need help for childcare trainee interview

Hi Bina,

Welcome to the forum...I first joined the forum like you since I liked the info and forum with it.. cool..another person like me..

Also, congratulation and wish you all the best for your traineeship interview..

You don't need to worry too much for a traineeship interview since the employer already understands that you don't have experience in childcare....cuz thats why you are there to do a traineeship..

However, you will still need to prepare yourself in some ways for the interview since you just cant show up in your pajamas...Some the points that comes to my mind now are:

1) Dress smartly for the interview. What you wear can tell a lot about you. So always remember to dress smartly whenever you are trying to make a good first impression. You dont need to be too formal. At the same time, you dont need to wear something too simple as well.
2) Try to cut down on excessive jewelries or fancy stuffs for the interview...
3) You might be asked on why you choose to do childcare?
4) Do you have experience working with kids before?
5) Do you understand how the traineeship works?
6) Can you manage work and also complete study?

i reckon its a pretty simple interview...I remember when I went for mine, the interview process for only 5 mins and it was followed up 20 mins of chit-chatting... So yeah...its pretty easy...

just make sure you are looking clean, neat and tidy.... remember to take a shower.. lol..

When is your interview?

Take it ezy..

thanx catchmeifucan for such useful advice ... i feel confident now,, i hav answers to all such questions so the interview should go fine hopefully..
well i hav applied at a few centres and m pretty confident i ll get an interview call..soon
i hav cared for my lil nephews and know how to prepare baby meals n change nappies but i know childcare is a lot more than that and i want to learn every single thing abt it .. n want to be a professional, qualified childcare worker
thnx once again.. cant wait to start working .. i loooooove kids

Hey Bina,

Like in the replies you have received you would not need to worry too much about the traineeship interview...

I believe the expected questions were pretty much covered by catchmeifucan..

Further to that, I would also like to remind you that the traineeship will take a year and you will need to sign-up a contract to work at the centre for the length of your traineeship. The employer may ask you if you are available for the next 12 months in order to complete your traineeship. If you are planning a holiday within the next 12 months, it's better to let your employer know during the interview itself. It saves you the hassle of dealing with this later. This does not impact your chances of getting the job!

Other questions you might be asked will be how will you get to work, etc.

Just a heads up on other important things you should be aware of - you will have to undergo a police clearance check, working with children check. For these two, all you have to do is fill out a form and the employer does the rest. You will also need to provide details of any immunisation records. At some centres (not all), they will also require you to do a full health check-up.

If you have any experience working with kids such as through baby sitting etc, it will benefit you to provide references from the parents so they can verify your potential. This also exhibits how interested and organized you are...However, if you havent had any experience with children, dont worry... You can also provide reference from past work related experiences and a personal reference from a family or friend. This will make your resume look better...If you dont have any work experience at all, no worries, its still only a traineeship interview so the employers doesnt look into that too much as long as they are happy with you, your personality & character. So, remember to always put on a good smile....

If you havent read already, you can check out my article on "Starting a Traineeship in Childcare" (you can search it here on this site). This will give you an idea on what to expect when doing a traineeship as well. However, i dont think I have mentioned about what to expect and preparing for an interview. Its a good question you had raised. So, I will probably update this later so this can help out others. I will let you know when I do that..

Do you know what questions to ask the employer so that you choose the right place for you to do your traineeship?

Cheers
L.A

Hi Bina,

I hope your interview went well .

Just to let your know I wrote an article for you and other people like you, who are preparing for a job interview. It's called "Preparing For Interview" (you can use the search box above to find it here). This article gives you various information regarding documentation, questions etc that you will need to prepare for, when going for an interview in a childcare centre in Australia.

I hope this helps you out... please let me know if you you have any further doubts or comments. I'm happy to help !

Cheers
L.A

Hope the interview went well. Best advice it to be honest, relax and be yourself.

Hello everyone,
I'm so happy to find your topic and all the answers. The information is so helpful. I'm expecting a trainee interview tomorrow and I feel more confident now. Thank you very much everyone. Have a good week.

Winnie

Hello

Some general tips for making you prepared for the interview are:

Dress professionally.

Be prepared with interview materials.

Prepare for the daycare's questions.

Prepare a list of questions.

Determine where you're going.

Get to the interview early.

Research the daycare.

Pay attention to body language.

Some more questions that can be asked:

What do you like most about working with children?

What do you like least about working with children?

What age groups do you prefer to work with?

Describe a time you resolved an issue with an unhappy parent.

What's the relationship between customer service and child care?

Apart from these, the following quations can be asked

Why do you want this job?

What have you learned from mistakes you've made in the past?

What challenges are you looking for in this role?

What is your biggest weakness?

Why should we hire you?

Do you have any questions for us?

There are lots of question that can be asked. But you need to be confident, positive and need to use presence of mind while answering the question. Be modest but firm. Do not worry or do not panic. Always remember there is always a second chance. Give your best and wait for the rest.

All the best

Thanks

Nandita