Signing up to the agency or drop resumes for a casual job

[Nadia_7]

Hi, there

I've just finished my study of certificate3 and am looking for a job!
I have been working as a casual staff in the centre which I did my prac for last 4months .
I used to be able to work there almost 3-4days every week but it is getting difficult to get shifts since they hired many full-time staffs recently.
So I am thinking to find new job as a casual staff. (Personally prefer casual than full time because of my visa condition.)

There are 2 ways to get a job as a casual;
1) Drop resumes and find the centre by myself
2) Signing up to the agencies

I am wondering which way is better to improve my skill and career, and also getting shifts.
The good thing of finding the centre by yourself is that you can belong to the centre. So it is easier to get used to workplace and built relationships with children. On the other side, it might be difficult to get constant shifts.
An agency send you different centres each time so you will find it difficult to get used to and built relationships. But you might get more shifts than belonging to only one centre, and also can learn a lot as each centre has a different characteristic. Through those experiences, you will gain flexibility and adaptability in different settings.


Also any suggestions of good agency in Sydney?
Do agencies ask many questions such as NQS, EYLF, etc.?
I am afraid that I can answer it as I am an international student and not fluent in English.
I definitely learn them and understand through my study and working experience in the centre.
I just don't have confident to put my understanding of NQS, EYLF, etc. into English properly in the interview because I am always way too nervous in the interview especially in English

Hope someone has any advises.

[Lorina]

Why don't you do both?

Sign up with an agency and drop your resume in to centres around your area... It does get hard as a casual because your shifts are not consistent and work is available only when full time educators are not available so the more centres you are in contact with, the better chances of you finding work.

I understand that's its nice to have the same centre to work in but as a casual you don't really have that choice and how long are you going to be waiting for the same centre to contact you... Going to different centres enables you to get a wider perspective on how educators work and implement the NQF, how they do programming, how the room is set up etc. You can learn so much and gain more ideas when working in a variety of centres!

When going for a interview in an agency they may ask you questions about the NQF and EYLF but only those relevant to your qualification. They're not going to ask you a Diploma question if you are only cert 3 qualified. Even though you may not be fluent in English you still need an understanding of the NQF and EYLF because they are a big part of working in the childcare industry so it's good just to understand the basics of this...

This may help:

Understanding EYLF

Hope this helps!

,
Lorina

[Nadia_7]

Hi, Lorina.

Thank you so much for your advice and tips!
Perhaps I lost my confidence as I am new in this industry and also in Australia...
But your advice and comment encourage me a lot and bring my motivation back
Working with children is what I really want to do so I'll do my best.

I will sign up to the agency and also try to find centres by myself
As you mentioned, it would be nice to work in different centres because there are so many things that I can learn from. And it will also develop my skills and flexibility in different settings.

About EYLF and NQS, I know English can not be my excuse... I should definitely understand them as a professional educator. I think I understood them in my head through my studying and working experiences. Still difficult to explain in English sometimes but I should do.
All I need to do is that I review what I learnt, check this Website & page that you gave me, summarise what I understand in English before the interview. Even though, I might be way too nervous in the interview but well preparation helps me.

Thank you so much.
And hope I can give you good news soon!

[Wofor]

nice

[Chicha]

Hi there,

Good points you have there. My suggestion is that find a job the really suits your taste do you like a job where you need to work for more than 8 hours or a job where you can do whatever you want? Other than that you also need to know the location where you will be working, personally I prefer working near my home for me to be able to watch after my children.

Salary is also a thing to consider the higher the salary is better, which is true but you will need to think whether the workload is manageable or the environment will fit your taste.

I'm an educator myself but I choose to work near my place and as a result...