What do parents look for in a nanny?

[Anonymous]

Sorry, pp here. Just read further posts after the one I commented on. Please follow the advice you have already been given on getting a native english speaker to help you out, and I'm glad you are taking those classes to help yourself out as well. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

17:30, it was a family I knew.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How did you come in contact with the people you lived with in exchange for room & board? I'm looking for a set-up like that.

I find these on CL quite often. Try in the Childcare section as well as Domestic Gigs and searching for stuff like work exchange under the Rooms/Shared (in Housing) section.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How did you come in contact with the people you lived with in exchange for room & board? I'm looking for a set-up like that.

I find these on CL quite often. Try in the Childcare section as well as Domestic Gigs and searching for stuff like work exchange under the Rooms/Shared (in Housing) section.

How many hours a month do you expect to "give" them? And what did you do for an income?

[Anonymous]

I would not hire someone who is 20 years old. I also would not hire someone with broken English. Our nanny speaks French and English, but both are flawless. If a prospective nanny told me she was 20 years old and had 10 years of experience I would mentally dismiss eight of those, and then not hire her because I would worry about what other truths would be spun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would not hire someone who is 20 years old. I also would not hire someone with broken English. Our nanny speaks French and English, but both are flawless. If a prospective nanny told me she was 20 years old and had 10 years of experience I would mentally dismiss eight of those, and then not hire her because I would worry about what other truths would be spun.

Oh give me a break. Everyone makes things look better on a resume, it's about selling yourself so you get noticed. It doesn't make OP a liar!
She has already been advised not to use her high school years as work experience, move on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How did you come in contact with the people you lived with in exchange for room & board? I'm looking for a set-up like that.

I find these on CL quite often. Try in the Childcare section as well as Domestic Gigs and searching for stuff like work exchange under the Rooms/Shared (in Housing) section.

How many hours a month do you expect to "give" them? And what did you do for an income?

It varies per location and position. It is usually based off the room rental rate. If the room could be rented out for $1000/month (I live in SF), then I would normally look for something more like $800-850 per month (since you are living with kids and not a full equal roommate) and then get all utilities free (which could be up to another $150/month normally. Some will include basic food, some will not. I usually have TP, hand soap, laundry detergent etc paid for (family buys and stocks it), but buy my own personal hygiene items like shampoo/conditioner/body wash etc.

So once you have the room rent price, then you figure out an hourly rate. If the position would be paying $15/hr normally, then to get say about $840/month to cover your room and board, you would work for 14 hours per week. If it is a lower paying position, or in an area with rent that might only be $500/month, then you would have to figure that out. I always work other PT positions to get spending money, but I have worked some that were longer hours for just one family and included a stipend (it would just be 14 hours for room and board and then $15/hr for all hours worked above that).

[Anonymous]

Thank you, PP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would not hire someone who is 20 years old. I also would not hire someone with broken English. Our nanny speaks French and English, but both are flawless. If a prospective nanny told me she was 20 years old and had 10 years of experience I would mentally dismiss eight of those, and then not hire her because I would worry about what other truths would be spun.

Oh give me a break. Everyone makes things look better on a resume, it's about selling yourself so you get noticed. It doesn't make OP a liar!
She has already been advised not to use her high school years as work experience, move on.

No, that's lying. Saying you have more experience in a field than you do is flat out LYING on a resume. Which is grounds for firing in any corporation, btw.

[Anonymous]

Op, have you worked as a CNA?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your childhood (before age 18) experience is NOT caregiving experience. You should only reference it in terms of how much you enjoy kids and how caring for your younger brother and neighbor as a teen led you into nannying as a young adult; if you try to make it sound like actual working experience, many parents will see that as a red flag.

Agree with PP, get a NSoE to proofread your profile and job applications because your age and inexperience combined with an unpolished presentation will make it very difficult to get hired by people who will treat you fairly.

Also maybe take a look at your attitude. You are coming across here as a little bit defensive, which is not a desirable trait in a household employee. Maybe I'm misreading that, but think about it nonetheless.

Sorry, I do need help with my english, and I am taking classes to get over my caribbean english.

OP, once you do find your first nanny/caregiving experience, as long as it gouges well ask your first employer to be a reference for future positions. References and more and more actual paid experience on your résumé will all serve you very well.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would not hire someone who is 20 years old. I also would not hire someone with broken English. Our nanny speaks French and English, but both are flawless. If a prospective nanny told me she was 20 years old and had 10 years of experience I would mentally dismiss eight of those, and then not hire her because I would worry about what other truths would be spun.

Oh give me a break. Everyone makes things look better on a resume, it's about selling yourself so you get noticed. It doesn't make OP a liar!
She has already been advised not to use her high school years as work experience, move on.

No, that's lying. Saying you have more experience in a field than you do is flat out LYING on a resume. Which is grounds for firing in any corporation, btw.

NP here - I'm all for spinning the truth in the most positive way, but actually saying you have more years of experience than you do or saying you have specific experience that you really don't IS lying and will come back to bite you big time. I have both hired caregivers and been on multiple hiring/interview panels at my job. The experience that is important to the job you will be asked about. No one may actually say "You are lying if time!" But when you don't get hired, remember that most employers are not idiots.

Tell the truth, and rely on your willingness to get paid a bit less and maybe do ever all part-time gigs at once to get started, then build up your résumé. But lying and even "bending" the truth is ALWAYS a BAD idea.

[Anonymous]

I am a parent and would only a hire a young nanny if I was seeking someone to care for an older child...perhaps an Elementary aged child. A big playmate type nanny would be an awesome job for you OP.

For an infant or toddler aged child, I would prefer and older and more experienced nanny since caring for these ages of children is much tougher.

[Anonymous]

"I am a parent and would only a hire a young nanny if I was seeking someone to care for an older child...perhaps an Elementary aged child. A big playmate type nanny would be an awesome job for you OP.

For an infant or toddler aged child, I would prefer and older and more experienced nanny since caring for these ages of children is much tougher. "

agree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"I am a parent and would only a hire a young nanny if I was seeking someone to care for an older child...perhaps an Elementary aged child. A big playmate type nanny would be an awesome job for you OP.

For an infant or toddler aged child, I would prefer and older and more experienced nanny since caring for these ages of children is much tougher. "

agree.

Exactly. That's why I tell parents au pairs may be ok for older school-aged children, but absolutely not for infants or toddlers. That would be irresponsible, IMHO.