Any advice on how to “present myself better” as a nanny in interviews

[Anonymous]

I’ve been looking for jobs for a few weeks now and it’s really difficult, I never had issues like these. And it’s really annoying because I feel like I’m an excellent nanny, I plan tons of activities and crafts, sensory play, I bake with kids, I make a schedule with them, include educational stuff, take them to outings….
I’m wondering what I’m doing wrong? When I’m with other nanny’s or on playgrounds, other nanny’s are always on their phones, while I’m literally chasing the kids around and play with them. It’s very frustrating to be so active and loving, and then not being able to find a job, even when I try to explain to these parents how hard I work…
Do you GREAT nanny’s have any suggestions how to present myself better in interviews? What do you say? I give them paperwork with my experience, with references, I show them a photo album with pictures of what I do with kids and how happy they are… it’s just strange more people don’t jump on me. I’m not even asking for the highest rates, which I think I should, so I don’t think that’s the problem. Am I offering too much? I genuinely love kids and do fun things with them….

[Anonymous]

I'm not a nanny, I'm a mom who has hired two nannies, one just a month ago.

A couple things to think about:

1) I prefer to get nannies based on recommendations from their previous families. So, make sure you have your last family posting listings for you. I've gotten both my nannies from ads that their previous families posted on neighborhood listservs.

2) This is a TOUGH time to be looking for a nannying job. Nannies who stay with their families for years and then are looking for new job when the youngest kid is going off to school, ie, the best, most in-demand nannies, are all looking for jobs NOW. I would imagine the market is way tougher from July-October than it is any other time.

3) For interviews - I will say, I think it's really hard to figure out who is a good nanny based on an interview, but for me, I love the nannies that glow when talking about their previous charges. I think some of the best interviews are ones where I am actually struggling to get the nanny to answer any question about themselves because they just want to talk about the kids they've nannied for and how amazing they are.

I will say, I would be thrown by the pictures. I wouldn't recommend sharing those. I mean, do these kids parents know that you're using their pictures to try and get jobs? That wouldn't strike me as very professional, and I'd be worried about your boundaries. Talk about the kids and what fun you had, some of the best activities you did, but don't show pictures.

Hope that helps!

[Anonymous]

PP here - also I just noticed you said a few weeks! That's nothing. Most job searches, for any type of job, take longer than that. Hang in there!

[Anonymous]

Thank you SO much! You gave me some good ideas. I will not show those pics, unless they ask. That’s a very good point.
And I should talk more about my experiences with the kids, like maybe share some stories or something. That’s a very good point! Like more detail. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Did you ask someone to check your resume for grammatical errors? You typed "nanny's" several times when it should say "nannies." That would be a huge turnoff for me.

Nanny's - implies something belongs to one person named Nanny. ex: That is Nanny's hat you are holding.

Nannies - a group of people who all work as a nanny. ex: The nannies and babies are in the back room of the library.

[Anonymous]

So here's the thing, nothing you are saying makes you that exceptional (ie sensory play, outings etc), this is just kind of par for the course now. What do you bring that is extra? What makes you unique? Figure that out and you might have better luck.

[Anonymous]

In many cultures, showing pictures of your kids and yourself with them is just fine,OP, as well as in other parts of US. Here on East Coast, there are, for some reasons, more privacy concerns among the parents than I ever saw in other parts of the country. I always do that too, and the babies I show to prospective parents are 10, 12 yrs old now, so you cannot even recognize them. To address you interview issues, I always find my jobs through the agency, because, unless you find a job by the word of mouth, it is usually the cost that decides the parents.
.

[Anonymous]

I'd check with your references - maybe something is going on during that part of the process.

Are you in the DC area, OP? Do you drive? How much are you asking?

[Anonymous]

Honestly getting nanny jobs lately isn’t as easy as it use to be. It might not even be you .

[Anonymous]

I agree with checking in with your references- are you sure they're giving you a glowing recommendation? Were you often 1-5 mins late for example and they may be mentioning that?

[Anonymous]

Nanny here.

First you need to figure out what kind of family you are looking for and market yourself to that group specifically. Think about what makes you special. Doing activities, playing at the park, baking, etc. are all fine but nothing that is going to make a family fall in love with you.

For example, in my most recent nanny search, I was looking for a family that would provide good work/life balance, with hands-on parents who would value having a collaborative, teammate-style relationship, with at least 2 kids ages 2 and under.

Here is what makes me special:
I have been doing this for 15 years and am passionate about my work.
I have worked with ages newborn-10, but am especially good with babies and toddlers and I have over 2500 hours of experience with newborns alone.
I have a lot of twin experience and experience with large families. I know how to juggle a lot.
I am an excellent cook and have experience cooking for families with dietary restrictions/food allergies.
I am a loving but firm positive disciplinarian who can hold a boundary while focusing on emotional intelligence and self-regulation skills.

I think a lot of nannies think they should just cast a wide net and see what families are out there and not be too specific, but that ends up with you feeling to the parents like a very bland, middle-of-the-pack nanny. Better to go on 3 interviews with families who think you are incredible than to go on 20 interviews where the families think you just average.

Drill down and think through the specifics and post an add that explains exactly who you want to work for and exactly why you are the perfect nanny for that imaginary family.

[Anonymous]

Do you compare yourself with other nannies? When you talk about playing at the playground do you just talk about what you do with them or do you say something about how other nannies are sitting around on their phones?

[Anonymous]

No advice to offer but just wanted to say these responses on here are really exceptional.

No snarky comments - just straight, honest helpful advice!

Wishing you all the best in your job search OP!

[Anonymous]

I have always wondered how the nannies on the phones got their jobs. They must be really good at interviewing.
I have also had hard time getting hired. I'm not a nanny though. Once hired, I have never been fired and I have been rehired about 10 times. I have had recruiters trying to recruit me as they see me work.
This disconnect between how good of a worker you are and not getting hired happens.
If you need a job, consider restaurant jobs. They are much more flexible, several shifts, pay more right now than most nanny jobs. It's easy to take a day off and all the food you can eat.
As for a nanny job, get your last family to speak for you so you don't have to toot your own horn.

[Anonymous]

I find that looking less intelligent helps. I think many parents have a certain picture of a "nanny" in their head, and if you strike them as too intelligent and quick thinking, they may start wondering what you are doing in this job. So, hide your intelligence, to some degree.