Finding Your Work Family

By Emma Thomas 

Most of us spend 5 days per week at work. So you want to make sure that you are doing something you love in a place that supports you and shares your values! I like to think of it as ‘finding your work family’. We all have different needs and priorities, so you can be sure there is the perfect centre for you out there. 

Know what you want

Take time and really consider what you want out of your workplace. What is most important to you?

Are you looking for a big centre with lots of people and opportunities? Or a small centre where you can get to know everyone personally?

Where do you want to work? Close to home? Are you willing to move for the right job? Are you interested in working at the beach or in the bush?

Would you prefer to help open a new centre and be part of building culture and practises from the ground up? Or are you looking for a well established centre where the process and procedures have been refined over many years. 

Think about your personality, family life and other commitments when considering these things. 

Communicate clearly

Be clear from the start about what you need in your job. Are you looking for specific holidays or above award wages? Do you need flexible or specific hours to fit in with your life? 

And what do you bring to the table? What makes you someone worth hiring and investing in? Do you have special skills or musical talents? Are you flexible with work hours? Do you speak another language or bake?

Trust your gut

Find somewhere that feels like home. You want to walk in and feel welcomed. When you look around a centre and see how they keep their physical environment you can guess how they treat their staff. Watch the educators and how they care for children and families – do you think they will care for you? 

Philosophy

You have to share philosophy to work together. As beautiful as some centres are, if there is a disconnect between your philosophies it won’t work. Be clear about your personal philosophy – who inspires you in your professional practice? 

Career Progression

Can you see yourself staying at this centre long term? Is there room to grow as an educator? There tends to be lots of movement in our sector, but finding a long term work home is very rewarding. 

Be part of the solution 

When you are working at a centre you’ve now got the chance to help build culture! You can experiment with new activities and experience or introduce practices that you have been involved at in other centres. 

So what do we offer?

Here at Kenmore Hills Early Learning we’d love to get to know you! We pride ourselves on being a family run centre. We’re not too big and not too small – some would say we are just right. We love ‘wildhood’ and share this with children through our Bush Kindy and resident animals. 

The benefits of work with us are:

• Professional development
• Flexible scheduling
• Supportive owners and managers 
• Networking opportunities
• Mentoring and support from Astute Early Years Specialists 
• Employee discount 

To learn more about joining our team, click here.