So, I have an interview...

[PurplePidjin]

With a local agency. It will be held in a hotel

I need a job, have NVQ3 in Healthe and Social Care, plus recently completed a level 2 qualification in Youth Work (my hobby job) so I know I could be a successful nanny.

What should I expect them to ask me? What do I need to ask them? What should I wear?

I drive and have my own car,but it's a classic and appropriate insurance could be tricky plus it's 40 years old, so no modern safety features - would it be better to not use my own car except in emergencies?

All responses gratefully received!

Well the hotel thing- lots of agencies do this, I'm with about.. 20-30 agencies, can't remember how many! I think 5 or so have been in hotels.

They'll ask you the usual things you get in interviews- why leaving current job, how many sick days you may have had etc. They will ask you what kind of job you are looking for- full time, part time, will you babysit, are you willing to work overnight, shared or sole charge. What pay you're looking for, I always say market rate. Are you willing to do nursery duties. What ages you prefer, will you help with homework. Do you speak any languages, play any instruments.

It's a good idea to mention the things you won't do- I say I won't work in a house with pets bigger than a hamster, I don't do parents laundry.

Clothes- I tend to wear smart clothes, I know most agencies have kind of a checklist of what the nanny is like eg are they smart, clearly spoken etc so I want to make a good impression. Saying that I have never been turned down by an agency- most are crap though!

Do you have a CRB? Peadiactric first aid? I've never driven my own car for work- in fact I got rid about 6 years back. Just having the driving licence makes you more employable!

Can I ask what agency it is, where you are located? I'm with so many, I could give you pointers!

Thank you!

Current job let me go at the end of my probation last week. A bit sudden, normallu I only leave a job for something different!

What is market rate for 6 years experience with SN but not actually nannying? And what are nursery duties? I'd be happy as nanny/housekeeper as long as they understood that the housekeeper bit might detract from the nanny bit. Happiest with older kids, yes to homework, music degree and French to a level.

Love animals, have my own cat and house rabbit, would have a dog if I lived in a house not a tiny flat with no garden. Nights only in an emergency, I don't trust myself to stay awake. Saying that, I assume most night shifts would be sleeping anyway unless a child had an issue? Live out only, must have youth club night off - in the same way that i would prioritise any work commitment.

Suit with nice top or suit and shirt?

Yes to CRB, yes to first aid - dealt with by the council as part of the youth work training. Also i did food hygiene last year... My car is staying, just not sure i'd be happy transporting someone's children in it regularly. I'm a good driver, full clean licence, but drum brakes and no side impact protection is a big risk on busy roads.

Sunrise, I'm on the Dorset/Hampshire border.

All pointers and advice very welcome, thank you

Sadly no where near me so no help there! I'm with mostly London agencies and a few SW ones.

All good, all make you employable! I usually answer 'market rate' as my answer to the wage question!

Overnights would involve sleeping over. I go to bed when I would usually, mind you have only done it a few times. Its something only some families ask for so if saying yes puts you ahead of another candidate thats a good thing!

Having your own car is good for getting you to work, again makes you more employable. Even if I owned a brand new car I wouldn't use it for work. Having a licence makes you more employable in that the family can either provide you with a car or put you on their own car insurance, as I am now on my employers.

One thing they may ask about is Ofsted registration so may be worth reading up on it. Basically the only good thing about registering is that parents can use vouchers they get from their own work to pay you. You get paid the same amount, they save a little. You have to pay around £100 per year to register so if they ask perhaps say you are willing to do it but the parents have to pay as they are the ones to benefit, thats what I say. Though you may have to do an extra qualification to register.

Emphasise your good points! Happy to work with older kids, happy to do nanny/HK (I'd never do that so it sometimes limits my job prospects!). Having a degree is good news, as is SN experience.

TBH it is very, very unlikely they don't register you. the interview is to present yourself to them so they can 'present' you to their clients. The only reason I can see they may turn you down- some agencies require you to have had a 2 year employment with a single family before they register you. Which I would fail, my longest was 23 months as the family moved! Thats a rare requirement though.

One thing every single agency asks without fail is to fill in a form detailing all previous employment, names and addresses for references. Which you have to think up on the day. I take a list I did of all details, plus my CV which I find helps!

Wow I type a lot, can you tell I've done this a million times!

Sleeping nights in a crisis, fine. I wouldn't want to do that regularly though.

They already have my cv and referees, although they wanted childcare refs so I put my SIL down ad one - she regularly trusts dp and I to look after her 6 and 4yo

They said they'd email back with what I should bring to interview but i assume that's standard proif of ID so no problem for me - i have about four currently valid

What are my realistic chances of actual employment like? Is there much of a market at the moment?

Take all certificates you have, including those dating back over the years. Especially important to take childcare related ones - include module sheet (if the course was modular) or any other things you have which relate to what units/modules were studied.

So have you applied for any specific job? Sounds like you may not have done so, thus this meeting is more about the agency getting to know you, so they can then match you with any parents currently looking for a nanny, or any future parents.

Consider how far you will travel. Be realistic, use mapping software (Google Maps is fine) to get estimated travel time between your home and various places you would travel to. I am assuming you are wanting a Live-out job. Are you, or are you looking for Live-in?

Your car may well be an issue. If you use it as part of your job it needs be suitable for the purpose - car seats, children being messy, children being sick. Are you sure you want children in your car? You drive and you have driving history - so that is useful if an employer is providing a car.

The agency needs to know about you, so they can 'sell' you to a family looking for a nanny. They need to know what makes you tick, what you like, what you dislike. You have a classic car... that's a talking point. Maybe you know how to fix cars - could be a handy skill. Nannies these days are often multi-skilled - least those of us who post on Mumsnet seem to have a varied background and have often done other jobs before being a nanny - some of us have degrees not in childcare. Some of us play musical instruments, speak more than one language, dance/acting skills, some of us like animals and will be happy on a working farm, whilst others don't like animals. Agencies want to know all about you... why it is that you want to do the job and what skills/knowledge you bring with you. You may love history and be able to take children on guided tours of historical monuments. Think about what skills you have... think about how those may be useful to a parent with children, how those children could learn things from you.

Sorry, I should read all previous messages before replying. Seems like you have already given some thought to your additional skills - could you help with basic French? Could you help a child learning a musical instrument (especially one you have learned to play)? Those are the sort of things you should make sure the agency know... as it may well appeal to parents.

The agencies always have your stuff already, yet always seem to want you to fill in a form with exactly the same info on it. Most I've been to have! So have it to hand.

have you looked on nanny job
the main agencys there seem to be tinies and sunrise and eden
in dorset and will have to travel miles
there seem to more agencys in hampshire so more chance of job that way
dont expect the agency to get you a job they really just make register to get the job details
look on nanny job.co.uk and join all the hampshire one
and if you see on job there that you might like for the agency at interview ask them about it

and you might well have to give up youth club as you might not get back in time

oh no pp -didnt reliese they let you go :(

normal for some agencies to interview in hotels

good luck xxx

Thank you very very much!

Dorset is a very rural place but I've lived here thirty years so I'm fairly au fait with realistic travel times. Google does not have the answers round here The Hampshire agencies all tend to be the other side of Southampton so there's a fair chunk of motorway before you get there. I live in a geographically bizarre area! I'll pop over to nannyjob now though, thank you.

Blondes, I'm not exactly proud so it the news hasn't made facebook, most people don't know

aww PP, it happens-didnt you read my fb last week-with nutty parents at a mn job

the bloody dog had more rights then me

I saw, ridiculous!! I'm not entirely sure what I'm letting myself in for here