Interview Question

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with PP, I don't know where you nannies got the idea you can negotiate with the family hiring you. They make an offer and you accept it if you want the job. If you want to negotiate then go to college and get an office job.

You're a fool. I'm a college educated nanny making more than many of my college educated friends with "office jobs," and you're damn right I negotiate every nanny job I take. If I didn't, I wouldn't have 2 weeks of vacation at my choosing, all federal holidays paid, sick time, or employer provided health insurance. Not many families go into this wanting to throw money and benefits at candidates. You only get what you have the cajones to ask for.

I'm not the person you're responding to, but I'm the MB who said no need for a skirt, and that I'll pay what I'll pay. When I make an offer, it includes benefits. But I have a budget for childcare, and your salary simply will not exceed my budget. If you try to insist, I'll just find someone else. You're not such a golden needle in a haystack that nobody else will work but you.

That's entirely your prerogative. It is also my prerogative to negotiate potential offers until I find one acceptable. As you said, your job is not some golden needle in a haystack that only yours will do. Nanny employers often feel they have far more power in this dynamic than they really do. You are not some big corporation with lots of authority to toss around. You are likely the employer of one potential household employee, neither of us significantly beholden to the other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with PP, I don't know where you nannies got the idea you can negotiate with the family hiring you. They make an offer and you accept it if you want the job. If you want to negotiate then go to college and get an office job.

You're a fool. I'm a college educated nanny making more than many of my college educated friends with "office jobs," and you're damn right I negotiate every nanny job I take. If I didn't, I wouldn't have 2 weeks of vacation at my choosing, all federal holidays paid, sick time, or employer provided health insurance. Not many families go into this wanting to throw money and benefits at candidates. You only get what you have the cajones to ask for.

I'm not the person you're responding to, but I'm the MB who said no need for a skirt, and that I'll pay what I'll pay. When I make an offer, it includes benefits. But I have a budget for childcare, and your salary simply will not exceed my budget. If you try to insist, I'll just find someone else. You're not such a golden needle in a haystack that nobody else will work but you.

That's entirely your prerogative. It is also my prerogative to negotiate potential offers until I find one acceptable. As you said, your job is not some golden needle in a haystack that only yours will do. Nanny employers often feel they have far more power in this dynamic than they really do. You are not some big corporation with lots of authority to toss around. You are likely the employer of one potential household employee, neither of us significantly beholden to the other.

Again, very well said.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with PP, I don't know where you nannies got the idea you can negotiate with the family hiring you. They make an offer and you accept it if you want the job. If you want to negotiate then go to college and get an office job.

You're a fool. I'm a college educated nanny making more than many of my college educated friends with "office jobs," and you're damn right I negotiate every nanny job I take. If I didn't, I wouldn't have 2 weeks of vacation at my choosing, all federal holidays paid, sick time, or employer provided health insurance. Not many families go into this wanting to throw money and benefits at candidates. You only get what you have the cajones to ask for.

This stuff gets parroted again and again and we all know it's bull. Just once I'd love to see someone post a picture of one of these mystical contracts (with names redacted of course.) No nanny gets these pay and benefits in DC.

Why is it so hard for you to believe? What possible motivation would I have for lying about my benefits on an anonymous forum? I could easily post my contract here, and you'd claim it was fake. There is nothing spectacular about my benefits. I'm a share nanny in DC, working for fed families, and I negotiated the vacation to be at my own choosing because I'm not interested in "sharing" my limited vacation time.

This nanny isn't the only professional nanny out there. They're lots of us in similar circumstances, and doing very well.

If you mean there are lots of nannies making up the same lies, then I believe you. If you mean something else then no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with PP, I don't know where you nannies got the idea you can negotiate with the family hiring you. They make an offer and you accept it if you want the job. If you want to negotiate then go to college and get an office job.

You're a fool. I'm a college educated nanny making more than many of my college educated friends with "office jobs," and you're damn right I negotiate every nanny job I take. If I didn't, I wouldn't have 2 weeks of vacation at my choosing, all federal holidays paid, sick time, or employer provided health insurance. Not many families go into this wanting to throw money and benefits at candidates. You only get what you have the cajones to ask for.

This stuff gets parroted again and again and we all know it's bull. Just once I'd love to see someone post a picture of one of these mystical contracts (with names redacted of course.) No nanny gets these pay and benefits in DC.

Why is it so hard for you to believe? What possible motivation would I have for lying about my benefits on an anonymous forum? I could easily post my contract here, and you'd claim it was fake. There is nothing spectacular about my benefits. I'm a share nanny in DC, working for fed families, and I negotiated the vacation to be at my own choosing because I'm not interested in "sharing" my limited vacation time.

This nanny isn't the only professional nanny out there. They're lots of us in similar circumstances, and doing very well.

If you mean there are lots of nannies making up the same lies, then I believe you. If you mean something else then no.

Lying about vacation time and benefit packages?
2 weeks of vacation, insurance and sick time really isn't that unusual.
It's rather odd that you're claiming they are.
You're the only one looking like a fool on this thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with PP, I don't know where you nannies got the idea you can negotiate with the family hiring you. They make an offer and you accept it if you want the job. If you want to negotiate then go to college and get an office job.

You're a fool. I'm a college educated nanny making more than many of my college educated friends with "office jobs," and you're damn right I negotiate every nanny job I take. If I didn't, I wouldn't have 2 weeks of vacation at my choosing, all federal holidays paid, sick time, or employer provided health insurance. Not many families go into this wanting to throw money and benefits at candidates. You only get what you have the cajones to ask for.

This stuff gets parroted again and again and we all know it's bull. Just once I'd love to see someone post a picture of one of these mystical contracts (with names redacted of course.) No nanny gets these pay and benefits in DC.

Why is it so hard for you to believe? What possible motivation would I have for lying about my benefits on an anonymous forum? I could easily post my contract here, and you'd claim it was fake. There is nothing spectacular about my benefits. I'm a share nanny in DC, working for fed families, and I negotiated the vacation to be at my own choosing because I'm not interested in "sharing" my limited vacation time.

This nanny isn't the only professional nanny out there. They're lots of us in similar circumstances, and doing very well.

If you mean there are lots of nannies making up the same lies, then I believe you. If you mean something else then no.

Lying about vacation time and benefit packages?
2 weeks of vacation, insurance and sick time really isn't that unusual.
It's rather odd that you're claiming they are.
You're the only one looking like a fool on this thread.

Exactly.

[Anonymous]

Back to the original question:

I wear the same thing: ballet flats, dark jeans/slacks, nice shirt with cardigan , and I typically have my hair brushed into a braid.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

I find it very hard to believe there are any real MBs on this thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with PP, I don't know where you nannies got the idea you can negotiate with the family hiring you. They make an offer and you accept it if you want the job. If you want to negotiate then go to college and get an office job.

You're a fool. I'm a college educated nanny making more than many of my college educated friends with "office jobs," and you're damn right I negotiate every nanny job I take. If I didn't, I wouldn't have 2 weeks of vacation at my choosing, all federal holidays paid, sick time, or employer provided health insurance. Not many families go into this wanting to throw money and benefits at candidates. You only get what you have the cajones to ask for.

Actually, if you did pull off your corporate negotiation for your pristine nanny services, you wouldn't be on DCUM all the time, would you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with PP, I don't know where you nannies got the idea you can negotiate with the family hiring you. They make an offer and you accept it if you want the job. If you want to negotiate then go to college and get an office job.

You're a fool. I'm a college educated nanny making more than many of my college educated friends with "office jobs," and you're damn right I negotiate every nanny job I take. If I didn't, I wouldn't have 2 weeks of vacation at my choosing, all federal holidays paid, sick time, or employer provided health insurance. Not many families go into this wanting to throw money and benefits at candidates. You only get what you have the cajones to ask for.

Actually, if you did pull off your corporate negotiation for your pristine nanny services, you wouldn't be on DCUM all the time, would you?

It's Ms Nasty again.

[Anonymous]

I maybe be the exception but I never wear jeans to an interview. I wear black leggings or black stretch pants with a sweater. Not dressy but also not a slob.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I maybe be the exception but I never wear jeans to an interview. I wear black leggings or black stretch pants with a sweater. Not dressy but also not a slob.

I will say that I have always received compliments on my professionalism and the way I present myself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I maybe be the exception but I never wear jeans to an interview. I wear black leggings or black stretch pants with a sweater. Not dressy but also not a slob.

I will say that I have always received compliments on my professionalism and the way I present myself.

We're looking for job offers not compliments. Thanks though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I maybe be the exception but I never wear jeans to an interview. I wear black leggings or black stretch pants with a sweater. Not dressy but also not a slob.

Solid dark wash jeans are dressier than leggings. You also need to consider who you are interviewing for. If it is a younger couple they may not mind the leggings, but an older couple will think it's trashy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with PP, I don't know where you nannies got the idea you can negotiate with the family hiring you. They make an offer and you accept it if you want the job. If you want to negotiate then go to college and get an office job.

You're a fool. I'm a college educated nanny making more than many of my college educated friends with "office jobs," and you're damn right I negotiate every nanny job I take. If I didn't, I wouldn't have 2 weeks of vacation at my choosing, all federal holidays paid, sick time, or employer provided health insurance. Not many families go into this wanting to throw money and benefits at candidates. You only get what you have the cajones to ask for.

I'm not the person you're responding to, but I'm the MB who said no need for a skirt, and that I'll pay what I'll pay. When I make an offer, it includes benefits. But I have a budget for childcare, and your salary simply will not exceed my budget. If you try to insist, I'll just find someone else. You're not such a golden needle in a haystack that nobody else will work but you.

To this MB, the right to refuse goes both ways. I'm not the person you're responding to, but I tell parents that what they're offering would be best suited for someone other than myself, if it's too low for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with PP, I don't know where you nannies got the idea you can negotiate with the family hiring you. They make an offer and you accept it if you want the job. If you want to negotiate then go to college and get an office job.

You're a fool. I'm a college educated nanny making more than many of my college educated friends with "office jobs," and you're damn right I negotiate every nanny job I take. If I didn't, I wouldn't have 2 weeks of vacation at my choosing, all federal holidays paid, sick time, or employer provided health insurance. Not many families go into this wanting to throw money and benefits at candidates. You only get what you have the cajones to ask for.

Actually, if you did pull off your corporate negotiation for your pristine nanny services, you wouldn't be on DCUM all the time, would you?

Not PP.. you seem to have tons of free time as well.