Finding a new Nanny or Domestic Job
At some point or another there may come a point when you have to look for a new family to work with. We know in the Nanny and Domestic Placement industry that finding the best job for you can be a huge undertaking, as there are many factors to take into consideration. We recommend searching in all avenues and casting a large net, then working through interviewing and assessments on narrowing your search down to the right family. Remember to use personal, community, agency, and online resources to get the word out to everyone that you are looking for a new position.
Writing a Résumé That Will Stick Out to Agencies and Families
A resume is the best thing you can present to make your self stick out to a family and land your next interview. At Charlotte’s Best Nanny Agency, we have reviewed thousands of résumés and look for the best nanny and domestic candidates for our families. We have seen outstanding résumés, and then résumés that were not so outstanding. A résumé can be your best friend or your worst enemy. When a recruiter or family looks at your résumé they are assessing whether or not you have the education, work history, skills, and qualifications it takes to fill the position. A résumé should be a snapshot of your professional history as it pertains to the industry you are applying for. We want everyone to have the best resume possible so we are giving you tips on writing résumés and three different styles of résumé we suggest. We hope this information is helpful to you and helps you land your dream job.
Tips for Résumé Writing
1. Pick the right type of résumé
2. Clearly, state your objective. This might change from one application to the next. So if you are applying to a nanny position, state that you are looking to obtain a nanny position. If you are applying to a housekeeping position, state you are looking to obtain a housekeeping position.
3. Add short precise bullet points for each job position and skill you list on your résumé.
4. If you have a summary at the top of your résumé, make sure it covey’s a message to the recruiter or family of why you are the best person for their position, and what skills/experience you have to make you the best candidate to consider.
5. Spell Check your résumé. This goes without saying. We do however still see résumés daily with misspelled words.
6.Have a peer or mentor read over your résumé to make sure it sounds good and looks good.
7. Update your work experience. If you work experience is not up to date it may look like you have a gap in employment. Please send the most up-to-date résumé as possible.
8. Keep the résumé to 1-2 pages. It is not wise to send a 5-page résumé, as recruiters. Typically, the first page is what sticks out most to recruiters. It can be 2 pages if you have an extensive work history.
9. Make sure your contact information is professional and up-to-date. Make you’re your phone number, address, and email address is up-to-date. Ensure you are using a professional email and not meowkitty@gmail.com (This type of email address has come through our system before, you can not make this stuff up). Instead, try a professional email such as anna_smith@gmail.com. Also make sure you have the most up to date address on your resume, so we can confirm the exact area you live in. This way we know if you would be a fit geographically for the position or not, or if you would have to relocate.
10. Let your personality shine through without making your resume to fancy. It should be straight forward, professional, and to the point. Visually beautiful resumes in resume templates are typically hard to format on the back end in to profiles and have resume readers the ability to read your resume (Resume readers are used in corporate America, not at Charlotte’s Best Nanny Agency). The best way to accomplish letting your personality shine is through your professional summary and style of your résumé. Do not be afraid to also use a legible and creative font to make your résumé stand out. Just do not let the font take away from your résumé.
Interviewing Tips
The interview is the next step in the process. Please review our interview tips and guidance below for the best chances of a successful interview.
- Always schedule, confirm, and map out your interviews ahead of time.
- Dress professionally and present your best self
- Always be a professional 10 minutes early to on time to your interview. No earlier than that, no later. If it is a virtual interview make sure you are dressed appropriately and ready and waiting for the call, Face Time, Zoom, or Skype meeting.
- Be prepared by researching and familiarize yourself with the position ahead of time.
- When you arrive to a families home please ask to wash your hands.
- Ask parents permission to hold a baby or interact with a child.
- Listen to the parents or family about the details of the position.
- Let your personality shine during the interview and let them know why you would be the best nanny for this position
- Ask great questions to the family. Never bring up pay and benefits in a first interview. That can be negotiated later.
- Engage with the children if they are present.
Types of Résumés
Decide which type of résumé is right for your professional history. There are different types of résumé, so please make sure you pick the best one that applies best to your work history.
Chronological Résumé: A chronological résumé is a résumé that list your work history, starting with your most recent position and working backwards in chronological order to list all your work experience. This type of résumé is best for candidates that have had a lot of work history in the industry they are applying for. Go with this type of résumé if you have a solid work history to list in your field. If you are just starting out in your industry you might want to pick another type of résumé.
Negotiations and Accepting the Position
So the family has decided to offer you the position? Yay! At this point it is typically negotiation time. Let the family make the first offer and negotiate from there. You can tell the family what you are looking for if asked, but if they do not ask then let them through out the first offer. If you are working with an agency like ours, we will provide them with the average rate of pay for a nanny in the area and what you are looking to make. Ensure you are getting paid legally by W-2 and confirm if they will be using a Pay Roll company like GTM.COM. Then go over what benefits they are offering and make sure they know the standards in the industry. Try to be flexible with the families and work together with them to come up with a great salary and benefits package for the position. Our agency advocates for legal nanny pay, standard nanny benefits, and pay wages that are in line with industry standards. Remember if you are not working with an agency to advocate and only accept positions that pay legally by W-2. Also work to make sure the offer is within the standards in your area. After negotiations are done a formal work agreement should be written up and signed by each party and filed.
Example of a Chronological Résumé
| Anna Smith | ||
| [street address], [City, ST ZIP Code], [Phone number], [E-mail address] | ||
| Objective | ||
| To obtain a Nanny Position in Charlotte, NC | ||
| Experience | ||
| [Start date] to [end date] | Private Family Name | Charlotte, NC |
| [Job Title] · [Job responsibility/achievement] · [Job responsibility/achievement ] · [Job responsibility/achievement ] | ||
| [Start date] to [end date] | Private Family Name | Charlotte, NC |
| [Job Title] · [Job responsibility/achievement] · [Job responsibility/achievement ] · [Job responsibility/achievement ] | ||
| [start date] to [end date] | Private Family Name | Charlotte, NC |
| [Company name] · [Job responsibility/achievement] · [Job responsibility/achievement ] · [Job responsibility/achievement ] | ||
| [start date] to [end date] | Private Family Name | Charlotte, NC |
| [Job Title] · [Job responsibility/achievement] · [Job responsibility/achievement ] · [Job responsibility/achievement ] | ||
| Education | ||
| [Dates of attendance] | [School name] | [City, ST] |
| [Degree Obtained] · [Special award/accomplishment or degree minor] | ||
| References | ||
| References are available on request. |
Functional Résumé: A functional résumé focuses more on your skills and experience than on your chronological work history. In this type of résumé, you would list more of your professional experience and accomplishments, rather than a chronological work history. Also in a functional résumé you would include a summary or headline at the top, which goes over your skills and achievements as it pertains to your field. The résumé may or may not feature a candidate’s work history or it might list their limited work history at the bottom as it pertains to their job field. Functional résumés are best when switching careers or candidates who have gaps in their employment history.
Example of a Functional Résumé
Anna Smith
Address, City, ST ZIP Code | Telephone | Email
Objective
To obtain a nanny position in Charlotte, NC
Education and Certifications
Degree | Date Earned | School
- Major: Tap here to enter text
- Minor: Tap here to enter text
- Related coursework: Tap here to enter text
Certification | Date Earned | Company
- Name of certification, Expiration date if it applies.
Skills & Abilities
Early Childhood Education
Nannying
Babysitting
Communication
Experience
Nanny | Private Family | Dates From – To
- This is the place for a brief summary of your key responsibilities and most stellar accomplishments.
Nanny | Private Family | Dates From – To
- This is the place for a brief summary of your key responsibilities and most stellar accomplishments.
Combination Résumé: A combination résumé is a mix of a chronological and functional résumé. At the top of the résumé, it would list a candidate’s skills and qualifications. After that, there is a brief chronological list of work history. The work history is not the focus of this type of résumé and should not take up a lot of space. A combination résumé helps you to highlight what makes you the best fit for the job, while still displaying your work history.
Example of a Combination Résumé
Anna Smith
Address, City, ST ZIP Code | Telephone | Email
Objective
To obtain a nanny position in Charlotte, NC.
Skills & Abilities
Early Childhood Education
Nannying
Babysitting
Communication
Experience
Nanny | Private Family | Dates From – To
- This is the place for a brief summary of your key responsibilities and most stellar accomplishments.
Nanny | Private Family | Dates From – To
- This is the place for a brief summary of your key responsibilities and most stellar accomplishments.
Education and Certifications
Degree | Date Earned | School
- Major: Click here to enter text
- Minor: Click here to enter text
- Related coursework: Click here to enter text
Certification | Date Earned | Company
- Name of certification, Expiration date if it applies.
