Employers that provide children's services, like schools, daycare centers, recreational facilities and sports facilities, prefer to hire employees who understand and communicate well with kids. While education related to early childhood development, education or childcare is a plus, so are skills like responsibility, patience and a playful sense of humor.
Highlight all of your experience working with children, providing detailed descriptions of the specific work you've done with kids. This approach demonstrates your enthusiasm for the work and your ability to connect with kids.
Advertisement Article continues below this adI had the opportunity to interact with amazingly talented kids at a summer theater camp program. We worked together on stage design, dialect coaching and dramatic technique. It was incredibly rewarding as a coach and counselor to watch some of the shy kids blossom over the summer.
Share what you enjoy about working with kids in addition to defining your professional experience. The interviewer can read your work history on your resume, but it's how you talk about your love of children that will grab attention. For example, if you're interviewing for a teaching position, discuss your philosophy on teaching in a diverse classroom. Let your comments show that you see children as individuals and you strive to make a difference for each one.
Advertisement Article continues below this adEvery child is different, and part of what I love about my job is that I get to help each one discover his own strengths and talents and nurture those traits through my educational approach.
Outline the personal traits that make you good with children and link them to the specific job you are applying for. For example, if you're interviewing for a recreation center manager position, talk about your favorite leisure activities and play up your energy level, upbeat personality and how you put special twists on games and activities to make them more interesting and inclusive.
Advertisement Article continues below this adI hated picking teams when I was a kid, so to avoid hurt feelings, when I manage recreation leagues, we run a four-square scramble to choose teams. It's fun, there's no exclusion and everyone's on even ground.
Emphasize your ability to be responsible, reliable, authoritative, yet fair. Working well with children isn't just a matter of connecting with them, it's also about ensuring a safe environment, following a curriculum when called for, and providing guidance, instruction and support. Be prepared to answer behavioral-style interview questions about how you behaved in past workplace scenarios. These might include a question like, "Describe a time an introverted child refused to engage. How did you handle it?"
Advertisement Article continues below this adBe prepared to answer behavioral-style interview questions about how you behaved in past classroom or workplace scenarios. For instance, you might be asked to describe a time you helped a reluctant, introverted child engage in activities.