As an agency owner, I am often asked by candidates how they should market themselves as a nanny in Orange County, and what some of the more common mistakes are that nannies make while seeking employment. One of the most important things to keep in mind is that finding a desirable position as a nanny, is not much different then finding a position in corporate America. You must present yourself as a competent, reliable professional. So what exactly does that mean as a nanny in Orange County? In short, it means having a presentable resume, good communication skills both on the phone and in person, and knowing how to showcase your experience and abilities. In this article I will stick with discussing the resume as that is often the first thing that a prospective family will look at.
Believer it or not, having a resume is very important when looking for a nanny position. I am always amazed at how many nannies wonderful nannies do not have a resume, especially when being a nanny is their chosen profession. As mentioned above, it is really no different then looking for any other kind of position or employment. As your resume is often the first thing that prospective employers will see, you want to be sure you are putting your best foot forward. Your resume doesn’t have to be pages long, in fact much like resumes for other professions, keeping it to one page is best. It doesn’t have to be fancy, keep it simple. Your resume is a good way to communicate to prospective families how much experience you have, what kid of nanny and/or professional child care positions you have had in the past, and the ages of children you have experience working with. A good rule of thumb in preparing your resume is to present each job/family you have had separately, do not just lump together. Be sure to include details regarding your education, certifications, and skills (e.g. if you speak another language, or have experience with certain sports, volunteer work, etc.). Keep the work experience you include on your resume relevant for the position you are applying for, i.e. you should really only include professional child care positions. For each position you should include your job title, dates of employment, job duties, and ages of children you worked with. When you are done, proof read, have a friend proof read it as well, and be sure there are NO SPELLING ERRORS!
If you are an experienced nanny in Orange County looking for employment, we at Crunch Care would like to hear from you. The best way to contact us is to send your resume for review to orangecounty@staffing.com.