Nanny–a wonderful position for someone who likes to be around children. A great part time occupation, summer job, or even a first job you may get in a new country. An opportunity to blend into local community, and to prepare for the role of a mother. Job of a nanny is not easy, but it has many advantages when compared to other jobs which you can get without any previous working experience. But what will happen in an interview for this position? How to make a good impression on the interviewers, succeed, and get a job? We will have a look at it in this article.
Right personality and flexibility
You can interview for this job with a variety of bodies. It can be a person from a specialized recruitment agency that helps rich families to find nannies, and it be the mother of the child, or the father, or even the full-time nanny who already works for a family, seeks assistance, and is in charge of the new nanny recruitment. One way or another, the success in this interview depends mostly on two things:
- Whether you can convince the agency (parents/employer) that you have the right personality for the job.
- Whether you can accept the schedule and working hours.
Your patience, responsibility, and your attitude to children and to the job will be tested with some questions. Remember that your demeanor and your non-verbal communication is equally important as your answers to the questions.
* See also: How to get a job with no experience?
First and foremost, they have to feel good with you. They have to feel safe. They have to see in you a good role model for their children. Of course, you will also have to come up with good answers to their questions…
List of questions for nanny interviews
Question 1: What days and hours are you available to work for us?
Answer: Double-check the requirements from the job advertisement, and be sure to mention that you are available at all times and days when they need a nanny.
You can also stress that you are a student (if true), or say anything else that will help them to understand your availability. The key is to show flexibility, to show that they can count on you, and won’t need to hire an additional nanny to take care of the job when you won’t be available.
Question 2: Describe your experience with taking care of children.
Answer: You should mention all relevant experience, even if it is just taking care of your younger sister.
The key is to speak with enthusiasm about your experience with children, to show them that you enjoy this work. You can also say that your former employer was satisfied with your work, that you got good references from them.
Special Tip: Download a one-page long .PDF summary of this article, to read it right before the start of your interview, as a last-minute preparation:
Question 3: What do you like to do in your spare time?
Answer: The nanny recruiter from an agency (or the mother of the child) wants to see whether you’d not organize parties in their house, or leave the child alone while you go to smoke a cigarette on a balcony.
You can say that you like to spend time in the park, or reading books, or playing with children. Try to avoid speaking about clubbing, going out, and similar things. The key is to show them that you will really spend time with the children, and won’t be a bad example for them.
Question 4: How do you think a typical day with a 3 years old (5,7,10 years old child) looks like?
Answer: You should focus mostly on the duties, not on the secondary activities, such as watching telly with the children. Say them that you imagine cooking for them, helping them with homework, playing with them, guarding them, etc.
You can also mention some challenges this job presents, such as that the child may get bored, or it may start crying, and tell the interviewer that you are ready to handle each difficult situation.
Question 5: Can you perform light house keeping/cooking?
Answer: You should be honest with your answer. If you believe that house keeping would interfere with your primary role of a nanny, you can say it. When we clean the house, or cook a dinner, we can’t really devote our attention to the children…
On the other hand, if you enjoy cooking, or even house keeping :), you can say that you enjoy doing these things, and will be glad to help with them on a regular basis.
It is not only about your answers to their questions
Your demeanor matters, your non-verbal communication counts. If you do not apply for a job with an agency, the people interviewing you for a nanny position won’t be professional recruiters. They will be mothers and fathers, people who simply want the best for their children.
These folks won’t spend long hours analyzing your interview answers, and they will not spot a lie in an interview. They will also not conduct any personality testing with you… For them, the most deciding factor will be your personality, the impression you make on them during your talk, and perhaps also how does the child feel around you.
Are you ready to make a good impression on them, and ace your nanny interview? Not yet?
Continue your preparation with InterviewPenguin.com – Your best job interview coach since 2011:
- Body language in an interview – What do your gestures and movements say about you? Can we control our non-verbal communication?
- How to dress for an interview – Four rules to consider when choosing clothes to wear.
- What job is right for me? – Find your true calling and choose the right career
