Job Interview For OSHC and Casual Child Care Work

[Teila]

hi have 2 job interviews one is for oshc and the other is for casual child care work. just wondering what kind of questions i'm likely to be asked in the interview?

[leenie]

Hi Teila,

If you are going for an educator role in oosh there are many questions that can be asked and can depend on what the manager/coordinator want. Some questions could be:

Why you want to work in oosh, experience with school age children.
Your strengths- ask what you like doing ie you could be an outside sport person. Ask what sort of activities you have done with children.
Something related to child protection-What do you do if a child disclosures to you. (They want to hear that you know you are a mandatory reporter. Look up NSW child protection site if you need too)
Work, health, Safety issues (showing confidence at supervision, understanding safety of children and risks)
May give you a behaviour situation-what would you do. Also what would you do if a child runs off out of boundary area for example. Violent child. Think about different situations.
My Time my Place-experience or understanding of it./May ask you if you have worked in oosh before, how you contributed and was part of the team. Ask about how you give ideas and were you involved in documentation. Team work is an important thing and may even ask how you would handle a conflict with another educator.
If this is your first job re oosh, have an idea of how you would work in a team.
Food handling
If a service has high additional needs they may ask about experience.-If you don't have experience be positive and show willingness to learn.
They may give you an activity and ask you to talk about it and what factors you need for the activity to work. Ie safety, equipment, communication wiht chn etc

Enthusiasm ++, honesty and willingness to learn in the areas you're not experienced in and confidence that you can interact and be involved with children.

Hope this helps not sure about childcare ie long day care.

[Teila]

Thankyou so much.
I've never worked in oshc but this helps alot thankyou.

[leenie]

No worries
Some extra thoughts

I was thinking if you don't live in NSW than find out your state child protection law and procedure- This is important to know your state requirement. For example in the NT every person is mandatory reporter.

ACECQA website will have info on MTOP or google it.

General idea:- If the child runs off and you are on your own with a group of children you never leave the group. Try and watch the child and send responsible child to get help, don't let other chn run after the child. Some services have phone or walky talky that you can contact someone. Keep the group together and be calm. If 2 staff you may considered it safe to follow child to the point you can talk to them. Don't run after the child-many times the child will run further. The second educator can stay with chn and contact senior staff.
You always considered the safety and wellbeing of the group in any emergency or incident. You would also follow service policy.

Team work think about communication and willing to assist another person.

Active supervision of school chn is your highest priority and skill to learn. A skilled educator in oosh can engage with chn, which may include doing an activity and actively supervise at the same time and also pick up on behaviour clues before an incident occurs. If you are left in a room while say another educator attends to something if sitting doing an activity stand up so you can scan the room. For supervision you also consider where you place yourself in the area and the service may have set out spots for educators.
Sport equipment is high risk for accidents. So you learn how to adjust/communicate and work with chn to reduce risk. Also you have difference in development between ages.

Good luck leenie

[Lorina]

hi have 2 job interviews one is for oshc and the other is for casual child care work. just wondering what kind of questions i'm likely to be asked in the interview?

Hi Telia,

Leenie has already provided you with some great information - "thanks Leenie!". So, I just wanted to add the following:

Preparing For An Interview

Good Luck with your interview!

,
Lorina

[trixstubbs]

I've been going to Casual Childcare Interviews (Cert 3 and Diploma) this month and some of the questions they asked me were:

- What do I understand about Mandatory Reporting?
- What do I think is my role as a Casual? How can I take on this role when I arrive in a centre?
- My experience with challenging behaviour.
- My experience with challenging parents.
- Strengths / What can I contribute to a company / centre? So far, I haven't had an interviewer ask me about my weaknesses or what I want to improve on, but do prepare for this as well.
- What will I do when there is an injury or accident?
- Conflict Resolution
- How you work in a team? (How to tackle conflict within the team)
- Experience with children with additional needs

I think interview questioning these days are very focused on situations / scenarios - how to prevent, what to do during, what to do after, etc.
Hope this helps.

[Lorina]

Thank you so much Trixstubbs for sharing those interview questions. They will definitely help out others. Do you mind if I add these questions to the interview article?

,
Lorina

[trixstubbs]

Thank you so much Trixstubbs for sharing those interview questions. They will definitely help out others. Do you mind if I add these questions to the interview article?

,
Lorina

Not at all. This forum has helped me a lot, so I wouldn't mind sharing my experience to all of you

[Lorina]

Thank you so much!! I appreciate it!

,
Lorina