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Interview Tips
When
going to an interview with a parent you should be dressed nicely and look
professional. You do not need
to be in a business suit – but neither should you be in jeans or cut-offs! A skirt or slacks with a nice blouse would be the best choice. You
should also give consideration to how your appearance reflects upon you as a
role model for the family's children. For example,
many parents will not consider an applicant that comes to the interview in a
skimpy midriff or tank top.
You should arrive about 10 minutes early for the interview and if time permits you should have already driven the route a day or two in advance so that you’ll know how to get there and not run the risk of getting lost and being late. The fastest way to kill a job opportunity is to arrive late! During the interview speak openly about yourself and what you are looking for in a job. Speak in detail about your experiences with children and ask the parents a lot of questions about their child/children, their parenting philosophies and what they'd like to see in their child care provider. You should always spend more time talking about the family and asking about their wants (and their kids!) and less time talking about yourself and your views.Parents do not want to hear about the your past bad experiences with a family - they DO want to hear about the children that you cared for. It should be clear that you love your job as a nanny or child care provider and the best way to get that across is to speak warmly and affectionately about your past charges. Some nannies even take photo albums or cards and letters the children have made for them - while certainly not necessary, it does show a love of the children. However, an applicants who spends her interview complaining about the parents that she's worked for in the past is going to demonstrate a "kiss & tell" attitude that makes her unhirable in the eyes of many parents. Spend as much time as is feasible with the child/children to help the parent see how you would interact with their kids.Be reasonable about your wage expectations. If you job history shows that the most you've made is $8.00 per hour, you've only done "baby-sitting" and never been a full-charge nanny before, then it's going to be very hard for a family to understand why they should pay you $11.00 per hour now. Yes, nanny wages have gone up considerably in the past few years - but they've gone up for experienced nannies. Also, be aware that, though you may have a college degree, if your degree is not in child development (or a related field), the family will not be taking that degree into consideration when they decide on a reasonable wage for their position. Payroll vs. Cash. The IRS is VERY clear on this! It is illegal for a family to pay you in cash. It is also illegal for a family to pay you through their own
business and treat you as a business expense. You are working in the
family's home at a schedule set by the family -- you are NOT an Independent
Contractor. If you elect to work as an Independent Contractor you do so
at your own risk and you will be paying taxes (self employment tax) that the
family should pay. Also, you will have no Unemployment benefits and you
may be forfeiting Worker's Compensation insurance as well. As an agency
we are completely against this practice and feel it does great harm to
the reputation of nannies in general and makes being a Nanny a less desirable
career choice. We offer Payroll Program and recommend that all
families use it.If you are seeking a job where you are wanting to take your own child with you to work - please consider meeting with the family without your child first and then set up a second interview with your child. It is better if neither you nor the parents are distracted during the initial interview. If you DO take your child with you - take things along that will entertain your child so that you don't have to! Do not feed your child while you are there and do NOT let your child leave the room and explore the house. The biggest thing to remember is that families have a choice and for every applicant that has a child with them, they'll have the choice of 3-4 applicants that do not. You need to make a great first impression - more so than the applicant that is not bringing a child. Questions to Ask the FamilyAfter you have asked about the family and their child/children it is time to ask about the job itself - and NOT before!What are the most important qualities you are looking for in the caregiver that you hire? What is the work schedule? Will you ever need care outside of those hours? Will you compensate your caregiver for the extra hours?
Will I have any other benefits -- medical, dental, etc. Most families will not be able to offer you any medical or dental benefits. What are the wages for the normal work week? What are the wages for extra work hours? What are the wages for overnight care?What are the job duties beyond the care of the kids? Do you expect the caregiver to maintain the house throughout the day or do you need additional housekeeping chores done? The normal job description will require that you do whatever is necessary for the care of the kids - making their meals and cleaning up afterwards, keeping their play areas neat and clean, the children's laundry, etc. Are there any changes planned for your household? Such as moving, getting a pet, parent starting to work from home, etc. If the kids are in the preschool age find out how their schooling might effect your job schedule or duties.How long are you expecting your caregiver to work for you? Accepting a Job OfferWhen a family makes an offer of employment to you - make sure you get all of the details. We recommend that you get all of the details in writing. You can download a copy of a sample employment agreement. Do not accept the offer until you've discussed all of the details and you are comfortable that you can meet this family's needs and will be comfortable working for them. It is very hard on all parties - but especially the children - to have to change caregivers. It is not unreasonable to ask the family for 24 or 48 hours to think over their offer before you accept it. Once you have accepted their offer, we consider it a breach of ethics to continue to interview or to entertain any other offers. Do NOT accept the offer unless you are serious about working for the family - it is not fair to them (they are the ones paying the fee to hire you) and it is not fair to their children. |
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Do NOT chew gum!
Do NOT smell of smoke! Do NOT wear perfume! Do NOT
use slang or inappropriate language. (In fact, you should use the
best grammar that you can. Because you will have a regular influence on
their children, many families DO consider the speech and grammar of the nanny
that they hire.)
Will I be paid for times during that work schedule that you don't need me
-- such as your work holidays and vacations? Normally you can
expect to be paid your normal wages on days when the family doesn't need
you.
