Interview questions for nursery and after-school jobs
These are the questions to prepare for in a job interview for nursery and after-school jobs: 7 job-specific questions with tips for good answers, the most common questions in every interview, and questions you can ask the employer. With Selja you can also practise the interview for the exact job you have applied for.
Job-specific questions for nursery and after-school jobs
Why do you want to work with children?
Answer personally and specifically. Say what you like about the age group, and what you are good at with children.
How do you respond to a child who is sad or angry?
Show that you get down to the child's level, put words to the feelings and are calm and reassuring.
How do you help a new child feel safe?
Talk about settling in, fixed routines and close contact with the parents. Give an example if you have one.
Tell me about an activity you have planned and carried out with children.
Describe what you did, why, and how you got the children involved. Show that you think about both play and learning.
How do you work with parents?
Show that you are open and friendly in daily contact, and that you raise difficult things in a careful way.
What do you do if you become worried about a child?
Say that you observe, note what you see and raise it with your manager. Show that you know about the duty to report concerns.
How do you handle a conflict between two children?
Show that you help the children put into words what happened and find a solution themselves, instead of just passing judgement.
Common questions in every job interview
Tell me a little about yourself.
Keep it to one or two minutes. Start with who you are professionally, highlight two or three experiences that are relevant to the job, and finish with why you are applying right now. Skip your whole life story.
What are your greatest strengths?
Choose two or three strengths the job actually requires, and give a short example of each. A strength without an example is just a claim.
What is your greatest weakness?
Choose something real that is not crucial for the job, and explain what you are doing to improve. Avoid tired answers like saying you are a perfectionist.
Why did you apply for this job?
Link what you know and enjoy to what the job involves. Mention two specific things in the job ad that appealed to you, not just that you need a job.
What do you know about us?
Read their website, recent news and LinkedIn page beforehand. Mention something specific, such as a product, a client or an initiative, and say why it interests you.
Tell me about a time you solved a difficult problem.
Use STAR: briefly describe the situation, what your task was, what you did, and what the result was. Spend most of the time on what you did yourself.
Tell me about a time you made a mistake.
Choose a real mistake, take responsibility without blaming others, and spend most of the time on what you did to put it right and what you do differently now.
Tell me about a disagreement with a colleague. How did you resolve it?
Show that you listen and focus on the issue, not the person. Finish with how you worked together afterwards.
What are your salary expectations?
Research the pay level for the job beforehand. Give a range instead of a single figure, and justify it with your skills and responsibilities. The hourly pay calculator here can help you convert between hourly and annual pay.
When can you start?
Check your notice period before the interview, and give a concrete answer. If you are flexible, say so.
Answer with the STAR method
When you are asked for an example, the STAR method gives an answer that is concrete and easy to follow:
- Situation: Where were you, and what happened? Keep it short.
- Task: What was your responsibility or goal?
- Action: What did you do, step by step? Spend most of your time here.
- Result: What was the outcome? Include numbers if you can.
Questions to ask the employer
Which group and age group will I work with?
Makes the job concrete. There is a big difference between the youngest and the oldest children.
How many adults and children are there in the group?
Tells you a lot about the daily routine, and how much time you have for each child.
What do you emphasise most in your educational work?
Shows professional interest, and gives you something to link your own strengths to.
How are the working hours organised, for example with early and late shifts?
A practical question that is perfectly normal in kindergartens and after-school care.
What does a normal week look like in this job?
You get a concrete picture of the daily work, and can see whether the tasks match what was in the job ad.
What are the most important goals for the first six months?
Shows that you are thinking about delivering from the start. The answer tells you what is actually expected of you.
How do you measure success in the role?
You find out what you will be assessed on, and whether the goals are clear or vague.
Practise the interview with Selja
The best thing you can do before the interview is to practise the questions for that exact job out loud. Interview practice in Selja creates questions from the job ad and your CV. You answer by speaking or writing and get feedback on every answer, so you know what to say differently before it counts.
- See the interview questions for your profession for free.
- Create your CV and cover letter for the job in under a minute, so you get the interview first.
- CV example for nursery and after-school jobs
- How to prepare for a job interview
Frequently asked questions
What do they ask in a job interview for nursery and after-school jobs?
You get both common questions, like "Tell me a little about yourself", and job-specific questions, for example: "Why do you want to work with children?" and "How do you respond to a child who is sad or angry?"
How do I prepare for an interview for nursery and after-school jobs?
Read the job ad and find the three most important requirements. Prepare a short example for each, ideally with the STAR method, and practise out loud. Have two or three questions ready for the employer.
Is there a tool for practising an interview for nursery and after-school jobs?
Yes. With interview practice in Selja you practise the interview for the exact job you have applied for, speaking or writing, and get feedback on every answer. You can see the most common interview questions by profession for free, and Selja also creates your CV and cover letter for the job in under a minute.