The Art of the Nanny Job Interview
Nanny Job Interview Advice

Effective job interviewing actually starts before you show up to meet the family. Your actions leading up to the interview can be as important as the meeting itself.

Research and Prepare

A nanny job interview is an investment of time (yours and the family's) and sometimes expense. Approach this wisely. You generally have several conversations with a family before the in-person interview. Collect information that is important (and perhaps non-negotiable on your part) to evaluate whether this is a good potential opportunity for you. You need to know the following FIRST:

• Work schedule and start date. Days of week and hours needed. Ask about nights and weekends.
• Where is the job? If live out, you need to know if this is within reasonable commuting distance. If live in, ask questions about the community and transportation.
• Job responsibilities - both childcare and housekeeping, if any.
• Salary offered. Payroll taxes. You want to be sure they are able to meet your income expectations.
• Ask about the family. Ages of children, schools, parents occupations, will parents be in the home or away during your duty hours. Are there any health, emotional, religious or cultural considerations?

You should take the time to prepare the paperwork. Complete a Formal Job Application Form and compile a list of references (former employers or unrelated adults such as teachers or clergy) that you can leave behind. If you have written letters of reference, bring copies. Review and prepare answers for standard Interview Questions.

Transportation

Local transportation for a job interview is the applicant's responsibility. Occasionally a nanny will interview with a family for a live in post ion some distance from her home. The nanny is encouraged to research available transportation and its costs and then discuss with the family how the expense will be handled. It is not unusual for the family to offer to pay half or all of the transportation expense for a long-distance interview. If the family is completely unwilling to financially contribute to the transportation expense, the nanny candidate should give this careful consideration. The family may not be as anxious to interview you as you are to be interviewed!

Long distance interviews are often 'working interviews' where the nanny is on a trial weekend or week. Nanny should be paid for the time she is working, and the cost of round trip transportation. Nanny is responsible to discuss this up front - do not assume!

Etiquette

Be on time! This means knowing your directions in advance, planning your transportation, and allowing for obstacles such as traffic, a late bus, etc. Dress appropriately! Clothing should be clean, conservative, and kid friendly - think GAP, not Victoria's Secret. You will want to be comfortable. Choose something a baby could burp on and that will keep you modestly covered if you get on the floor to play with legos.

Grooming should be appropriate for daytime, not a club. Dangling jewelry is not child friendly - leave it at home. If you have piercings and tattoos, consider carefully how much you want to reveal on this critical first meeting. Many families are fine with this, many aren't.

Be polite. Offer to shake hands upon introductions. Express pleasure at the meeting. Thank the family for their time at the end of the interview.

Interview safely!

If you and the family are not previously acquainted, we encourage you to plan your initial meeting in a well trafficked public place. A coffee shop or a McDonald's with a play land are good ideas. Make sure you provide a friend or family member with the details of your interview, including family name, phone number, where you are meeting, the schedule. You want your friend to know when they should expect to hear back from you - and make sure you phone them! If you are meeting in a private home, we encourage you to bring a friend to the interview. They can either wait in the car outside, or if you use public transit they can wait in a nearby coffee shop. Let the family know you are bringing a friend in advance. These cautions are not intended to scare you - after all the in person interview is hands-down the best way to determine a good nanny:family job match. Instead, we want to empower you to be SAFE in your job search, and not become a victim of a mugging, sexual assault, or worse.

During the Interview

Some nerves are to be expected on this first meeting. Hopefully all the planning you did in advance will help you in this regard. The family will have questions. Every question the family throws your way in the interview offers you an opportunity to show them why you're the best person for the position. Highlight your positive qualities and avoid giving reasons to disqualify you.

Give examples. Many parents are not good interviewers. The parent may ask simple questions, such as, "Do you have experience in diaper changing?" You may need to take some initiative to make this a good interview. Don't just answer "yes." Give examples of times you've had to perform that particular task and why you were successful or had an impact. If the family wants to know how you would handle a crying baby, you will want to describe previous situations where you had to do this in the past. Describe what you did how you felt about it. Simply answering "A crying baby doesn't bother me" does not make your case.

Look for opportunities to convey your strengths. Try to relate your answers to this family. If you don't understand a question, ask the family to explain. Don't try to answer questions that you don't understand.

Your answers need to provide reasons to hire YOU. Avoid providing reasons not to hire you. If the job involves meal preparation, don't tell the family that you burn water! If true, express a willingness to learn and experiment, despite your lack of experience. Before responding to questions, take a second, breathe and think about your answer.

Be warm, friendly and direct, but maintain appropriate boundaries. The family doesn't want to hear the sagas of your personal life. If you cross those boundaries, even the most laid-back of interviewers will be left with the impression that your personal life will interfere with your work.

Don't leave or be left hanging. Ask the family if they need any other information from you to help make their decision. What is the next step? If you both want to pursue this, leave your references. Ask about follow-up.

After the Interview

Make good on your commitments. If you promised to get copies of certifications to the family - do it. If you promised to phone back in three days - do it. Many career coaches recommend that you write the family a brief thank you letter. A handwritten note is best, an e-mail is better than no follow-up. The thank you letter is more than a nice way of saying, "Thank you for your time." It's another chance to sell your strengths and land that job.

Waiting can be hard. It often takes a family longer to make a decision than they expect. They may have trouble reaching references, or be waiting on a background check. Judging when it is time for YOU to make the call is both difficult and subjective. 4nannies.com advises at a minimum you wait out the family's follow-up period. If the family suggested they would call you on Monday, don't call them until Tuesday. You will want to know two things - 1) what is the status of the position? and 2) are you still being considered. The family will understand that you need to know this and should be prepared to answer these questions.

You are advised to continue your job search as you are waiting. Similarly you are advised once you accept a position to let any other families you were talking with know that you are no longer available.

 Related Link: Be Prepared: The Nanny Job Interview
 Related Link: Nanny FAQ