I applied online. The process took 3 days. I interviewed at The Y (YMCA) (San Jose, CA) in Jun 2012
Interview
Group interviews with an emphasis on problem solving. The air of the whole place was very casual, and was easy to get into. They stressed the idea of group problem solving rather than individual problem solving. The higher ups looked at groups for hiring, and some of the individuals that were very good got looked over because they were not team players.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
How would you(with your group of 4) respond to a child that is misbehaving in the program?
Very casual, my interviewer kept things focused on my ability to work with children, public speaking, and working on a team. If you have any experience with working with kids, be sure to have some stories of how you have dealt with incidents relating to behavior.
Group interview with other canidates and panelists. Mostly get to know you style and situtational tasks. You will be interviewing alongside other canidadtes so make sure you stand out and seem unique. Howeer don;t overdo it and remain humble and willing to learn.
Fairly relaxed, standard questions related to your interest and experience with early childhood education. They didn't really go over my resume- many workers were in high school, so their expectations likely weren't high.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Name one time you settled a conflict and how you did that.