To have expected to have easily got a job,,,

[Hando]

Working in a nursery?

To paint you a picture. (I need a rant, so this may get long). I am mid twenties studying a BA Hons degree part time and will be a qualified social worker once I graduate. I have recently completed a training course covering Every child matters and safeguarding young children, hold a full enhanced crb check and have done a first aid course too.

I left school with fantastic GCSE's, have excellent communication skills, both verbal and written and lots of experience working with people. I have my own young daughter, I'm happy, friendly and enthusiatic and love being around children.

I want to work in a nursery for the experience and to complete my NVQ 3 which will complement my degree nicely. I am applying for jobs which pay between 9-12k, much less than half what I was earning in the job I have just left!

However, because I have never worked in a nursery before I have so far found it impossible to even get a nursery manager to view my cv or have me in for an interview. It's so frustrating!

My daughter attended two nurseries when she was younger and at each all the staff were about 17-20 years old apart from the manager. Her key worker at both nurseries lacked social skills and didn't interact very well with the children (the reason we left both) and all the staff who had ever written in her daily diary could hardly string a sentence together and couldn't spell. I know being a kind and caring person doesn't require a degree in English language but I would have thought a basic knowledge of English would have been essential for liasing with parents. Anyway,

AIBU expecting to be able to get this job? I (perhaps wrongly) thought it would be easy.

Also, on a side note - Why on Earth do the people who we entrust with our most precious "things" get paid so utterly low wages. I will only be doing this for a year or so whilst studying, so I am lucky, but someone doing this as a career shouldn't have to work so terribly hard long hours for such a meagre wage!

I can get a job (have been offered a maternity leave cover role) working for the local councils' social services team paying double that of a nursery assistant and still be able to do my NVQ, but it won't be anywhere near as interesting and rewarding as working in a nursery for a year or so would have been

Opinions greatly appreciated....

[Hando]

,,, should of course be ... - typing in the dark isn't easy!

[colditz]

YABU - you're going to get your experience and leave. They want continuity of care, preferably from someone ignorant and docile enough to underpay and overwork. They don't have to be fabulous, they just have to be legal.

[colditz]

PSMinimum wage is lower for people under 22, which, I suspect, is why nursery workers are often so very very young.

[ScaryFucker]

well, rightly or wrongly, I think you will be viewed as "trouble"

too qualified, too bolshy, too educated (this is absolutely not meant to be a slur against childcare workers, I used nurseries for both my kids)

however, get over it

If I was a nursery manager I would be wanting to employ somebody who was in it 'cos they wanted to be, not someone who needs it for their CV

[Hando]

Oh no Colditz, I'm not trying to scam any nurseries ro upset any little ones by suddenly leaving I've been applying only for temporary positions, There seem to be lots for a year or so to cover mat. leave or for other vaious reasons. So they're not refusing me because I'm going to get my nvq and then leave.

The minimum wage thing is a good point though. Eeek! I'm 25 and too old!

[Hando]

Yes, Scary you have a point. But I do want to work with children, and will definitely be once I graduate, the NVQ doesn't cost them anything either. Perhaps I am viewed as "trouble".

[colditz]

You will be veiwed as trouble.

I dumbed down quite a lot to get a care home job - one sniff of an idea that you will know when you are being exploited, and they will not employ you.

They don't want clever staff. The staff that are clever have not been employedbecause they are clever (although many of them are), they've been employed despite them being clever.

[famishedass]

how many jobs have you applied for so far at nurseries?

[ScaryFucker]

the days of getting a dumb-down job to get it on your CV are over IMO

too many people out there who really want to do the jobs, for its own sake, you see

and these establishments, to keep costs down, will employ the youngest, cheapest staff, and if they don't ask questions, all the better

sad, but true

[JustAnotherManicMummy]

There are very strict rules about discrimination when employing people and that includes at recruitment.

You can request information about why you were not offerred an interview and they have to prove that the other candidates were more suitable.

However, I don't think it's in either your interest or the nurseries to be taking legal action against them.

Although I would be tempted to ring the nursery managers to discuss this further and mention a few words like agesim, discrimination and legal representation. But then I am a cow

[ShinyAndNew]

My younger sister had the same problem. Unfortunately she had no interwievs for over two years. Despite the fact she had a degree in early childhood studies, excelleant gcses and experience from an early age, including experince with disabled children

She had full crb checks dating back since she left school

Once she did get an interview they actually created a position for her they were that impressed.

Don't give up hope just yet. There are good nurserys that will give people a chance.

[Hando]

Thanks all. I have applied for three, but to me that "feels" like quite a lot.

Perhaps I am a little egotistical as I thought they'd be likely to snap my hand off. (put in my place emoticon). I don't think I'd be "trouble" but I certainly know my rights and wouldn't take being exploited or seeing others treated badly.

Ah well, boring office job it is for the next year or so then.

Of course, if anyone here runs a nursery in SE London or Kent and wants to give me a job I promise to behave, accept low pay and keep quiet.

[nymphadora]

I applied for around 10 schools foe TA posts and only got 3 interviews after spending 11 years with schools/children and having HLTA status. One post (I know of) appointed someone new to the job . I was actually told by the majority it was because I was over qualified!

I now work for C.S. and it isn't anywhere near as rewarding but I get paid twice as much for less hours

[ScaryFucker]

aww, good luck hando

From your OP, you sounded a tad arrogant, like "why the hell wouldn't want the fantastic ole me..."

but I see you are not, and have taken your replies on board

all the best in your career x

[cornsilk]

You do come across as a bit arrogant from your OP. Maybe you are coming across like that in your CV/ interviews?

[navyeyelasH]

what about being an after school nanny, could that work?!

[famishedass]

People usually attend a lot more than 3 job interviews before they finally get a job IME.

It's just a numbers game, keep trying.

S

[Nahla]

Agree with ScaryFucker, I know not all nurseries are bad but maybe your social work degree is putting them off?

If it's not a good nursery they might also fear how you'll fit in with the other staff or they just know that you would hate the nursery so don't even bother to shortlist you.

Anyway, it says a lot more about the nursery than about you! Good luck!

[cookielove]

I feel insulted by some of things you have written about nursery workers, why should getting a job in a nursery be any more easier getting any other job, should it not be more difficult, seeing as they job is clearly very important. Engaging children everyday, providing a loving, stimulating and caring enviroment.

The wages are extremly low but as we all say we do not do it for the money. Is this not something to do with the lack of men in this kind of work? (although i could be wrong on this point) Also my managers wages are just covered by the money we take in from parents, are we to charge more to help fund are wages.

Not all nurseries or nursery workers fit in the same box, for example (at my nursery) none of the workers are under the age of 20, we are fully qualified, we actually are quite clever people, who have great communication skills and good relationships between co-workers and parents.

Maybe your prespective employers, are looking for already qualifed people that are there for the job long run and not just to finish off the nvq.

Working within a nursery is a really hard job and should been viewed as easy, i really love my job, but the stresses i face on a daily basis, def does not make it easy.

However if you are really determined i would apply apply apply, until you get an interview, and then i would drop the 'i'm so fab, so much better then what you have already got blah blah blah'

[nymphadora]

How can you commit to a job if you are doing SW degree?
IIRC SW will have f-t placements and you won't be inyoir regular job then

[Hando]

I re read my OP and yes I do come accross as a little arrogant, I think perhaps I am if I'm very honest. My c.v was aritten by a professional so none of my own "superiority complex" (ouch) shines through on that, and I haven't even been for an interview so that can't be it.

Cookie - I'm sorry you felt insulted. I have never said it was an easy job, if you read my OP I do say that nursery staff are serverly overworked and underpaid. I'm sure you are fantastic at your joba nd work really hard. However, I do see it as a job that I ammore than qualified to do and I know I could get a job that pays far more. But this is the one I want for the next year or so. My daughter has been in two large nurseries and apart fromt he room leader and managers they have all been very young girls and appear to be a quite uneducated - Bad grasp of the Enlish language, not able to write simple sentences or spell simple words. That is my experience, I'm sure, as you say is the case in your nursery, that many other places have intelligent and educated staff working for them.

Anyway, thanks for all your replies, I have taken them on board and will keep applying. I may leave the but about me doing a social work degree out of my initial telephone chats or letters to see if it's that which is putting them off.

I'm nice really, not too arrogant, I hope {hblush]

[Hando]

Nymphadora - I will be doing x2 100 day work placements in about a years time. They are not full time they are both 3 short days per week. But I have about a year til I do those placements so am planning on gettinga job in a nursery and finishing my NVQ3 until then. As I said, I have only been applying for temporary positions, so not going to up and leave them at short notice.

[Hando]

Ah!!! Typos galore!

[argento]

Three nurseries isn't that many to have applied for before getting a job, and yes they will be looking for experience over lots of education. The job market is tough at the moment and they probably get so many applicants that they filter out all those without experience automatically - it's not personal. Tbh your degree and gcses are irrelevant and you'll basically be a trainee that the nursery will have to put time and effort into training.

If I were you I would go to an agency to do nursery supply/bank work - the pay is also better than a permanent nursery job which will be minimum wage since you're unqualified.