Olivia D’almeida – Greenwood Early Education

Community manager at the Greenwood Early Education in Homebush, Olivia, is responsible for all things around enrollments and ensuring parents feel confident leaving their children in the centre’s care.
Her tip to anyone wanting to work with children is to not be afraid of being a kid yourself!
See more of her tips and career story below.

What did you study to get into your role?

Diploma In Children’s Services

Tell us more about your role and what a typical day at work looks like for you…

In a nutshell, I manage enrolments for the centre. Starting from tours of the centre through to the welcoming the families and making them feel comfortable with leaving their children with us. There is no typical day at work, every day is busy, fun and different. The learning for me as an educator and for the children never stops.

What did you want to be when you were younger?

I wanted to be a veterinarian as I absolutely love and adore animals. I then later realised that If I actually love them that being a vet wouldn’t be the best job for me.

What was your first job and what do you think it taught you?

My first job was a Hungry Jacks on the Gold Coast. This job taught me a whole lot of people skills, how to deal with complaints and how to adjust my approach to people to make the experience better.

What’s the most important career tip someone has given you?

If you want to see a change you have to be a change.

What career advice do you wish someone had given you when you finished high school?

Don’t rush into making career choices, live and explore so you find what you really want to do with your life.

Name the best and worst parts of starting your job

The best part about starting my job is that every day is different and that gives me a challenge and opportunity to learn new things.
The worst part is when it’s time for families and children to leave the centre at the end of the year – saying goodbye isn’t the best feeling.

What qualities and skills should people have if they want work with children and education?

A whole lot of patience
Eagerness to learn and be willing to upskill
Not afraid to be a child themselves

Where do people have to start to work in child care and what is the standard salary?

The best place to start is to get on the job experience as a trainee. The standard wage for a trainee is $18 p/h depending on their age.

Name a career highlight

The amount of love and appreciation you get back from the children and their families. Also seeing the children grow and develop into confident individuals.

Think a career with kids is your calling? Start exploring our courses in Child Care and Early Childhood Education.