How to become a professional nanny without experience
A career-changing shortcut from Smart Sitting
Breaking into full-time, long-term nannying can feel like a professional’s catch-22 – you need experience to land the role, and the role to gain the experience. We asked Danielle, one of our Family Specialists, how early-career nannies get build experience and reach their dream job.
How to get childcare experience to get the job
“I’m going to be real with you,” says Danielle, Smart Sitting’s long-time Family Specialist, “for a full-time, infant nanny job in New York City, having only part-time experience with older kids in your hometown isn’t going to be enough.” It may feel like a harsh truth, but acknowledging this reality can actually help set you up for a great path toward your dream job.
“When you don’t have full-time, long-term experience, the best way to reach your goal is by building your experience, bit by bit. And a great way to build that experience is working consistently in our Always On program – short-term fill-ins, one-off gigs, or regular gigs with just a few hours a week.”
Always On can be your stepping stone
At Smart Sitting, temporary bookings are made through our Always On program. Danielle oversees Always On (AO) and knows the trick for securing bookings.
“The bottom line is: if you are proactive, flexible, communicative, enthusiastic about learning the ropes, that can go a long way when you are earlier in your childcare career. If we see you get great feedback from temp gigs, that’s like your track record. It really builds trust with us, so we send you on more AO bookings and will eventually know that you are up for meatier, long-term roles.”
Always On is great for sitters who:
Want to work part-time or with low commitment while they pursue other endeavors, like auditions or grad school
Want to expand their experience with lots of different families, building towards bigger jobs
Have childcare experience mainly out of the home, or who lack local, NYC experience
Personalized matches help you
One of Smart Sitting’s key pillars is that we get to know the sitters in our network, as well as the families looking for help. So if we get to know you through AO bookings, and by hearing from families that they love you and the tasks you’re taking on, we’ll know what kind of other roles you might be ready for.
Smart Sitting’s Family Specialist, Danielle
Contrast this to throwing up a profile on an online childcare platform (we won’t say who…). You might be fantastic in all the ways, but if a family sees limited childcare experience on your profile, they’ll swipe on to the next.
This is a great time to get temp nanny experience
If you’re looking for short-term or fill-in work to build your nanny experience, you’ve picked a perfect time for it.
“We’re seeing a huge influx of families right now,” Danielle says. “Honestly, this is the best time we’ve ever had, and the rates for temp sitters are great. AO is really expanding, too, so it’s not just the odd date night. Families might be looking for a nanny for a 2-month, full-time commitment, and the bar to entry will be lower than a forever job, but it’s a great experience for a sitter.”
In this way, if you’re really dedicated and knock every booking out of the park, you can build a group of regular families who continue to request you back. In no time, you’ll have more experience and references, which helps put more long-term nanny positions within reach.
Danielle notes that it’s not just a busy time for temp and short-term work. As always, Smart Sitting continues to offer consistent part time, ongoing work too, excellent opportunities for a regular schedule and a steady income.
What we look for in early-career candidates
As a nanny agency with over 15 years in the industry, we’ve helped a fair few early-career caregivers build real – and impressive – careers in childcare. Whether you’re looking for work through an agency or on your own, these tips can really help you make your way up the career ladder.
“We’re choosy about the nannies and sitters we work with,” Danielle says, “but on a case by case basis we’ll be more flexible with people who are professional, smart, caring, proactive, and able to learn, even if they are earlier in their career.”
That mindset matters in real placements: “A family I just worked with thought they wanted 20 years of experience, but the better fit turned out to be a candidate who was a little earlier in her career, with probably a handful of part-time and one full-time nanny role under her belt. That was the right person for them.”
Basically: all of your strengths and experiences count and will help you create a solid foundation of experience that parents will love.
The short version: how temp work can lead to a nanny career
Here are the four steps to help you build the right experience and get on the fast track to a professional nanny career:
Be flexible and open to available temp jobs
Quick, clear communication with your nanny agency (or directly with parents) is absolutely key – especially regarding requests and availability
Treat each temp gig like a mini-trial: arrive early and know the neighborhood, ask smart questions, go above and beyond to tidy up, do dishes, or just make life easier for the parents, and be clear that you are open to direction and willing to learn
If available, take on some of our open consistent, ongoing weekly Always On gigs where you can try out and showcase your ability to handle the demands of a full-time or ongoing nanny position
If you can, work with a nanny agency who can keep your goals in mind and help you with the bigger picture
“At the end of the day, if you have skills and energy and drive to do amazing work– and you’re willing to use those skills to be a stellar sitter – Smart Sitting’s Always On babysitting program is a great way to build up your experience, references, and skills, to help you grow in your childcare career.”
– Danielle, Smart Sitting Family Specialist
Do you want to build a nanny career?
If you are just in the starting blocks of your childcare career, but believe you have what it takes to be a standout sitter, see if you have what it takes to be a SmartSitter by applying via the button below! (You do still need experience working with kids, and stellar references – learn more here.)
Once you’re in the network, not only do we help you find childcare roles that align with skillset and goals, but you’ll be in a supportive community that works to keep your career on track! Start by clicking the button, and let it be the first building block in your childcare career tower.
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