Should I accept this live in position? Advice greatly appreciated

[Anonymous]

Lots of nannies get $20/hr. Not a big deal.

[Anonymous]

It looks like you and this family are not a good match. They need a housekeeper/nanny, and if you are not one, then you should keep looking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You don't have 8 years of nanny experience at 22.

+1

She said "childcare experience", but even though I babysat throughout high school, I don't count that as childcare experience. What I did as a high school babysitter and what I do as a nanny are completely different things.

[Anonymous]

You don't have 8 years experience nor the education to demand that much. At 22, at best you have 4 years since high school of full-time experience. Being a 12 year old babysitter does not count. It does not sound like you want to live in. I would want more help if I had a live in who was demanding that kind of money. Its not unreasonable to ask you to help with dinner and homework, especially when you are probably eating the dinner too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You don't have 8 years experience nor the education to demand that much. At 22, at best you have 4 years since high school of full-time experience. Being a 12 year old babysitter does not count. It does not sound like you want to live in. I would want more help if I had a live in who was demanding that kind of money. Its not unreasonable to ask you to help with dinner and homework, especially when you are probably eating the dinner too.

OP, take very close notice of this post. This is the type of treatment/attitude you will have to put up with as a live in nanny. Get a job as a live out, set your own fee and negotiate duties. Do not move into someone's home where they can and will dictate what you are worth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You don't have 8 years experience nor the education to demand that much. At 22, at best you have 4 years since high school of full-time experience. Being a 12 year old babysitter does not count. It does not sound like you want to live in. I would want more help if I had a live in who was demanding that kind of money. Its not unreasonable to ask you to help with dinner and homework, especially when you are probably eating the dinner too.

I worked with a family for 2 years and cooked the kid's dinner and assisted with their homework. If you read clsewoy, I stated the dad said he wanted to help them with their homework.. I said that was one less duty for me to do.. That's all

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You don't have 8 years experience nor the education to demand that much. At 22, at best you have 4 years since high school of full-time experience. Being a 12 year old babysitter does not count. It does not sound like you want to live in. I would want more help if I had a live in who was demanding that kind of money. Its not unreasonable to ask you to help with dinner and homework, especially when you are probably eating the dinner too.

OP, take very close notice of this post. This is the type of treatment/attitude you will have to put up with as a live in nanny. Get a job as a live out, set your own fee and negotiate duties. Do not move into someone's home where they can and will dictate what you are worth.

Thanks! I didn't realize that my experience didn't count!! At 14, I was babysitting a 2 year old and at 16, I would take kids to museums and do activities with them.. Not just date-night!! I also have worked in a church nursery planning activities along with Girl Scouts!! Child care experience is all the same to me.. I am being judged by my age, not by what I have actually done which doesn't seem fair. I have already declined the position and in will stick with the part-time live-out position I have for now. Thanks for the replies!!

[Anonymous]

OP you sound very immature. There is nothing wrong with the job being offered it just isn't what you are looking for in a job. Rather than realize this, you are taking a very immature, entitled view that somehow this job should be designed for you not the family's need. Live in positions pay much less than live out positions because room and board is included. This is a benefit to some nannies. Since you don't need housing, you are only looking at this job because you need a job..not a good reason to take a live in position.

I agree with other posters that a 22 year old claiming 8 years experience just looks like a fool. You will not find high paying live out positions presenting yourself this way. Your subsequent post that it should count because you babysat at church and in Girl Scouts is laughable. You can speak toward your teenage years as one of the reasons why you like being with children but if you present it as actual experience you actually make yourself look less appealing. It gives the impression that you have so little experience that you do not even know what experience is or that you are some who is full of BS, neither endears you to prospective employers which is why you are struggling to find employment.

[Anonymous]

Doesn't sound like a good fit OP. Other than the fact that you need a job and they're hiring nothing seems like a match - rate, responsibilities, hours, interest, etc...

If you must take the job then you need to accept that they are free to pay what they want - they're not obligated to pay more just because you think they should.

I would not pay your rates for a live-in, and in fact I wouldn't pay $18 NET (nor should you be negotiating with net - you should negotiate with gross hourly rates) for someone with your level of experience.

You're asking too much given your background. They are probably asking too much in terms of household maintenance but that's the job they're filling so if you accept it then you are accepting that work and need to do it.

Of course, I don't think you're the right hire for them either and I wouldn't recommend them hiring you given the mismatch between their needs and your interests.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP you sound very immature. There is nothing wrong with the job being offered it just isn't what you are looking for in a job. Rather than realize this, you are taking a very immature, entitled view that somehow this job should be designed for you not the family's need. Live in positions pay much less than live out positions because room and board is included. This is a benefit to some nannies. Since you don't need housing, you are only looking at this job because you need a job..not a good reason to take a live in position.

I agree with other posters that a 22 year old claiming 8 years experience just looks like a fool. You will not find high paying live out positions presenting yourself this way. Your subsequent post that it should count because you babysat at church and in Girl Scouts is laughable. You can speak toward your teenage years as one of the reasons why you like being with children but if you present it as actual experience you actually make yourself look less appealing. It gives the impression that you have so little experience that you do not even know what experience is or that you are some who is full of BS, neither endears you to prospective employers which is why you are struggling to find employment.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You don't have 8 years experience nor the education to demand that much. At 22, at best you have 4 years since high school of full-time experience. Being a 12 year old babysitter does not count. It does not sound like you want to live in. I would want more help if I had a live in who was demanding that kind of money. Its not unreasonable to ask you to help with dinner and homework, especially when you are probably eating the dinner too.

OP, take very close notice of this post. This is the type of treatment/attitude you will have to put up with as a live in nanny. Get a job as a live out, set your own fee and negotiate duties. Do not move into someone's home where they can and will dictate what you are worth.

This is right. Some people think they can demand obiedience if they can convince you to live-in.

[Anonymous]

OP, I know you're feeling attacked because of your age. Look past it and see that most people are trying to be helpful.
When I was interviewing a few years ago, many families specifically told me that they do not count babysitting as experience -- this includes when I was regularly (3-4 afternoons per week for several hours) babysitting triplet infants.

Of course I'd consider that experience, but it isn't the exact same as nanny experience. While there are families who would "count" your babysitting as experience, others won't.

Looks like you made the right decision by turning down the job. It doesn't sound like a good fit for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I know you're feeling attacked because of your age. Look past it and see that most people are trying to be helpful.
When I was interviewing a few years ago, many families specifically told me that they do not count babysitting as experience -- this includes when I was regularly (3-4 afternoons per week for several hours) babysitting triplet infants.

Of course I'd consider that experience, but it isn't the exact same as nanny experience. While there are families who would "count" your babysitting as experience, others won't.

Looks like you made the right decision by turning down the job. It doesn't sound like a good fit for you.

+1. I think sometimes you have to be pretty thick-skinned to actually get anything from this board, but when you look behind the language that sounds mean, there is some good advice. PP is right that this wasn't the right fit for you. Really if you don't value a live-in job, I wouldn't even look at them. She's also right that while it certainly is wonderful that you've had experiences with children so long, I also wouldn't count that as real nannying experience. It would be a plus for you because it tells me that you've always liked children and this is not just a desperate career choice for someone with no other options. But I would respect a candidate more if she told me that she's been babysitting since she was very young, had a long-term part-time nannying job in college with such and such hours and here are my awesome references, and now I'm looking to fulfill my dream of working full-time for a family - rather than lumping it all together and saying she had eight years of childcare experience.

I previously asked if you had any related education and you said you had a bachelor's degree. I would also suggest that this isn't going to matter all that much to parents unless it's related to children or psychology somehow. If you have a communications or art history degree or something totally unrelated - that would make you look better than someone with no degree I guess, but it really wouldn't be all that much of a plus for me personally. It might even make me wonder why you're nannying - couldn't find a job in your degree area so settling for a nanny job? Fair or not - I don't know, but might be something to be prepared to address when interviewing.

Take the advice for what it's worth - if you don't agree, you don't agree. But do note that at least a few parents have said that they don't spend a minute considering high school babysitting experience. I would suggest focusing more on any experience you have that is truly more like a nanny job than a sitting job. Good luck!

And yes, negotiate on gross pay. $18 net is a really high rate. If I were paying $18 net, I'd be looking for someone with child-related education and years of experience. Again, not saying you can't get it, but just something to consider.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Yes, I stated that I nannied through out college. I have a bachelor's degree and going for my master's this coming Fall.

Why on earth are you going for your masters if you want to be a career nanny? Why go into debt on something that isn't necessary?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I know you're feeling attacked because of your age. Look past it and see that most people are trying to be helpful.
When I was interviewing a few years ago, many families specifically told me that they do not count babysitting as experience -- this includes when I was regularly (3-4 afternoons per week for several hours) babysitting triplet infants.

Of course I'd consider that experience, but it isn't the exact same as nanny experience. While there are families who would "count" your babysitting as experience, others won't.

Looks like you made the right decision by turning down the job. It doesn't sound like a good fit for you.

+1. I think sometimes you have to be pretty thick-skinned to actually get anything from this board, but when you look behind the language that sounds mean, there is some good advice. PP is right that this wasn't the right fit for you. Really if you don't value a live-in job, I wouldn't even look at them. She's also right that while it certainly is wonderful that you've had experiences with children so long, I also wouldn't count that as real nannying experience. It would be a plus for you because it tells me that you've always liked children and this is not just a desperate career choice for someone with no other options. But I would respect a candidate more if she told me that she's been babysitting since she was very young, had a long-term part-time nannying job in college with such and such hours and here are my awesome references, and now I'm looking to fulfill my dream of working full-time for a family - rather than lumping it all together and saying she had eight years of childcare experience.

I previously asked if you had any related education and you said you had a bachelor's degree. I would also suggest that this isn't going to matter all that much to parents unless it's related to children or psychology somehow. If you have a communications or art history degree or something totally unrelated - that would make you look better than someone with no degree I guess, but it really wouldn't be all that much of a plus for me personally. It might even make me wonder why you're nannying - couldn't find a job in your degree area so settling for a nanny job? Fair or not - I don't know, but might be something to be prepared to address when interviewing.

Take the advice for what it's worth - if you don't agree, you don't agree. But do note that at least a few parents have said that they don't spend a minute considering high school babysitting experience. I would suggest focusing more on any experience you have that is truly more like a nanny job than a sitting job. Good luck!

And yes, negotiate on gross pay. $18 net is a really high rate. If I were paying $18 net, I'd be looking for someone with child-related education and years of experience. Again, not saying you can't get it, but just something to consider.

OP HERE. Thanks very helpful. I typically negotiate net because I know what I'd like to make after taxes. It has worked out well before so I am shocked that no one on the board has heard of it.