be honest, display your enthusiasm for working with children and your desire to have a positive impact on their lives.  

Interview question: why should we hire you for our childcare centre?

Interview answer: this is where researching the childcare centres comes in handy. Get to know their values, mission statement and philosophy and include the elements you like in your answer. You can even discuss how the centre’s values align with your own to demonstrate how you would be a good cultural fit for the centre.

Interview question: can you explain the importance of the EYLF?

Interview answer: as a childcare worker, you should be able to demonstrate a good understanding of the early years learning framework (EYLF) and the practices, standards and principles that underlie this guide. The EYLF is central to the education and development of young children, so be sure to display your knowledge of this framework, the five main learning outcomes and how it applies to curriculum planning and implementation.

Interview question: what would you do if you noticed a child that showed signs of injury or bruising?

Interview answer: questions like these are designed to assess your understanding of child protection laws and mandated reporting. In your response, you should detail your responsibilities as a childcare worker and how you would protect the child. Child protection laws differ based on the state and territory jurisdiction, so it’s vital to understand the laws relevant to your state.

Although an interview will involve a lot of questions directed at you, don’t be afraid to ask questions yourself. If there are important things you’d like to know about the centre or the role, a job interview is the perfect time to ask. Other than that, do your best to be yourself and let your personality shine. For more articles and resources for childcare workers and early childhood educators, you can explore the Care for Kids library to learn about government policies, management strategies and the early childhood sector.