VIP/High Profile Nannying

[letsgoflyakite]

Have namechanged for this, as didn't know what the response would be.

Just wondering if any of you nannies have done any VIP or High Profile work? I am (seriously) thinking of buggering off to Dubai/Abu Dhabi/Somewhere similar for a couple of years to work as a nanny. The salary is very attractive, and I know I will be working my arse off for likely no appreciation, but actually, if I can do it for two or 3 years, I can come back with £100,000 in my bank account because I will have practically no outgoings. Can anyone offer and pros/cons of such work?

Thanks :)

Well, not the same thing but I moved to what I thought was a normal job in France and ending up working all hours. Was a normal salery but as I had no life I did manage to save a fair bit. Not up to £100,000 or even £10,000 but having no social life helped me save!

I know of a teacher who taught in Adu Dhabi for a while, saved a load, lived there with her DH in school-provided accomadation and didn't want to come home at the end! Different I know but it is possible to enjoy something like that.

I've done it a couple of times and think as long as you interview the family well and keep an open mind you will enjoy it.

Pros:
Great way to save money
Great way to experience a different culture

Cons:
You may not be treated well (although when this happened to me I explained what I didn't like and said I'd give notice if they didn't change - they did)
You may have issues with other staff who may be paid a lot less and treated very badly.
It can be very lonely as the children can lead quite an insular life.

There are many other pro/cons but can't remember them well. Basically the more strict you are regarding the work conditions the better you will do.

Hmmmm, it is unlikely that working in the UAE at tat level you would be employed by a Western family. Arab and Asian families have very different lifestyles . Your working hours would be at least 12 , 6 days a week - you would probably have a cook, housemaids etc etc , so no domestic duties per se, but you wouldn't be particularly respected in your role either - Western qualified nannies are very much in demand by very wealthy Arabs, but remember you would be living within a Muslim household. The rest of the household staff would be Asian and you would have very little pr no personal life outside of the house.

Thanks for the responses. Any recomendations on agencies? It is likely to be an Arab family, and I know the hours will be long, but most of them offer accomodation in a Western Compound so there is oppourtunity to meet others in the same position. Escape and Mrs Wishywashy, I thought British Nannies would be treated quite well in most cases, as they look after the heirs etc, and would be quite high in the rankings.. although I did consider what would happen if I was treated badly, and I would also tell them I would give notice. I've been looking at a few agencies. I'm not going to be making any rapid decisions, probably starting on 1st October, which gives plenty of time to join agencies, get references sorted and find the right family.

OP
It's not like you have to retire from one of these positions! I would try it out if I were you. The good thing is because it's working abroad you always have the get out of having to go home for 'personal reasons' ...(more passive aggressive advice.)

make sure you have the air fare home before you go anywhere
just so you can go home if you need to

I got contacted by a family about a role similar to that, that you are after this morning, not for me at the moment but yes..... Would agree with longjane - make sure you have the airfare home available to you as a 'safety blanket', ask if you can contact other nannies who have worked for them (especially if they happen to be the same nationality as yourself)

Friends of mine 'run' a boat for a wealthy family - he is the captain and she is the nanny. Except in reality he is also odd job man, bartender, wine orderer and so on, and she is in charge of hiring/firing other staff, waitressing, washing up and so on. They are on call 24/7 for 10 months of the year though in reality it is only when the family are on board (about 50% of the time, for a couple of weeks at a time) that they are expected to do the 24/7 bit. Which they do. If a guest wants a martini mixed at 4am, they will be there mixing it, even if they need to be up at 6.

Truth to tell they absolutely love it. Every October they come ashore and buy for cash another house to rent out (they own about a dozen in total I think). And even though they slave away, they meet loads of really interesting people, and being exposed to so much wealth makes them very grounded themselves. Saying that, it took around 20 years for them to get to the top of the 'servant' pile. I imagine it was less fun on less salary and with less status.

It's not that you aren't respected as such but you can be treated very differently than here, but it also very much to do with the individual family exactly like interviewing families here.

You may be working with heirs but especially with Middle Eastern families they may say that they want structure and discipline but aren't willing to carry through this makes your job very difficult.

I would say to anyone go for it but interview carefully especially in this climate where the wages have dropped and the expectations have risen.

I think the general consensus is to go for it then? I have the airfare home if anything goes tits up, although I like to think I am resiliant and will stick it out for as long as possible.

Squiffy, you say it took your friends 20 years to get to where they are.. I worry that I won't just walk into the £1500/week job because although I have experience and qualifications, I've never worked for a high profile family or in a fully staffed household. But it's not like you can 'gain' that kind of experience very easily, without being in the job already! I'm also a qualified childrens nurse which, having spoken to agencies, is very desirable in the Middle East especially for the children who have learning disabilities.

I'm getting an incy wincy bit excited at the prospect...

Hi,
Be careful, just had an awful time in Monte Carlo for a high profile family, I was basically not interviewed, worked all weekend and not allowed to go out of the apartment!!!!!
I have never worked for high profile either but if you can put up and shut up and accept that they totally idolise and spoil their children to death then you will be fine!
Agencies I have joined are eden nannies, imperial nannies and kensington, all I have found are excellent and they do have some high profile clients!
Just secured a job in Zurich ( slightly more normal down to earth ) with Kensington nannies!!!

Excellent, thanks Sailor. Registered with Imperial, Burlington and Eden today, so will look at Kensington later in the week. I say registered, I haven't...but I have sent my CV etc with a view to registering! To be perfectly honest, I will get paid enough to take some shit, you know? I am fed up of working on an understaffed NHS ward for no money. I just think it will be a nice change, and to know I can come back and buy a house will be lovely :)

Good Luck with your search its exciting times!

It is exciting! It's a whole new life for a couple of years! What experience did you have before doing it? And is your pay in Zurich good?

Yes, it is possible to just walk into that kind of job. I know people who have, and 2nd what escape said.

Bear in mind you will be expected to dress appropriately (hijab, etc), even if you travel with the family to Lonon/US etc.

I know some families take passports off employees (I'm not saying they would with hold it if you asked for it, should you want to leave) ,but personally I like to keep my passport with me.

I have worked for a high profile family in this country. Yes, the money is good, yes they hours are long. It's a way of life, not a job. It's very much like living in a bubble. You never have to cook, or drive, and will probably be accompanied by security everywhere when you are with the DC. It's unlikely you will be able to choose exactly when you go on holiday. If the children get up at 6am and go to bed at 10pm, such is life. This tends to be less of a problem if they employ more than one nanny, and you are both working that day. Many families employ one nanny per child if they are young. You may well be one in a long line of nannies the children have had, and the children may initially show you a shocking amount of disrespect, but that will improve the longer you stay with them.

I have been rushed off my feet from for 16 hours a day in a house hold with a house keeper, several cleaners, several cooks, a butler, etc. Don't think just because the family have a lot of staff there isn't lots to do. There was another nanny employed though, so when we were both working, it was OK.

After 18 months, I felt enough was enough and returned to normal life, and nannied for a "normal" family, but I have no regrets. I had a massive amount of fun, and experienced things I never would have otherwise.

Get your cv into Kate and Will its only London x

I might email Clarance House with my CV in preparation!

Angi I was in a similar position, I did not end up taking the job in the end but did a 1-week trial to see if it was for me. It was a famous actress and I had an extensive interview which went really well. I started literally the next day, and they lure you in with the salary and the accomodation (fantastic usually, very opulent) - but the truth is, you'll barely be in that accomodation!

I have heard from friends who have worked in Abu Dhabi different experiences - 1 friend had a terrible time and came back after a month, another stayed for 4 years. You do have to accept that the children are likely to be very spoiled, and when parents are around, if they kick / smack / lash out at you, it's generally overlooked. You also might come into problems with some of their previous local nannies - IME, the positions hire western nannies to help with the children's English rather than doing the baby care, etc. - and frequently the other nanny will look at you as an intruder into "her" children.

BUT - all that said - you only live once, and if the money is the number 1 factor for you and you know you have a strong personality, you should be able to manage just fine.

Why not do maternity work? You can earn over £1000 a week but thankfully only short term contracts so very easy to move on. I really liked it and occasionally still do it if timing is right for me.

Sailor, I don't have neonatal experience... Although I'm a paeds nurse and look after babies every day at work, I don't know anything about routines etc. I like older children especially toddlers who you can watch grow, and really get a sense that what you've taught/done with them is what has made them into who they are. I'm not saying I wouldn't consider it, but I would be useless because don't most people want maternity nannies to get their babies into a routine? I would literally not know where to start! My babies have reflux or are poor feeders or have hernias!

Reflux experienced MNs are quite in demand. Try it if you think you might like it.

I would say go for it but I wouldn't use the agency beginning with B. Nannies Inc are good.

Be prepared to have no life at times, invest in a kindle with 3G not just wifi, take a basic TEFL course, order as many freebies from the govt as you can on the EYFS, keep hold of your money and your passport, make sure they pay for worldwide travel and health insurance including repatriation if necessary, have a good contract (aka not the agency standard one) and never assume anything.

Also if you have an iPhone I highly recommend the packing pro app - I wish I'd had it!

But Tree, I'm not experienced! I've done a TEFL too. Ohhhh freebies?! Like what and from where?!

If you've been a paeds nurse you are experienced with the needs of refluxy babies. You have limited domestic experience, true, but the medical principles are the same. Babies don't change according to their location promise.

Will find you freebies if they still do them.

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