Preschool & Childcare Center Director Interview Questions & Answers

Preschool and childcare center directors supervise and lead their staff, design program plans, oversee daily activities, and prepare budgets.

Interviewers look for candidates that demonstrate excellent skills such as:

• Communication skills
• Leadership skills
• Organizational skills
• Business skills
• Interpersonal skills

In this blog, we discuss commonly asked interview questions during job interviews for Preschool & Childcare Center Director positions. We also discuss the qualities that interviewers look for in successful candidates. In other words, we’re here to help you out!

Also, read more about frequently asked job interview questions here and check our job interview preparation checklist.

Skills Interviewers Look For In Successful Candidates

Below we discuss the skills you can highlight in your answers to demonstrate that you’re qualified for the job.

Business skills

Why interviewers are interested in your business skills:

Preschool and childcare center directors manage childcare centers and need to be able to operate the business effectively.

Communication skills

Why interviewers are interested in your communication skills:

Directors inform parents and staff about the children’s progress. They need good writing and speaking skills to convey this information.

Related: Childcare Interview Questions & Answers

Interpersonal skills

Why interviewers are interested in your interpersonal skills:

Preschool and childcare center directors must be able to develop relationships with parents, children, and staff.

Leadership skills

Why interviewers are interested in your leadership skills:

Preschool and childcare center directors need leadership skills to supervise staff and inspire diligence. They also must enforce rules and regulations.

Learn more about leadership interview questions and how to answer them!

Organizational skills

Why interviewers are interested in your organizational skills:

Directors need to maintain clear records about children and staff. In addition, they must be able to multitask when several people or situations require their attention.

Learn more about organizational interview questions and how to answer them!

(source: bls.gov)

Preschool & Childcare Center Director Job Interview Questions & Answers

During a job interview, the hiring manager wants to discuss several things. Think of your:

• Employment history
• Skills and abilities
• Accomplishments
• Job qualifications
• Educational background
• Career goals
• Personality

Below you find a list of commonly asked interview questions.

Examples Of General Preschool & Childcare Center Director Interview Questions

1. Tell me about yourself.
2. How would you describe yourself?
3. Why do you want to work here?
4. What interests you about this position?
5. Walk me through your resume.
6. What motivates you?
7. Why are you leaving your current job?
8. Describe your work ethic.
9. What is your greatest strength?
10. How does your experience qualify you for this job?
11. What is your greatest weakness?
12. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
13. Tell me about a challenging work situation and how you overcame it.
14. What are your expectations for this position?
15. What are your career goals?
16. Why should we hire you?
17. What did you like most about your last position?
18. What did you like least about your last position?
19. How do you handle stress?
20. What is your greatest accomplishment?

Learn how to answer these common job interview questions!

Examples Of Specific Preschool & Childcare Center Director Behavioral Interview Questions

Learn more about answering behavioral interview questions by using the STAR interview technique.

1. Tell me more about your budgeting experience and how you operate a preschool or childcare center effectively. Can you give me some examples?
2. Describe a time you helped develop a new policy within an education environment.
3. Have you ever mentored someone? What was your role as a mentor, and what results did you achieve together?
4. How would you decide on organizing a suitable team-building activity for your staff?
5. Can you give me an example of how you motivate and develop staff? What is your approach, and what results did you get in the past?
6. How would you involve parents in the education of their children? Can you give me an example?
7. What is the most challenging situation you faced in your career? How did you handle it? What did you learn from it?
8. Tell me how you measure and evaluate the effectiveness and success of your actions. Can you give me an example?
9. Give me an example of the methods and strategies you have used to resolve conflicts between students, teachers, or parents.
10. Tell me about a time you performed a task you had no experience in. How did you approach it? What results did you get?

Learn more about questions to ask the interviewer during your job interview.