Is it me,or the competition is really tight for nannies in London?nannies&even parents please help

[NannyNorthLlondon]

I am looking for a nanny position since november,I tried agencies aswell,I have been for a few interviews,but no answer..
I have 3 years exp as live-in nanny+some volunteer in Eu,Icp and first aid...the crb is in progress.I am starting to get worried little bit,maybe I am doing something wrong at the interviews or my qualifications are not enough,I really dont know,because I have excellent references,and the 2 families I worked for have been really pleased with me,and we still keep in contact,but they dont need me anymore.
Nannies who have more experience and parents..what should I do?some advice please.
Thank you

I don't think the CRB is a huge issue, there are plenty of parents willing to employ without one or with someone who has one in the process of being applied for. I think it's probably this plus a combination of other factors dependent on the family.

How are your references? Can you be certain that they give you excellent feedback and there isn't something you've overlooked? Are you making sure to apply for positions in which you have the exact same experience as what's being called for? (For example, not great to apply for a baby job when you've only worked with toddlers/preschoolers.) Are you looking for live-in?

Sorry, I've employed nannies for 14 years in London and I would not consider you as a nanny after just that level of experience and with no nanny qualifications. I think you would value brutal honesty so here it is:

One one year job and one two year job, one of which was more like a mother's help, doesnt make you an experienced nanny but more like an entry level nanny. Your first job sounds like it was pretty exploitative - long hours, lots of kids, no experience, so I would not be terribly impressed by the reference from that family - am sure they were lovely in person but as a potential employer I would suspect they were just looking for cheap childcare and not as picky as me. I am not saying this would be true of them, but just that would be my fear as I looked at it and I would discount it.

Totally agree with the comments on written english.

Also you wouldn't pass my 'cooking' criteria with 'pasta soup veggie bakes' - I want fresh meat, fresh fish, proper healthy cooking.

Wouldnt look at anyone without CRB and currrent first aid certificate.

Do you drive? You don't say, but its essential in London for anyone other than toddlers.

I would worry about the fact you mention you are studying accountancy as it would make me think you werent committed to working with children - my nannies are all professionals, with qualifications, and all they want to do is work with children. They have gone on to other jobs but always children related.

Culture? Don't know enough about Romanian culture but I always ask non-English nannies about their child-rearing culture - i am generalising wildly here but I have found there are some countries where the culture is too different from the way I bring my kids up and so a nanny from there and I would not click. Never interviewed a Romanian so no idea on your culture, but if it is different from the liberal north london one might be worth reading a couple fo good books so you can show you share the same values about child rearing.

So perhaps look for people with one young child, where you can grow in your experience with the child. Trouble is, those employers are more likely to want a cheaper live in nanny - when I switched to using live out nannies it was because I wanted much more experience, and so was happy to pay more. I don't think the salary you are looking for is ridiculous for a live out nanny, but you would be one of the least qualified or experienced live out nannies i would ever have come across and i wouldnt give you an interview. I think your problem is you are putting yourself out as a live out nanny and realistically you just arent experienced enough - I think you have more of more an 'au pair plus' CV and so recommend you look for those roles, which will pay more like £350 per week than £450 per week.

HTH - suspect it's unwelcome but it's honest.

Nope, OFSTED do their own CRB so it completely negates the existing one.

Do you have the accession worker card, which you would need, not the registration certificate? Do check this carefully. Hate to say again but as I've said before parents can (rightly) be very wary about employing foreign nationals unless you can proactively prove your entitlement to work.

The Blue Registration Certificate is the one I think she needs... that would mean no restrictions in working.

Have you ever seen these documents Frakkin, as I haven't... thus can only go by the Employers guide on the UKBA website.

WorkingItOutAsIGo thank you for your honest comment,I really appreciate it.
The thing is that I dont want live-in position anymore!the rate of 8£/h it was just a question,I would consider 7£ but depending on how many children I have to look after and the amount of housework involved.
I cant say that I am a professional cook,because I am not, but I can definetlly cook.Even if I dont know ssome recipes, I go to library, i search on internet and I make any impossible to be possible.
I agree I am not professional yet,it takes years for each of us in any profesion we chose to be in top.
I always wanted to be a teacher, but the pay is really low in Romania for teachers, thats why I chose accountancy before I decided to come in Uk,and I am still studying it because I once I start doing something I like to finish it,even if its not what I really wanted to do in life.
nannynick and frankkina, about the certificate it is no problem,I am allowed to work anything i want

I have indeed but I used to work in advice work. There were I think 5 different forms (which were a right PITA to process) and off the top of my head there are different rules for Romanians and Bulgarians who have worked previosuly in the UK (there's the cut off on 31/12/06)

The registration certificate I'm familiar with was only for students, SE people, those who didn't have to register because they met grounds for exemption (including the 31/12/06 cut-off) and family members of people who had an accession worker card.

OP, whilst typing that what I've said about the card may not be right as I'd completely forgotten you've been working here for 3 years and therefore have presumably been counted as employed for 12 months which removes most of the restrictions which means you might well only need to the reg cert. That'll teach me to give advice without rechecking the [metaphorical] file!

What did you originally have on entering the UK? And have you updated it as you need to?

Ah okay, you know your own certificate. Always a problem with trying to do immigration stuff on the internet. You can never actually see the documents or dates.

Ah, you're going to live-out from live-in. A difficult thing to be sure even for quite experienced live-in nannies. I find that families frequently want exacting age-appropriate experience, drivers, those that can demonstrate initiative to cook healthy, fresh meals as well as initiate art projects, examples of educational/social outings and activities, etc.

What ages do you have experience with? Do you ever ask the families that choose not to hire you after interview why they picked a different candidate? That can often be telling (such as - needed someone more creative, more experience with toddlers, longer periods of time in jobs, etc.)

Try to adapt the CV to each job, highlighting how you have cared for similar aged children, what outings you went on, activities you did, that kind of thing. Give examples of things you did with the children.

Do you drive, have a car? In a covering letter include details of how you would be getting to and from work. As a live-out nanny you need to be 100% reliable in getting to work on time, or at least convey the impression that you will always be reliable.

So, NLN, what you need to do is not mention the accountancy as it is distracting. Consider studying for a childcare qualification instead. Get your CRB etc. Focus on ones with smaller kids as it sounds like you cant drive as you have not said you can. You are unlikely to get a 'top notch' nanny job right now with your current experience so consider au pair plus jobs or nanny/housekeeper jobs. You mention you only wear jeans - are you smart enough for London jobs - I want my nanny to fit in with other nannies so she will make firends so dont need her too smart but certainly also not too scruffy?

Best of luck.

starberries I dont drive.I always aplly for jobs that involve caring for children aged between 8 months and 9 years.This is the age group I have experience with.I never ask for feedback from families , if they dont call me I just live it how it is.It was just one lady that called me because she really liked me,but she found somebody with litlle bit more experience.
Because i dont drive I dont apply for jobs that involve more than 50min-1h travelling

WorkingItOutAsIGo I wear jeans because they are comfortable,but there are many types of jeans,and you can accesorize them to look smart ,depends on the activity you do,the places you are going.I look after myself and my image ,I am a clean person

I am not searching for top notch job,but I will not consider a job in wich the parents dont want to pay the taxes for me and they want to pay under the minimum wage.Not everyone is that picky as you are, but every parents wants what is best for their child.As I said in the previous threads I dont apply for a position that clearly states "mary poppins" or "super nanny".I only apply for positions that suit me,that want non driver etc.
Thank you for the advice

nannynorth, good luck with finding a job, i know it is not easy as some of the english are just so different in their views to us /i am also from so-called eastern europe/. you are certainly not a candidate for an aupair job, but with the market as it is you might need to accept a mothers help type of job rather then sole charge nanny type.

I interview very carefully and if I was interviewing you, I would ask a lot of questions about what she was doing before she came to this country. I think that I would prefer an explanation saying studying for accountancy because childcare and teaching pays next to nothing in Romania (and everybody knows that Romania is still a very poor country). I would also accept that once you have invested time in something, you finish it; in fact, I think that I would be quite impressed by that. I think that you just need to be really careful to emphasize your circumstances in Romania at the time and your determination to stick with something once started. I would also ask you what you intended to do once you had the accountancy qualification and how much time your were spending on it.
Finally, if I was interviewing you, I could imagine that the accountancy would bother me less than the fact that I would not be able to do a background check on your time in Romania. I can't remember how long you said you have been in the UK, but if it is less than about 5 or 7 years, is there any possibility that you could get references from people in Romania (e.g. a teacher or somebody in a respectable position)?
Also, assuming that you are still on good terms with the families you left, you might call them and tell them of your difficulties and ask them how you can present yourself more successfully - after all they know you! You cannot, in my view, ask this directly, but you might, as a result, be able to gauge whether they are giving you ok references. And you could also ask them if they would kindly mention your name if they know of anybody who is looking for childcare - a personal recommendation like that would go a long way with me.

catepilarr thank you for encouraging me,is nice to see I am not the only one who thinks Au pair is not the only position I can get

Just a quicky as I'm at choir, on a break.
I feel the not driving is an issue, could you learn? You have the ICP so I would say learn to drive before doing more childcare courses.
I lived in London in 70's and 80's and I recall my parents driving me around a lot, either that or walking. We used to drive to the local park - Greenwich, lived in Blackheath, so it was only a couple of miles.

Hey - I didnt say au pair - I said au pair plus which is quite a different thing - fulltime, more responsibility, more money. Worth investigating before you dismiss it because it starts with the word au pair. It's not nec the same as mothers help, as it often includes sole charge. And better to target a job you can get, and build your experience on your chosen career path, than not be working.

Totally right re money/tax etc! You dont want to work for someone who isnt straight in their dealings with you.

aupair plus is certainly not a full time job and def does not pay 350 a week as you mentioned previously.

Sumersoon the accountancy qualification will be just that, a qualification , a diploma.If I will find a nanny PA position it might help me.I study for it just once a month a few hours , so it doesnt take to much off my time , plus for me its like this:what I do in my spare time it doesnt matter for my employer!It matters what I do at work, how I spend the time with the children and looking after the house(in a housekeeping position).
I also said that I want to do the DHC , did anyone notice that?
I can take references from teachers,from the manager of the Orphanage , but those references dont count in Uk!
I am just 22, so it`s not to much to check about me,except high school diploma,a police check ,test my knowledge..I havent done anything except studying and volunteering

Nannynick i can learn for the driving license, I have that in plan and I wasnt actually sure wich one to prioritise:the diploma or the drving license.thank you for the advice once again.
catepilarr the definition of au pair plus is :
Au Pairs Plus
(30-35 Hours per week. EU residents only)

They carry out the same duties as regular Au Pairs, but work for up to 35 hours per week. They must receive a minimum of £70-80 pocket money per week and every extra hour should be paid at £3.50 minumum. They should also be allowed time off to attend an English Language Course.

Sometimes the normal 5 hours a day or 25 hours may not be enough for a busy family with two working parents. Should this be the case, for example in school holidays or even at other times, you may wish to consider an AU PAIR PLUS. However please note that an Au Pair Plus may not have sole charge of children under the age of 2 years if both parents work outside the home. Furthermore only limited sole charge is permissable for children between the ages of 2 and 3 years. If both parents go out to work, a Mothers Help or a Nanny is the appropriate choice for younger children & babies.

Of course its not a full time job,and most of the times is live-in.I went through that period where I was in search of cultural exchange almost 4 years ago and still I didnt receive just pocket money

nannynorth, that was intended for wioaig.i certainly know what an ap or ap+ is, its her who seems to be in a muddle a bit.

NNN, every parent is different. I am forever reminding my 6 year old DD that girls can do math. So, I would love to have a female nanny who is good at math. I would not see it as a distration from your commitment to your job as a nanny.

I do agree with the live-in / live-out job. Most people who would hire you will do so because they need to save some money and are prepared to take on training you in exchange. And those peole will probably looking for a live-in nanny.

I have hired several entry-level nannies and I would probably interview you (if I was looking for a nanny which I currently am not).

I'm not really interested in the CRB since you aren't British. But, I believe I am in the minority in this view.

I've probably missed it somewhere below, but why do you not want a live-in position?

And who in their right mind pays £350 per week for an au pair +???

Strix I live with my partener now and i just need more privacy.I know that the family will give me privacy(all of them at least try ), but living in with the family you dont really get your free weekend time unless you go out of the house.I know this on my skin, I used to have day off , but because dad was busy watching tv mum was still asking me "do you mind doing this, please?".So at the end of the day it was no private time for me!
If any time soon you were be looking to hire a nanny give me a buzz please
£350/week is for mothers help.