I'm very sadly going to have to give up nannying and I've no idea what to do next

[IHopeYouStepOnALegoPiece]

I've been unemployed for 6m and just cannot do it anymore , financially I'm drowning.

I am GOOD at my job, I have ace references and am ofsted registered but I interview badly and despite trying everything, I can't stop being rubbish at interviews so it's letting me down badly...I feel like saying "seriously, I am good at what I do, give me a shot" but that's frowned upon and there are SO many applicants for each job, I think it's so easy to get lost in the mix iygwim

Im so sad to be giving it up...many a tear has been shed...but I have never done anything other then nanny so I don't know where to go or what to do!

Argh!

Could you try emergency temp nannying? Families are really grateful for the help, you get references and as the agency send you at short notice you don't have to interview with the families just the agency. And you still get to nanny, I had a friend temp nanny for a while and two of the families she temped for offered her permenant posts as they had seen how she was at the job.

I'm seriously worried I will be in the same boat as you when my current position ends.

I've started a bookkeeping course just incase.
The temp solution sounds good. I've had a friend who did it and she had back to back bookings for over 8 months. Is it possible to do temp work in a nursery?

Oh poor you, the temp route sounds a good start, is there anyone you can practice interview technique with?

Other options, could you look at applying for work in nurseries?

It sounds as if your self confidence has taken a bit of a knock. I know it can be a bit of a downward spiral as rejection dents your confidence and that comes over when you make your next application. Can you get some careers counselling and perhaps some help with interview practice? I also think the temp nanny route sounds like a good idea - it's always easier to walk into a job when you already have one. Babysit too if you can - anything to widen your circle of contacts and get word of mouth recommendations. Good luck.

:( aww bless you, think your confidence has taken a huge knock each time you get rejected

i ditto the temp/emergency work - i have been doing it almost 3 years now and LOVE IT tbh i didnt think i would have done it this long but the work is plentiful and i enjoy picking and choosing when to work

and again as someone else said if a family need a nanny asap they are less likely to be picky (ndont mean that horribly)

i cant rem which area you are in, dont think it is london, but if you have a local tinies in your area they deal with emergency childcare via my family care (which the employers office/work pays for childcare rather then them have a day off iyswim)

it is a basic rate of £10gross so not great money but it is regular and lots of nanny/nursery work

i tend to do a day here and there to fit round normal temp jobs via my local agencies/word of mouth as tend to pay better

good luck and if you want any more info then ask x

Are you with an agency? Can you ask them for help, perhaps even some interview coaching? Could you also perhaps ask your previous employers if they could help you with interview skills?

I don't interview well and what's helped me is a portfolio it makes a good discussion point and because i know what's inside it I speak far more freely. It really helped when I was first starting out as a maternity nurse and had tonnes of interview. Another thing if you're not doing it already is send a text or letter saying how much you enjoyed interviewing with family. When you hear you haven't got position then it's ok to call or message family and ask if they could give you feed back on interview, this has really helped me in the past. As with above temp work could really be a confidence booster for you.

Also as it's a competitive market then think of things that could set you above the rest eg would you be happy to include family shop in your work hours, ironing some clothing for parents etc? Or family cooking a few times a week? All of these are doable with some planning within a nanny role and over all don't take a lot of time but would need to be clear not to take on too much.

I'm in the same position as you Lego and am doing temping work, I finished my permanent job at Christmas and have been temping since and half heartedly job hunting at the same time. I have amazing references, 20 years experience, drive, insured etc... But every time I have an interview the reply is you're amazing but we went with someone else grrrrrr. The temping is great to be able to pick and choose the work, meeting new families and I have been offered a permanent job from from one my temp families but it fell through at the last minute. Get networking and make some good contacts and the work will come in.

You have ace references - are you still close to any of your previous families and would they be willing to give you a leg up?

We found our current nanny when her previous employer "advertised" her, ie said she was looking for work and how great she was, on a local forum. I thought that showed she must be great if her previous mboss was willing to go to that effort so that made me more likely to interview her and even to pick her over others who did just as well at interview.

Any chance someone would do the same for you?