to be nervous about a job interview!! what will they ask me?

[lifeisafunnyoldgame]

I applied for a job, past its closing date. Applied on Thursday and contacted on Friday inviting me to an interview on Monday.

I know of 2 people also with interviews for the same post, who both have lots more experience than me, and are both currently working in this field. (Early Years) The EYFS changed in September and I also started my support in teaching and learning at the same time, as I was struggling to find vacancies for a level 3 position. So my knowledge of EYFS is a little out of date, but I have a training revision for it on the 4th Feb. I still volunteer in the setting where I qualified as I wanted to keep my toes in the water, as it is a job I love.

So AIBU to be bricking it?
What will they ask me?

No idea, but good luck!

You need to know a bit about the organisation you are applying to. You will be asked why you are interested in the job & what your strengths & weaknesses are. Back up your answers with examples. But not like one applicant did to me; I asked what he thought his greatest asset was & he said 'my body' haaa

Depends on the job but I've been asked at interviews what I know about the company and how I think I could help it progress. What did I think the purpose of the company was?

Have you any ideas that could help the company forward? Mention your forthcoming training and voluntary work.

Is there anything in the voluntary work that might be relevant?

Sorry yes, should have said. The job is in a pre-school, and will mainly be for 1-1 support, but also with the whole group on certain days.

They require my qualification as a minimum.

My current voluntary work is in a pre-school now, where there have previously been children with additional needs.

Don't be scared that there are others with more experience or better qualifications than you. I once got turned down for a job because I had bucket loads of experience and they wanted someone they could mould to their way of doing things and felt I may have been too stuck in the previous employers ways.

Hm maybe I could say that MammaTJ.....

If it's working with children they will def ask about your knowledge on safeguarding, would also expect a few what would you do if ...... questions, they will prob start by asking you a bit about yourself and why you applied for the role so spend some time considering a little opening 'speech' for this.

Thanks oldslippers. Currently doing the safeguarding unit on the STL so its all fresh at the minute, so that's good.

So I will go in the room, smiling...then what?

this has interview questions on it

Look through the job and person spec and identify the weaker points in your application on paper. Most interviews are competency based so it would help if you could have examples in mind to illustrate your experience in those areas and how you might handle particular scenarios.

The question that throws most candidates we have is "What does equal opportunities mean to you?"

Prepare tons of examples of situations you've encountered in your life/studies/career, that illustrate different qualities from the person specification. Last couple of interviews I've had have been like that, I believe its called a competency based interview.

So every question begins "tell us about a time where..." and finishes with "...you had to deal with a difficult client and how you dealt with it" "...you had to learn something new very quickly and what techniques you used" "...you created a new system or process and what you learned" etc etc

There's no job description or specification for me to look through, they had removed all the details before I contacted them. They just asked me to send my CV, same day! I will read the link now.

Brill there's a job and person spec on the link, phone doesn't like thos files, so will get on the laptop soon.

Equal opportunities.... That each individual, should be given the opportunity to try any activity, and adapt it where necessary?

I work in a pre-school and started a new job in December
At the interview they asked about my experience and what I knew about the EYFS, about safeguarding, about equal opportunities and inclusion and about confidentiality.
They might ask you about what qualities and skills you can bring to the post and they might also ask about where you see yourself in 5 years time.
Key issues in the early years are inclusion, supporting children with transitions, developing emotional intelligence, promoting attachment and developing children's independence, as well as treating all children as individuals.
Also in the new EYFS the quality of teaching is emphasised and understanding how children learn is paramount- check out the characteristics of effective learning.www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/Development-Matters.pdf page 4-7
good luck!

Yep! If you look at the link, it also gives guidance to "model answers" so for the equal opps question, a good answer might touch on, "Treat each child as individual. Respect race, religion, culture and gender."

Your answer would be more than acceptable though! Inclusion and making things accessible for everybody is all part of it.

Thanks, that's fab.

Phew, was caught on the off with that!! Will give it a good read through later on.

I interviewed applicants for a preschool job last July. Done of them couldn't answer questions about safeguarding which meant an instant no. The other mistakes was an applicant who answered every question with we rather than I eg " we complete learning journeys on a weekly basis". If there are children around make sure you actually interact with them.

I've been on the interview panel in a school & would say just try to remember they're not trying to trick you - an interview is just a chance to get to know you. For most questions there is no right answer - they're just looking for some passion to show you actually want the job. Try to speak as fully as you can after each question & if you need them to repeat it just ask or if you need a bit of thinking time before you speak take it. The only exception to this is the safeguarding question which will probably be something like what would you do if a child made a disclosure - the answer is always not pressing or questionning the child, not offering confidentiality, then passing information on to the designated person. Good luck. X

Yep the disclosure thing....always listen to child, never ask questions, never make a promise to them, pass info to safeguarding officer, and keep a log od date/time.

Then up to S.O to deal with. Is that right?

Do research in advance on the employer and on potential interview questions (google them)

Makes notes of where you've got evidence of displaying the qualities they might be looking for.

Take the notes in with you and refer to them if you get stuck. An interview is not a memory test and preparing the notes will prompt you to think about your skills, so will be useful even if you don't get asked about it directly.

I was hoping the interview was during opening hours for interaction, but it isn't.