If I get that feeling during an interview that this might not be a suitable match, I simply end the interview and politely let the family know I enjoyed meeting w/them, but I need to leave now. No explanation necessary. Hopefully they get it. If they persist, I simply state that I have another interview scheduled and that should tell them everything.

Anonymous wrote:In situations where I didn't feel the position was right for smaller reasons. I don't pull my interest until after I've solidified another position, just in case I don't get any other offers.

While I feel that is a smart thing to do, I also think that if you go on the interview and feel so strongly that it is NOT the right position for you, that you should let them know and move on. No one wants to hire someone that has these kind of feelings before even starting the job, and you owe it to yourself to find something else as well.

I finish the interview and then either let the agency know (if it was through an agency) or send them an email. Look at it this way, even if you know it will not work out, it will help you develop your interview skills.

I've only had it happen once that I felt a family was so crazy that there was no way I would work for them (they started fighting pretty intensly in the middle of the interview). I sent them a text the minute I got home saying that after paying closer attention to the commute, I felt they were too far out, which was true, but was not the primary reason I was declining.

In situations where I didn't feel the position was right for smaller reasons. I don't pull my interest until after I've solidified another position, just in case I don't get any other offers.

I will usually try and wrap up the interview and say something like I know this is a really big decision and you'll want to interview lots of nannies to find the best fit for your family. Don't make a hasty decion. Or something along those lines. But really most of the time you won't need to say anything, they're going to know it's a bad fit too and it's unlikely they'll hire you anyway.

I will usually try and wrap up the interview and say something like I know this is a really big decision and you'll want to interview lots of nannies to find the best fit for your family. Don't make a hasty decion. Or something along those lines. But really most of the time you won't need to say anything, they're going to know it's a bad fit too and it's unlikely they'll hire you anyway.

Agree with 12:22 and 12:24. Tell parents as much as you can about your nannying style (perfect example PP brought up is when a parent expects you to stay in the house all day; most nannies wouldn't like this arrangement and should speak up then and there). Be polite and professional. And as the other PP stated, I've interviewed with families where we knew it wasn't a fit (usually money) but because I have been pleasant and polite (besides my qualifications) and have also emailed them thanking them for taking the time to chat with me even if we didn't make a fit, they have replied back that they would like to forward my info to someone else they know who is nanny hunting. Recognize what won't work for you and don't burn any bridges.

I had one interview where we had done a lot of emailing back and to beforehand. The family said they had two girls of 22mths and 5mths old. What they failed to mention was that the dad had a 8yr old son from a previous relationship who the nanny was responsible for on one of the days. Now, I didn't mind that there was a third child but what I found weird was despite all the emailing this child wasn't mentioned at all. I only found out when I stepped through the door and the 8yr old was stood there. The dad said the 8yr old required no care other than meals cooked for him and an adult presense in the house. Theres no way I would actively ignore and 8yr old child because his parents were trying to claim he wasn't my responsibility.
The position was for 4 days a wk for 10.5hrs. 3 of the days the 22mth old was put in daycare. I would of dropped her off at 8:30 and picked her up at 5(my hours were 8-6:30) So I would have her for 2hrs 3 x a wk and then 1 full day. The 5mth old was with me all 4 days and the 8yr old one day(3-6:30 term time and full days in hols) The reason the 22mth old was in nursery full days was because the parents didn't believe the 5mth old really needed to go outside of the house apart from maybe for a couple of walks a day. So the drop off and pick up of the oldest would of been the only time the 5mth old would of gone outside of the house and on the one full day I would of been allowed to take them to the park as they wanted the 22mth old to go out.
The parents were also incredibly picky. I just politely stated that while they seemed a nice family I didn't think the position was for me as I believe even 5mth olds benefit from going outside and I felt a lot of our childcare ideas didn't mesh

Nothing wrong with letting them after through an email. I might actively try to wrap things up as quickly as possible but I wouldn't walk out on an interview. I have actually had an interview where mid way through it became clear that we just weren't a good fit, and they realized it as well, but I was still polite and engaged. The mom emailed me later that day saying they went with another candidate, but shed like to recommend me to a friend. It was one of the best jobs I've ever had.

This has happened on a number of occasions. I usually get interviews through an agency, and one of the great things about agencies is that they will let the family know you are not interested.

I try to be upfront families during the interview regarding something that's come up during the conversation. For instance one family let me know that during the 2 hours each day their older child was in preschool my pay would be reduced to reflect only caring for the baby during those hours. I knew right then this was not the job for me so I responded by saying, "My requested hourly wage is for my availability to care for two children and other agreed-upon responsibilities. I don't reduce my hourly wage when one child is in school because my time is still available." This let the family know I did not agree with what they were offering (and that it was non-negotiable), and then the ball was in their court. Another example is a family who said they are not comfortable having a nanny drive their children (this family was not within walking distance of anything...not even a park). I responded by saying, "As a nanny I prefer to work for families who share my thoughts on the importance of children being able to have experiences outside of the house throughout the course of the week. I feel I am a much better nanny when given the opportunity to plan fun outings on occasion and give everyone a change of scenery."

Typically I'll try to respond in a way that let's the family know what I'm looking for in a job is different from what they are offering or are looking for in a nanny. I am up front about my deal breakers during the course of interviews. If I've already laid out my deal breakers and know I'm not interested but the family isn't picking up on it I try to wrap up the interview as quickly as possible. I've said things like, "Thank you for answering all of my questions. I appreciate you taking the time to meet with me today" or "Do you have any final questions for me before I go?" Most of the time the interview wraps up very quickly.

Anonymous wrote:I also let the family know that the position is not the fight fit for me after the interview in an email usually. Too weak/feeling guilty for wasting time/ feel bad/etc to say something during the interview.

If you want to share, what happened?

I'll be vague. Before the interview, something just didn't feel right - the parent I spoke with seemed particularly high-strung, micromanaging and nosy (about things that, while not illegal to ask about, are completely irrelevant to childcare and it didn't seem like she was asking them in a friendly "let's get to know each other" way). But I agreed to go to the interview and feel out the position anyway.

When I got there, the parenting style seemed inconsistent with my childcare style and I realized I would never interact with the children in this way. I realized about half an hour in that I wasn't interested and planned to let the interview come to an end and contact the parent later.

The interview ended significantly later (yes, I know, my fault for not cutting it off sooner) and the entire time, no mention of schedule, routines, or compensation were made. I know I need to advocate for myself to get those issues addressed, but I had already realized early on that it wouldn't be a good fit.

I also let the family know that the position is not the fight fit for me after the interview in an email usually. Too weak/feeling guilty for wasting time/ feel bad/etc to say something during the interview.

If you want to share, what happened?

What did you do? Did you abruptly end the interview to say you're not interested? Let it run its course and inform the family afterward? I opted for #2 but in retrospect it may not have been the best plan of action.