- Explain me why should we hire you as Day Care Manager?
Because I possess all the skills you require for the position. Additionally, I’m very dedicated towards childcare giving as a profession. I possess inborn traits needed to succeed as a child caregiver like patience, energy and creativity.
- Why did you leave your previous job as Day Care Manager?
I enjoyed working with my previous employer a lot, but I constantly felt a need to extend my experiences and work in a more extensive childcare environment that enables one on one interaction with children.
- What qualifies you for this position as Day Care Manager?
I have a background in teaching as well as many administrative positions. I am confident that once I see the operations of this school I will be an asset to maintain and grow this team.
- What are your salary expectations as Day Care Manager?
Many consider this question to be a loaded gun – dangerous in the hands of the inexperienced. Often times, an interviewee will start talking salary before they’ve had an opportunity to illustrate their skill set and value making any sort of leverage valueless. Here, knowledge is power, as salary often comes down to negotiation. Do some research into your industry to establish base rates of pay based on seniority and demand but keep in mind – your employer is hiring you for what they believe you are worth, and how much benefit they feel you will provide.
- Please explain how do you encourage children to work in groups?
Group work is essential for learning cooperation and collaboration. How do you incorporate group work into your activities? Discuss a couple of projects you instigated such as a hands-on art activity that involved the preschoolers working together in groups.
- Please explain what are the key responsibilities of a preschool teacher?
“Preschool education is not just about teaching letters and numbers but also about instilling values and characteristics such as a love of learning, curiosity, discipline, teamwork, independence, communication and socialization skills.”
- Tell me what drove you to take up the role of a child caregiver as a career?
I love children. There is no better way to explain my motive. Looking after children and teaching them the ways of the world gives me satisfaction like nothing else can. It is pure pleasure to see them growing up to be fine young men and women.
- Please explain what do you consider to be the role of parents in preschool?
As a preschool teacher you need to be able to balance the needs of the parents and children.
You want parental buy-in. Discuss how you communicate with and involve the parents including newsletters, notes home, progress reports, organizing family days and parent activities.
- Explain me what is your background with children?
I have provided care to newborn babies and children aged up to 10 years. I can handle children’s personal and nutritional needs perfectly and have helped older children with homework as well. Since I have been a child caregiver for 12 years, I have seen, experienced and managed even the toughest situations with children quite easily.
- Tell me what type of educational activities do you believe a child will enjoy?
Depending on the age of the child, there are a number of physical games, puzzles and memory games that I use to keep them engaged during the time that the parents are away.
- Why do you want to work with us as Day Care Manager?
Gather some background information regarding the hiring firm first and then answer the question by stating some features of the firm that help them standout form other firms. For example: ‘I have always heard well about the childcare services provided by this firm. Since I am a passionate and dedicated child care giver, I couldn’t think of a better place to join’.
- Please explain your approach to classroom management?
Possible answers to this type of preschool teacher interview question include:
“Managing a class full of preschoolers is challenging, I have to gain their respect and ensure appropriate behavior without intimidating them. A successful approach is to control the classroom while keeping things educational, enjoyable and encouraging.
I achieve this through excellent organization of both learning activities and the learning environment. The classroom is a supportive and structured environment where children learn while having fun.”
- Tell me WHAT DOES “WORKING REMOTELY” ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?
A lot of people want remote work because of the flexibility it allows. You can work from anywhere and at any time of day.
The boss wants to know: Are you going to be in a coworking space, your home office, a coffee shop, the library, a hotel room?
It’s important because it determines how you’ll fit into the team. Do you spend time with the kids every day between 3 and 5? Or maybe you work from home and you’re pretty much “on call” throughout the day.
- Tell me why did you choose to become a preschool teacher?
A preschool teacher is a demanding job requiring specific dedication and motivation.
This includes a natural passion for encouraging and helping young children to reach their potential, a genuine enjoyment of being surrounded by children, a strong feeling of reward resulting from the successes of the children in your care and a desire to respond to and empathize with the struggles and challenges the children may face.
- Tell me have you ever had to advocate for a patient’s care, and if so, what did you do?
A patient care coordinator must ensure patients receive the care they need, but when there are roadblocks, I rely on a multifaceted approach to advocate for their needs. In the past, I have had to navigate obstacles such as schedule conflicts, uncooperative patients and insufficient communication. To combat these and deliver the treatment a patient needs, I advocate for patients with persistence. This may take the form of involving additional support, gaining necessary clearance for treatments or finding an alternate way to coordinate care. By following up and staying focused on long-term health goals, I can effectively advocate and overcome the obstacles standing in the way.
- What do you see yourself doing in five years as Day Care Manager?
This one is all about job commitment.
Some people make job hopping a career in of itself, and your answer here can be telling. Here, your interviewer is determining if you are:
☛ someone who sets goals
☛ someone who has a vision
☛ someone who is reliable
☛ someone who demonstrates commitment
☛ someone who is loyal
While no interviewer expects someone to stay at a company forever, try and craft your response in such a way that shows progression in your career, and alignment with the Company’s needs and future. Again, self-awareness is key – your employer doesn’t want to send you down an unwanted path, resulting in wasted time and energy for everyone.
- Explain me what do you like most about the preschool teaching job?
“The highlight of my teaching day is when I see the excitement of the children when they learn something new, when they are able to do something for the first time. It is very fulfilling how responsive young children are to learning, to see their enthusiasm for different and fresh activities.”
“I enjoy getting to know each child as a unique individual, finding out what makes them tick and then using this knowledge to help them grow, to maximize their strengths and to build their confidence and competence. I find it so rewarding to be an integral part of their development.”
- Explain about your education?
I graduated high school in 1985, then I went to Santa Monica College to study business and accounting. I stopped a couple classes shy of my associates degree when I was pregnant with my first child.
- Tell me i like what I’m hearing but we’ve got a ton of great candidates. Why should we hire you?
An easy question to answer well with one caveat – don’t slam your fellow interviewee’s. On the one hand, you have an opportunity to really stand out from the pack. Alternatively, You shouldn’t assume the skills of other applicants. Focus on your own strengths, and if the interviewer hasn’t given you an opportunity to mention that one “slam dunk” quality about yourself, now would be the time.
Is there a wrong way to answer this question? Consider the responses below:
☛ “I really need a job right now”
☛ “I need the money”
☛ “Your office is really close to my house”
☛ “I’ve always been interested in what you guys do”
Notice any commonality here? All of these answers demonstrate a benefit to you. While every employer assumes that these sorts of things play in on some level, these are not the reasons they are going to hire you.
- Tell me how do you demonstrate empathy towards patients in a professional and constructive manner?
I demonstrate empathy by treating all patients with respect and dignity. I understand that patients are often in a vulnerable position, so I aim to provide care that addresses their concerns, meets their health needs and advances their long-term care objectives. In doing this, I emphasize communication and patient involvement in order to show that I care about them, their input and their treatment. This not only improves their experience, it also makes empathy an integral part of their care. I aim to make it a part of the overall treatment plan rather than simply a concept.
- I don’t expect you to go into too much details; but why are you leaving your last job?
An innocent question. But a question that if answered improperly, can be a deal breaker. While many individuals will be looking to a new job as a means of increasing their salary, “not being paid well enough at your last job” is not something you want to mention to your interviewer. After all, are you not likely to leave this particular job if you found you could make more down the street?
If you’re currently employed and leaving of your own accord, craft your response around enhancing your career development and a seeking out of new challenges.
If your current employer is downsizing, be honest about it, remain positive, but keep it brief. If your employer fired you or let you go for cause, be prepared to give a brief – but honest – reply. No matter how tempting it may be, or how “unfair it was that they let you go” steer clear away from any and all drama and negativity. Any experienced employer understands that sometimes things happen. Staying positive is key here.
- Explain how you created a happy learning environment for the children in your previous job?
This preschool teacher interview question is to evaluate how well you manage your classroom. Effective organization is the cornerstone to this. Describe how you have created a welcoming, structured and supportive learning environment.
- Explain me as far as preliminary education is concerned, how to you handle your wards?
I employ a school-readiness program for children not yet of school going age. Teaching them language and numbers using appropriate preschool methods is my feat.
- Explain me what is your strategy for ensuring your patients receive every aspect of the care they need?
Coordinating care, often in an interdisciplinary application, can pose challenges, but I prioritize open communication in order to accomplish it. If my patient requires care from a nutritionist as well as a nurse and a physical therapist, the best way to satisfy all these needs is to maintain strong communication among all providers and be diligent in ensuring the appropriate care is delivered. I also proactively involve patients in their own treatment and communications with providers. This way, patients are empowered and a lapse does not go unnoticed.
- Tell us what experience do you have with respects to this particular DAY CARE MANAGER position?
Ever since my first paper route at age 10 I’ve been doing something to keep myself busy and earn money. Back then, it was obviously about earning some spending money. What I didn’t realize was that I was actually starting the journey of establishing what I liked to do and how I fit in to the grand scheme of things. I then worked as a junior computer tech in my last 2 summers of high school. It was here that I discovered what I was passionate about and what I wanted to do. I enrolled in college to get my degree in computer sciences, and I have been working around technology ever since.
- Please explain an example of when you had to recently deal with a concerned or angry parent?
Parental involvement can be negative as well as positive. It is important to be able to manage this.
Appropriate methods include speaking privately to the parent away from the children, listening closely to the parent’s concerns, asking the right questions and ensuring you understand the situation before you explain or discuss possible solutions, showing genuine concern and empathy and remaining calm and professional.
- Tell me how would you handle upset parents complaining that their child is being teased by another child?
I would calmly convince them that I’ll try my best to make sure it doesn’t happen again and that I’d instill and reinforce the value of empathy among all pupils involved.
- Tell me as a teacher, what activities did you create or implement that saw the most improvement out of your children?
The activities that they are involved in are the ones that I see the children get the most out of. Also if the activity is interesting to the child, if they are part of the activity they feel a sense of belonging.
- Tell us what do you like most about children?
Their enthusiasm. Each child that I have had the good fortune to look after, has been a complete joy owing to his or her individuality. Children have so much capacity to learn and as a mentor and caregiver, I like the fact that I can be a positive influence on how they will lead their adult life.
- Tell me HOW DO YOU SCHEDULE YOUR DAY?
Here’s what this question is asking: When do you get focused and start working in earnest? What are the hours that you work optimally? Are you a night owl? A morning bird?
Remote teams can be made up of people working different shifts and all around the world so you won’t necessarily be stuck in the 9-to-5 if that’s not your thing. And remote jobs are often flexible as far as day-to-day routines are concerned. So you can also arrange your work in the way that’s best for you – as long as you get it all done.
- Personality/Working Style/Other Day Care Manager Interview Questions:
☛ This position requires a lot of independent thinking and initiative. There is minimal supervision. Could you handle that?
☛ Would you rather draw up plans and design a program or be responsible for implementing a program? Why?
☛ How would your weaknesses interfere with your ability to do this job?
☛ What kinds of problems do you like to handle? Can you give me an example.
☛ What do you think is going to happen in the field in the next five years?
☛ Are you a member of any professional organizations?
- Assessment of Skills/Technique based Day Care Manager Interview Questions:
☛ Are you sensitive? Are you intuitive?
☛ Are you an active listener? Are you able to engage clients?
☛ How do you describe your personal boundaries?
☛ What kinds of things go into a psychological assessment?
☛ Do you believe in short term or long-term treatment?
☛ How do you handle termination?
☛ Think of a client you have liked/disliked and tell me how you dealt with the counter transference issues.
- May/May Not Apply Depending on Position Type based Day Care Manager Interview Questions:
☛ Do you feel you can be objective in counseling a teen about abortion?
☛ What do you think of the welfare system?
☛ What do you think of the recent welfare changes?
☛ What are your thoughts on managed care?
☛ What techniques do you use in crisis intervention work?
☛ How would you handle a psychotic outburst in the clinic waiting room?
☛ In terms of family therapy, what is your theoretical orientation?
☛ Are you prepared to make home visits?
☛ What are the risk assessment/signs of abuse/neglect?
- General Day Care Manager Interview Questions:
☛ Why have you selected a career in social work?
☛ How is your previous experience applicable to the work we do here?
☛ Have you had the experience of working with people of a race or sexual orientation different from yours? (be able to articulate how culture impacts our work re: abuse/neglect/prevention/ intervention etc.)
☛ What do you hope to accomplish as a social worker?
☛ What do you judge to be your major successes or accomplishments in your fieldwork? How did you achieve these?
☛ What major disappointments/failures have you had in fieldwork? Or
☛ Knowing what you know now, is there something you would do differently in the management of one of your fieldwork cases?
- Our field is always changing as you know. As such, what have you done with regards to personal development when it comes to our posted DAY CARE MANAGER POSITION in the last 12 months?
That is a really great question. While I haven’t had the opportunity to develop within this particular role per se, I have actually become very involved in my local food bank this year. This has taught me a great deal about community, teamwork, and taking initiative.
I took it upon myself to enroll in a summer business admin course at the local community college. Through this, I picked up some really great knowledge on communication and teamwork, as well as further develop overall managerial skills. Though it may not be directly applicable to this particular job, I believe the overall experience I gained could be a real asset here.
- Tell me how long have you worked at this position and what is your experience with children between the ages of five and ten?
I have worked as a child caregiver for ten years. While most of my wards have been babies, I have provided care to children aged 6, 8, 9 and 10 as well. With older children, it is not about assisting them in eating and changing; it is more about working with their activities to ensure that they become good human beings.
- Tell me as the director of our facility, how important is a child’s safety and what measures would you take to ensure parents that their children are being left and watched in great care?
Child’s safety is a number one priority. As an educator it is our duty of care to provide a safe environment for children.
- Tell me what have you found to be the best way to monitor the performance of your work and/or the work of others?
Keeping lists. Asking for feedback, and frequently touching base with team members.
- Tell us would you apply the same principles in bringing up your wards, as you were subjected to?
Never. It doesn’t make sense. Things have changed drastically. A reasonable amount of discipline is very important but pulling strings too hard can actually have an adverse effect on children of today. I always keep a balance of discipline, understanding and leeway.
- Tell me what skills do you possess that qualify you to provide patient care?
Coordinating patient care may entail acting as a care provider myself, or it may simply be handling care provided by others. In either role, however, a coordinator must be able to multitask and competently handle the delivery of patient treatment. My written and spoken communication skills enable me to effectively do this, and my attention to detail ensures I do so with the utmost of accuracy. I also bring a genuine passion and empathy for patients to the position, which motivates me to provide them with the best care available. Each of these skills helps me treat patients effectively and proactively advance their health.
- What are your strengths as Day Care Manager?
While this question is an invitation to do some chest pounding, remember to illustrate strengths that will benefit the employer and are relative to the position. For example:
☛ being a problem solver
☛ being a motivator
☛ being a natural leader
☛ the ability to perform under pressure
☛ a positive attitude
☛ loyalty
Are typically all solid strengths, but again, consider the position. For example, mentioning you are an excellent “team player” in a job where you largely work alone suddenly becomes irrelevant to the employer and demonstrates a genuine lack of self-awareness.
- Please summarize your preschool teaching philosophy?
This is a personal question that you need to think about in-depth before your job interview. Possible examples include:
“I strongly believe it is important for preschoolers to be in an environment that is both consistent and secure. A nurturing and supportive school environment makes the child feel safe and instills confidence. I believe learning and development are optimized when a child is secure and comfortable.”
“I believe that a mixture of structured activities and free and creative play allow for optimal learning and fun. Each child is an unique individual and should be allowed to learn at his or her own pace. Activities should be centered on establishing self-esteem and confidence”
- Tell us do you have any references?
Yes! I have provided the details of 3 strong references on my resume.
- Tell me how do you deal with difficult parents?
By listening, empathizing, and coming to a mutually beneficial solution as quickly as I can. I find most people really want to feel heard and understood above all, it will diffuse most intense situations.
- Tell us how have you handled a recent behavioral problem in the classroom?
Discuss how you speak to the children involved, explore the reason for the bad behavior, show them the difference between right and wrong, guide and help the children towards appropriate behavior. Detail the types of discipline you use. Support why you use these methods.
“I prefer to use time out with preschool children. It gives the child time to cool off and reflect on what he or she has done. After a couple of minutes of being removed from the group I discuss the misbehavior with the child and provide guidance for selecting the right response or behavior the next time”
This is an opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge of child development :
“Children who behave aggressively at this age are often unable to verbalize their feelings because they lack the language skills.”
- Tell me what do you consider your strengths as a preschool teacher?
Possible strengths include the ability to observe each child keenly and objectively in order to best meet each individual needs, planning and organizational skills to ensure the day is a productive as possible, strong communication skills to build positive relationships with each child, dedication, flexibility, energy and creativity, high levels of patience and a good sense of humor!
- Tell me how can you convince us that you are the right person for our child?
I have excellent references that will vouch for my loving nature and the ability to carry out my work in an appropriate manner. I am willing to provide you contact information of my references so you can check them out.
- Do you have any experience of care giving with children having special needs?
‘Yes.'(explain the experience)or, ‘No, but I’m willing to take up a position of child care giving that requires caring for special needs children’.
- Explain example of when you accomplished a goal that was personally challenging?
I accomplished my certificate 3 in early childhood and my diploma in early childhood while working full time. It was challenging in the sense that I had a huge responsibility in the centre and also alot of work to do outside of the centre.
- Tell me how do you stay current on new children’s activities, and teaching techniques?
I proactively attend training seminars and research new ideas on a frequent basis.
- Explain me a little about yourself: how were you brought up and disciplined as a child?
I come from a conservative family which did not tolerate misbehavior of any kind. Religion played an important role in my upbringing as did discipline in everything, including games. It was a tough childhood but it made me who I am today so I am grateful for that.
- Explain HOW DO YOU USE DIFFERENT COMMUNICATION TOOLS IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS?
When you work on a remote team, there’s no chance to chat in the hall between meetings or catch up on the latest project during a shared ride to the office. So virtual communication will be absolutely fundamental to you getting your job done. And you’ll be using all kinds of tools to communicate – email, online chat, video hangouts, project management software, etc.
By asking this question about the tools and situations, your interviewer wants to know if you are familiar with them and savvy about what to use when.
- Tell me in this position, you may find yourself dealing with conflicting demands from patients, their families and health care providers. How do you handle situations like this?
As a patient care coordinator, I know I need to juggle multiple responsibilities to multiple parties, and sometimes they may clash. The best way to resolve this is to determine the point of contention and understand the reasoning each person has. I consult with each and make an informed decision about what is best for the patient’s care while maintaining empathy and patience in all my interactions.
- What are your weaknesses as Day Care Manager?
Another tricky one. The purpose of this question is to see how you view and evaluate yourself.
One the one hand, if you suggest you don’t have any weaknesses, your interviewer will almost certainly see you as a lair, egotistical, or both.
Don’t fall into the trap of trying to present a positive skill in disguise as a weakness, like “I work too hard” or “I am a perfectionist”. Any experienced interviewer will see through this in a heartbeat.
Additionally, revealing that “I’m not really a morning person and have been known to come in late” raises immediate and obvious red flags.
The trick here is to respond realistically by mentioning a small, work related weakness and what you are doing or have done to overcome it.
- As you know I am curious; how did you come to find out about our company and what do you know about us?
This can be a great way to stand out from other applicants and demonstrate initiative. Almost every company will have a website, Facebook page, Instagram account, or some sort of digital footprint. Spend a bit of time doing some online research:
☛ If they have a website, check out their “About us” or “Culture/Mission/Vision” pages.
☛ Who are some of the principal people who work there? Who are the founders?
☛ What sorts of things does this company care about? Do they donate to a particular cause or charity? Which one(s)?
☛ What are their core values? Which of their core values resonate with you?
☛ Has the company been in the news recently or have they won any awards (Social Media can be a great place to find this information).
- Tell me as a day care manager, what is your management style?
In my experience delegating responsibility and authority is crucial. A team needs to be able to develop and grow as individuals and a whole, not be held back by low expectations or ego.
I believe in building a team. Each member of the team should be clear on their role, know where they fit in and feel as though they can depend on one another. I also believe in real-time feedback. If you do something wrong you should know it immediately. Regardless of right or wrong, the further removed feedback is in time, the less effective it is.
- Explain about a typical daily schedule in your classroom?
Provide a concise overview of the types of activities you engage the preschoolers in, rather than a minute-to-minute account of your day. Give reasons for your choice of schedule.
“I like to mix it up between indoor and outdoor activity, big and small group and individual activities, free play and structured activities, and hands-on and listening activities . This keeps the children engaged and provides opportunities for both learning and fun. I start with a large group activity and then move on to ..”
Emphasize your ability to be flexible and to adapt your schedule to meet changing needs and demands.
- Tell us what do you like least?
It is important to be prepared for preschool interview questions like this.
“Children this age can so easily become distracted and I have found this a challenge. I have become less frustrated with this aspect as I have gained more experience and found effective ways to encourage concentration and focus such as involving the children more in the activity, asking them questions and seeking suggestions from them.”
- Tell me what do you like the least about your job?
The fact that one gets attached to children and it is difficult to let go when the time comes.
- Tell me what do you think a child needs most from a caregiver?
In general the child needs to be loved, listened, given importance and understood by the caregiver. I possess ample knowledge regarding child development and usually cater for the age specific needs of children.
- Explain your passion for children?
My passion for children is that they can be provided with love and support through every area of their life. I want children to feel a sense of belonging and help them to achieve their goals.
- Tell me why did you choose to pursue a career as Day Care Manager?
I know I can do a good job at it. I can still be with my children during holidays and most of the summer.