Scouring through dozens of nannies resume and profiles can be daunting, especially when you don’t know what you should be looking for or how to shortlist the right candidates for interviews. Kids are not always easy. It takes only a matter of nano seconds for your doting eyes to squint into a lethal stare. The worry of work and the responsibility of finding a new nanny can take its toll on the most patient of parents. A good, reliable nanny could turn into all the support you need to juggle all the curve balls. But the task of finding a great nanny is both laborious and confusing.
The first step to finding a suitable nanny is to first understand your personal needs as well as that of your child. You can never be too careful when searching through nannies resume for your kid/s, but by properly screening the applicants, you can make sure that you make the most informed decision. Following are a list of characteristics, personality traits and a few red signals that you should be looking for on prospective nannies resume:
1. Search for Resumes through a Trusted Website or Nanny Agency
Before you even start looking at nanny profiles or resumes, you need to make sure they are linked with a reliable nanny agency. Regardless of how amazing a nanny seems on paper, online or even in person, if he/she is not associated with a registered nanny agency, then you are putting your kids’ safety on high risk.
2. Qualifications and Certificates
There are no specific qualifications required to become a nanny but having someone with a related educational background or any other formal training can provide more learning opportunities and better care for your children. You can also look for applicants studying in similar fields like child psychology, child development, teaching, etc.
3. Experience
This is inarguably the most important aspect of nannies resume. It is one thing to love little children and completely another to be able to take care of them. While you may be tempted to hire someone who has experience in ‘giving long cuddles’ or ‘staring at their angelic faces while they sleep,’ it is better to look for someone who actually understands the needs and demands of children and how to handle them objectively.
4. Additional Skills
Taking care of children is an all-rounder job. You are constantly on a disaster management mission while making sure your children are well-fed, well-rested and, as much as possible, out of harm’s way. Knowing how to cook, clean, entertain, teach and be a positive influence in a nurturing environment is an idealistic situation. So, when looking through nannies resumes, be sure to look out for skills, talents, training, and experience in relative fields. Also, knowledge of CPR, basic first aid and the ability to drive can all become very handy for regular commutes and emergencies.
5. Originality
It seems there are more samples of nannies resume available only than the number of nannies! Good news is they are easy to identify! If there is nothing real or original for the candidate to write, the chances are, they wouldn’t have much to offer in terms of services either. Look for resumes that strike out because of their originality and honesty.
6. Testimonials and References
When it comes to entrusting someone to take care of your child, thorough research is key. Make sure you read through testimonials on nannies profiles and follow up with the references provided. It is always better to hire someone through references of family and friends, but if that option isn’t available, then make sure you ask around. When calling up references, speak to them in detail about their experience; try asking open-ended questions and targeted questions so as to get more than just generic answers. Some sample questions are, ‘have you had any conflicts or differences of opinions?’, ‘were the kids happy in his/her care?’, ‘what was the one thing you wished he/she had spent more time on’ etc.
7. Red Flags
They say parents are naturally intuitive; and when it comes to kids’ safety, you can never be too careful. There may be something minute like ‘I prefer calm children’ or ‘strict discipline is my top priority,’ or any other statement or information on the resume that doesn’t feel right or does not match well with your personality or preferences. It is better to heed to it and go with your gut feeling. If the candidate seems amazing, then write a note on a piece of paper and be sure to inquire about it during the interviewing process.
8. Types of Work
Nannies have come to mean so much more than ‘someone taking care of the kids in the parent’s absence.’ They can be your kids’ complete caretakers or a parent’s super assistance, depending on the kind of nanny you hire. But rather than assuming the tasks a potential nanny would undertake, it is best to check through the profiles to see the types of work the candidates are willing to help with.
9. Address
You don’t want to hire someone that lives too far away. That just means they wouldn’t be able to get to you in time in case you have last minute commitments to heed to. Better look for nannies that live close by.
10. Availability
Are you looking for someone long-term or just on an irregular basis? Would you want the nanny to come for specific hours or someone to live-in? Do you want them to start immediately or at a later date? All these questions can easily be answered by checking out the availability section on a nannies resume.
Finding a nanny is hard work. It can take weeks, even months before you find a suitable nanny for your children. Searching through resumes is only the first step, but if done right, you can move on to the next step more effectively- as you’d already have shortlisted the most suitable candidates for the job.
—-> https://nanniesandkidsunited.com/finding-a-reliable-nanny-agency-babysitter-near-me/
