Nanny interview tomorrow, need some advice!

[confuseddotcodotuk]

Ignore my previous thread about contacting the agency, I was just typing up an email when she called! (Talk about timing!)

I have an interview with the family tomorrow evening. What sort of questions do you feel nannies should be asking?

I know about the wage and will want to confirm that that is the wage and that they will be going through a taxing agency or similar, how do I bring this up without sounding like a muppet and/or crass? I don't want to get screwed over without my tax and NI being paid for and am unsure if they know about this.

I want to ask about if there will be a chance to have some settling in sessions with the current childcarer so I have a chance to get the kids used to me.

Ask about petrol costs as they live in the middle of nowhere

Contract things (what should I look for in the contract?)

The kids, any allergies, things they play up about, likes/dislikes/etc

How the shifts work, like knowing when I'll have time off and whatnot (different days each week).

Is there anything you'd expect me to ask about that I've forgotten?

It wasn't a nanny course, it was a course designed to get people into a PGCE and become Primary teachers, they just didn't make this obvious until after we all started. It really was rubbish and I am very glad I managed to get out when I did as out of the 20 of us who started, there were six left at the end and not one of them managed to get higher than a mid-level degree and only one or two have managed to get onto a PGCE course (the others are either in entry level nursery jobs or jobless now, a year after the course ended), which personally I think has a lot to do with the standard of education and the lack of facilities that were made available to us (no access to a university library for example, even though we were part of a local uni apparently).

The degree wasn't even mentioned at the interview though, and I never would mention it, it was a terrible experience and I am embarrassed to have fallen into the trap the college/uni laid out. So many smart young adults and mature students fell for it and now have student debts for a sub-standard couse!

I did mention to the family that I planned on either starting a level 3 or doing a degree. I'm unsure which I would like to do at the moment and am still weighing the pros and cons. I did explain to them that I would most definately be doing some form of study about childcare in the very near future though and that I felt doing the level three first would benefit me (and whoever I worked for) more in the short term, and my degree would come afterwards as I'm still not sure which direction I would like to take with that and want to nanny for a while before I decide.

I'm 21, 22 in two weeks, which works better for me as people put more faith into a 22 year old for some reason! I'm 21 going on 50 though I think I would've liked to get my foot on the ladder nannying before this but had a boyfriend and we found it very difficult to try and find work separately but within the same area, so we just stuck to seasonal work together after I left my nannying position and we spent six months unemployed because we couldn't find jobs separately.

It's rubbish you were so badly informed/led by them. I didn't fare any better with the school careers advisor! Some of them need to think about a new career themselves!!

What you said to them about the degree/level 3 sounds good :)

22 - you aren't that young for a nanny, but it's a great age to be!! Whatever else you do - make sure you enjoy it!!

Have you seen anything else you will apply for?

Fingers getting tired - it's going to be a long weekend

I was generally just badly informed in everything and very gullible when I was younger! I've just spent the last three years doing different jobs and trying to work out what I want to do and everything. I think pressure is put on people at too young an age to decide whatyou want to do with your life. Now I am saving to go travelling as I've realised I want to see the world and know that I also want to go for the long haul so I'm pushing back my leave date (originally June/July 2012) to make it easier for me to find nannying jobs and save more money before I go. Nannying here also means it will be easier for me to find childcare positions abroad in the future :)

The travelling is also a big factor in me not doing the degree, as I know that I want to leave in the next two-three years (dependant on nannying jobs, like if I had a 1yo and it was a good job for me I'd stay until they went into reception at 4yo) and I could complete most of the degree, but not all of it, and degrees have a tendency to change every few years so by the time I get back the parts I've done will be useless.

And yes, it'll be a very long weekend! Have a 'playdate' with my gorgeous 2yo godson and his Mummy tomorrow, then I will go bug my grandmother and her gorgeous foster kids and adopted daughter on Saturday and then drag my best mate round Sunday for roast dinner and movies to keep myself occupied! Probably for the best as I'm already going out of my bloody mind!

Or you could ditch all of them and come here and decorate with me

Sounds like a fun weekend!

I've travelled a lot and don't regret one day of it!

Haha, I so would just for the fun of decorating! I'm tempted to bug my old nannying family and see if they want help with their new house too

I can't wait to travel, it's something I'm desperate to do and wish I'd started saving for it earlier. I am going to be gone for 4+ years though so need to get a lot of money saved up for it, I'm aiming for £10,000 but if I stay in the UK longer I'll probably try to reach £15-20,000 :) I want to do so many volunteering projects as well, I cannot wait!

If I can't find a job in Essex by the end of May I may just look at live-in jobs in Hertfordshire or Cambridgeshire (even Kent maybe), I just want to be relatively close to home so that I can be about and see my family and friends on my days off.

Lots of nannies leave home at 6.30 and don't return home for 12 hours - it's just part and parcel of the job.

Yep. I left home at 06:30 and got back 19:20ish. Almost 13 hour day, probably not unusual for a live-out nanny.

confused - why be close to home? You won't be close to home when travelling for those 4+ years!

My step brother has recently got a job in the travel industry, an admin/sales job office based - you know, boring sort of thing. But he's actually getting to travel to various places, as to sell the trips the company feels that he has to have done the trips. If you can't find a nanny job, maybe consider looking at the adventure travel industry, so you may get a little taste of other countries (whilst being paid).

I suppose to make it easier for the nanny? I'm sure thats why they recommended it!

I've been working around the UK for the last three years and just want to be close to home for the next year or so and be involved in my families lives before I bugger off for a long time

I am somewhat jealous of your step brother and his job! I personally don't think it's for me, right now I'm at a point where I desperately want to work with kids, I miss it so much and just want an opportunity to do something I love before I go. If I can't find a live-in job closer to home I will just start applying all over the country, but I would prefer to be near my friends and family for a while considering I won't see them for a long period of time afterwards. I know there are people who'll take me on as a nanny somewhere, it's just finding them, and I don't mind searching :)

Do a job you like doing. I haven't always been a nanny - used to get paid more than I do now working with computers rather than children.

I know what you mean about being close to home... my mum is only a 30 min drive away. Mind you my siblings are 5+ hours drive away.

Would it perhaps be an idea to look at live-in jobs a little further away where they wanted you not to be there at the weekend? Long time ago when I was a young teen, I recall the family next door to us had a nanny who lived-in but only Monday-Friday. Wonder if such jobs still exist. Looking outside of Essex sounds a good idea... you could even consider parts of London... then you get city life during the week and could get country/town life back home in Essex.

Working with kids is what I like doing, hence why I'm looking to nanny It just so happens that nannying usually comes with a wage higher than min. wage (what I'm used too!). I would look into freelancing in a local nursery if I get desperate, but I really dislike the structure in nurseries. In nannying I'd have the freedom to allow the child/ren to do what they want, as opposed to waiting until a set time to take them outside for fifteen minutes, feeding them at a set time and so on.

I must admit London is the only place I haven't looked at for work. I really have no desire to live in London, I'd rather take up another crappy live-in job waitressing again than work in London, it's just never appealed to me. I'll look into the live-in Mon-Fri jobs though :)

Well I would hire you based on what you've said but I'm definitely not convenient for popping back to see friends and family!

That gives me a boost of confidence, so thank you frak! :)

Where roughly are you? If you don't mind me asking?

Near Mauritius - if you fancy a job abroad?

Wow, I must admit it'd be tempting!

Can you message me a little about the job? Even if it's so I get an idea for later on when I'm travelling about again :)

I got the second interview after that awfully long weekend :D Just have to confirm dates with the nanny agency so waiting to hear back from them! What are people usually wanting to see on second interviews? It's a whole day one with Mum, Nan and kids (I think anyway!) so obviously she'd like to see me interact with the kids and they are very outgoing kids so that'll be great fun but do you think she'd want me to organise an activity? Or maybe cook a quick meal? I thought that'd be pretty normal of a second interview?

Oh well done, many parents don't do extended second interviews/trial days like this but we always do and I think it is both a sign that they are a thoughtful, caring family that should be a good employer and a chance for you to shine in your interactions with the children - and that is probably what it will all be about. They will probably want to observe you with the kids 'at a distance' - making sure that you are keeping them both safe at all times, but also making sure that they are enjoying activities appropriate to their ages (not easy with 1 and 2 year olds). Above all they will want to see that their children will be happy to be with you, but don't worry about the odd tear or tantrum - the parents will also be interested to see that you deal with these appropriately, although if they decide to step in, or one of the kids runs to mummy don't try to stop them because you want to show that you can handle it.

I am sure you will not be expected to plan anything (unless they tell you this in advance), but may want you to show how you can cope with preparing a meal while watching out for two hungry toddlers!

Good luck, it all sounds good .

It's a five hour day I've just found out (agency just confirmed it with the family) and it's strictly playtime. No planning of meals or anything which is good :) I know what I could feed them but if I had to think up something I'd just get it completely wrong!

Thanks for the explanation though, I wasn't sure what a second interview could acheieve apart from showing the parents how you interact with the kids so it's good to have it confirmed and have other things to think about :)

It does sound good, I'm very excited about it :)

Oh great news!!!

They must have really liked you! Are any others doing a second interview? Do you know yet when it is?

It will feel like a long time if they are there watching you for the entire time - be prepared to be knackered :)

Don't try too hard - just be yourself x

I think they liked me :) Well, hope they did

Sorry, it's Wednesday, I forgot to mention that! I have my pead first aid training tomorrow (6+ hours, 9:30 till god knows when! Same next Tuesday!) then I've got the interview Wednesday :) I think I'll be very knackered by the end of it! (and I've got to go impress best-friend-turned-boyfriend's Mum and sister on Weds night! I may just fall asleep at the dinner table! )

Now I just have to wrk out the logistics of geting to my training tomorrow, then getting to my interview on Weds, both will be a mission lol

Probably till about 4pm, or 4.30pm depending on how long everyone decides they want for lunch. Least that was how it was when I did my last first aid training earlier this year.

Really?! That sounds okay. I done my maths completely wrong (was thinking 6ish for some reason!) That sounds a little better :) Can get to my sisters then and stay with her for the night, she lives a twenty minute drive from the family's house! Whereas my parents are an hour away and the road to get there during rush hour would be dreadful, I'd need to leave two hours early!

It's all very exciting isn't it :)

We need more goss about friend turned boyfriend

Haha, there is a nice long thread on relationships about that one! He's been my best friend for six years and we kinda decided to take it a little further and see how we get on. Timing is awful but I'm glad it finally happened! :)