Kindergarten assistant CV in Norway: what the manager looks for

Norwegian kindergartens hire on trust before they hire on experience. The *styrer* — the head of the kindergarten — reading your CV is picturing a room with fifteen children, a busy drop-off and parents who need to feel safe. Attitude, stability and the ability to speak simply and clearly with children count for more than a long list of courses.

For newcomers to Norway this is one of the most realistic ways into the labour market — and also one where the documentation requirements are explicit. Expect a police certificate, and be precise about your Norwegian.

Police certificate and the formal requirements

A police certificate (politiattest) is a legal requirement for working in a Norwegian kindergarten. It is submitted before you start, and it has to be clear. You do not obtain it in advance on your own initiative — it is tied to a concrete offer — but you can safely write in your CV or cover letter that you can provide one. That removes a question from the manager's list.

Assistant roles do not require a kindergarten teacher degree. If you have pedagogical education from abroad, mention it and say whether you have started an assessment with HK-dir, the directorate that handles recognition of foreign education. No formal qualification is not disqualifying for assistant roles — but then your experience with children has to be all the more visible.

The skeleton

One page, PDF, single column.

Name · phone · email · location
Profile: two lines on who you are and why kindergarten
Experience with children (including unpaid)
Other work experience
Education and courses
Languages — spoken and written separately
References

A constructed example:

Assistant (substitute) — municipal kindergarten, Trondheim (2024–2025)
Attached to a group of 14 children aged 3–5
Dressing, meals, outdoor play and reading sessions
Spoke Norwegian with the children all day, English only when needed
Gave short updates to parents at pick-up

Unpaid experience with children counts

Your own children, siblings you looked after, babysitting, Sunday school, sports coaching, homework help, volunteering at a reception centre. All of it is relevant, and many applicants leave it out because it was not a job. Write it as experience, with the children's ages and what you actually did. Age matters: someone who has worked with two-year-olds is assessed differently from someone who has coached twelve-year-olds.

Language: write what is true

The kindergarten runs in Norwegian all day — that is where the children learn the language. Writing "fluent Norwegian" when you are not there falls apart at interview. Write the level with an example instead: "Norwegian: good spoken in everyday situations, simple written. Speak Norwegian with children and follow instructions in staff meetings." Many managers accept weaker written Norwegian in an assistant role, but they want to know in advance.

What the pay data says

Median monthly salary for "Barnehage- og skolefritidsassistenter mv." (kindergarten and after-school assistants) is NOK 41,610, with the middle half between 37,680 and 44,830. Kindergarten teachers sit at 53,550 (Statistics Norway, table 11418, 2025). Worth knowing if you are considering qualifying later.

Common mistakes

Leaving out experience with your own children. It counts — write it as experience.
"I love children" as the only reason. It appears in nearly every application.
Overstating your Norwegian. It shows in the first conversation.
No availability. Kindergartens need people from early morning; say when you can start.
Photo and date of birth at the top. Neither required nor banned — the space is better used.

Frequently asked questions

Can I work in a kindergarten without a Norwegian qualification? Yes, assistant posts do not require one. The child and youth worker trade certificate leads to better pay and more permanent contracts over time.

How important is substitute work? Very. Most permanent posts go to someone who has already worked as a substitute, often in the same kindergarten. Applying as an on-call substitute is a real strategy, not a setback.

Do I submit the police certificate with my application? No — it comes with the job offer. Just write that you can provide it.

Next step

Build the CV, then get it checked for free against the ad you are applying to. Interview coming? Read kindergarten assistant interview questions.