How Important is Experience when Hiring a Nanny?

[DaisyFields]

I'd like to get a little bit of advice and would be grateful for any opinions that you have. I'm not being cheeky - this ISN'T an advert to be your child's Nanny - I just want to know whether I have any chance of being employed or if I'm wasting my time and should re-think my plans.

I'm 22 and currently part of the way through a psychology degree with the open university. I'm looking to do some work alongside my studies and would really like to get a job as a Nanny next summer.

At this point, I will have completed the child development part of the course (which I think, but could be wrong, can be redeemed as an NVQ level 3/4), however I haven't done any practical childcare qualifications.

Throughout my teenage years, I would regularly babysit for family members, and now I'm older, my friends will often leave their chidren with me for the day. Also, part of my job is teaching primary aged children how to sing two mornings a week, so I am quite at home with children and keeping them entertained. I'm (obviously) CRB checked and have first-aid qualifications.

If somebody like me answered your advert for a Nanny, would you even bother reading the application, bearing in mind that I have no experience?

I know this may come down to personal opinion, and I won't be insulted if you say "No, not in a million years!". I'd just like to be able to get a bit more insight into what is expected.

Thanks in advance

You have got experience with children you just haven't worked officially as a nanny. I can't see why you wouldn't get any interviews tbh and you working in a school might help you get more.

Thank you. It's just that I ha a quick snoop on a nanny agency website and all of their staff had at least 5 years experience. I suppose it'll just be a bit more of a challenge. And everyone has to be employed for the first time once!

Thanks again.

I don't see why not
maybe an older school aged child/ren if you don't have baby experience?

you don't have to go via an agency either,put an ad on netmums,gumtree,childcare.co.uk etc

just be honest and list what quals / experience you DO have

good luck
x

I would certainly interview you. I would be less bothered by the lack of experience as a nanny as such - especially as you have other child-related experience - but references could be an issue. You might want to think about who could give you a relevent reference - two or three people would be ideal.

Good luck!

Throughout my teenage years, I would regularly babysit for family members, and now I'm older, my friends will often leave their chidren with me for the day.

Get written and permission to give contact details for as many of these as you can - if a parent has someone to speak with so they can chat about what childcare you have done it will help.

Also, part of my job is teaching primary aged children how to sing two mornings a week,

See if you can get something written on paper about what you do, how the children get on with you. Perhaps the class teacher would be able to put together a couple of paragraphs as a reference.

Do Not Send Your CV to anyone without first completely changing it. Your CV must be designed to get you the job for which it is being used to apply... I've seen far too many generic CVs from people wanting to work in childcare. If they had just emphasised what childcare they had done, it would have helped so much. So really emphasise on the CV about the childcare aspects of any work during your work history (so that includes babysitting as a teenager) and demote other bits of information which are not relevant to the job. Don't remove them completely... just do it as a list entry, rather than a paragraph of information. The paragraph of information is for those things which are childcare related.

Some agencies insist you have 5+ years experience (Greycoat spring to mind) and some will take you with 2/3 years (Eden) whereas some will take you with none.

I totally agree with nick about the CV though.

To be totally honest you're better going for a job with school-aged children and have much more chance of getting an interview there. I'd definitely consider you (hypothetically, am not a parent yet but used to work in recruitment and as a nanny) for school-aged children, probably over a nanny with scads of baby/toddler experienced but wouldn't for a child under 3 or so unless you do have relevant experience with them.

Also try going onto the forums at nannyjob to get some more ideas on how to get started as lots of nannies there will be happy to give you advice/help.

Hiya, When I started the nanny job Im at now, It was my first one,

I had experiance through childcare courses and babysitting but never as a sole charge nanny.

All the jobs I got turned down for were v young babies as I had not enough experiance.

I started this job part time with school age children (then aged 9 and 6). now (almost 2 years on, im full time as trhey have since had DC3 (now 1)

So its just perseverance and I seconfd that your better off going with schiil aged children at first

That's good BNCP. Now you have baby experience as well

The other thing that might help bridge the gap on experience is working as a mothers help as I know that is route that both nannies I have employed used.

Good lord! they certainly didnt hire me for my spelling or typing

nbee84- its worked out really well! from that part time (20h week) after school job, it's changed to full time (60+ hours) fabulous family and experiance from newborn now

all works out

I'm a nanny employer and would certainly consider you, provided you explain clearly the relevance of your past experiences with children to the offered post.

Oh and also provided you have a realistic idea of the salary. I once decided to interview someone who had just qualified as a primary school teacher abroad, but had no sole charge experience - we were offering £31000 pa gross - 1 hour before interview the agency called to say that the candidate was cancelling the interview if it wasn't £31000 NET. I wished her the best of luck and went and found someone else.

Thank you everyone for your advice - I definitely think that I could re-write my CV and get lots of references to throw in in time for next summer.

Does anybody know around what time would be best to start looking for a summer holiday post?

Thanks again.