Nail Your After‑School Nanny Job This Fall: Expert Q&A with Danielle
School bells may still be weeks away, but the smartest after-school nannies are already mapping out their autumn schedules. To find out what really moves the needle in today’s after‑school market, we sat down with Danielle, one of our Family Specialists and the behind‑the‑scenes matchmaker who guides parents and nannies to the perfect fit.
Danielle’s Low-down on After-School Nanny Jobs
Smart Sitting Family Specialist, Danielle
What have you been seeing in terms of when after-school season starts? When do the jobs start appearing?
We had a few after-school positions available as early as June this year! That’s unusual though, and often the nannies aren’t ready to look for work that early. I’m always trying to get parents to start looking a little earlier so they’re not scrambling come labor day, so this is a great time to start looking for positions.
If you’re in the city and looking for work while you wait for those after-school positions to pop up, we can usually get you some temp work in summer, which can be really helpful.
What does the typical after-school job look like?
We do get the regular, Monday-Friday, 2-6 job still, but we live in a different world than we did before the pandemic.
The thing is, while I can tell you the traditional cookie cutter role, we’re also passionate about helping every family with exactly what they need, so every job is different. We do get the regular, Monday-Friday, 2-6 job still, but we live in a different world than we did before the pandemic. There's a lot of families working hybrid. Maybe they only need 3 days a week, or you could get a heavy part-time job with household tasks or family assistant tasks, if you have that experience.
This means that if you have good experience and are looking for an out-of-the-box schedule, you’ll be highly competitive because most candidates can’t do only 3 days/week. But it might also take a little longer to find just the right fit for you.
Do any after-school jobs start before school starts?
Some jobs do! It’s a mixed bag where some will start earlier, others on the first day of school. My advice is read the job descriptions and make sure you know what they say.
For instance, right now I have one family starting in July, because the dad wanted them to overlap with the current nanny, so it does happen.
What advice would you give to sitters looking to work after-school positions?
My main advice is: get your ducks in a row early. This way you don't have to worry once that ideal job pops up.
Update your profile. If you’ve been away from the network or been in another job for a while, use this time to go in and polish it – even if you're not applying yet.
Check in on CPR certification and things like that that might need to be updated and you don’t want to have to deal with once interviewing starts in earnest.
A lot of sitters don’t know that we’ve moved platforms, so your profile probably looks different than it used to. This is a great time to explore the new platform so you know what it looks like to parents and you don’t have to be doing it while your profile is already out. If you’ve been away a while, you may have to reach out to us to activate it. But don’t worry, you haven’t been kicked out!
Is there anything a candidate can do to have a better chance at a job?
It’s always good for us to have ALL the information!
I highly recommend candidates to send us a text message to let us know they’ve applied, if that is their perfect job. It helps us keep an eye out for it and consider why you might be perfect for this family.
Remember: All initial interviews are virtual, so if you’re still away because it’s summer, you can still be considered for an interview for a fall job.
For example, I have a nanny who is incredible but she has a lot of travel booked for june, but it’s helpful for us to know, so that if a family says we love this nanny and we want to work with her, I might tell the family that she’s a way and set expectations. It’s always good for us to have ALL the information so we can help you!
Are there any particular skills or experiences parents are looking for?
In New York, we’re still not seeing a lot of driving. A second language is often popular. Lately, everyone wants their kids to speak French, which is sort of new. Previous experience with homework help is, of course, always great.
At the same time, I talk a lot with families about priorities. Is the childcare experience more important or the French language skill? This means that sometimes even if you don’t have the particular skill they’re looking for but are a great fit in other ways, you can still get that job.
Don’t forget to highlight your skills!
One thing that is surprising to me is when nannies have special skills and don't include it in their profile. You have to think of your profile as personal marketing really. This is what families see. They get an overview of your skills and experience really quickly. That’s why it’s so important to update your profile.
Did you update with:
Recent work?
Any new experiences/skills?
Travel?
In your last role did you do meal prepping for the whole family? Arrange birthday parties? Put it in there!
Beyond the hourly rate, can part-time after-school sitters expect any other compensation?
That’s such a great question, because it’s an industry where a lot of people feel alone and not supported. I talk to so many nannies who don’t know what to expect from a role. So I hope we can provide the help for someone to know what to expect.
Benefits in general are always tied to how many hours a week a nanny is working. The industry standard is that up front benefits usually start for positions 20 hours a week and over. It’s important to remember that we can make recommendations to families based on industry standards but we can’t force them to offer anything.
Typical setup for paid time off: At 20+ hrs/week, most families will be offering PTO at 2 weeks of the position’s schedule – one of those weeks at families discretion and the other is nanny’s choice. If you’re working three days a week, that would be three days’ pay times two.
Sick time: Legally you accrue 1 hour per 30 hours worked no matter how many hours you work per week, but in positions over 20 hours/week, typically you get a week of the schedule.
Additional perks: After-school positions in New York City also typically include a Metrocard.
Any other tips for getting the job?
Sometimes I think I sound like a broken record, but really, you can set yourself up for success by being prepared for your interview.
Look professional
Have a neutral background behind you
Don’t take the interview in a noisy coffee shop
Never ever ever take an interview while you’re working for another family
If we send out a suggested interview time and you know you’re going to be scrambling to take it in a professional way, just let us know. Tell us you’re not available then and suggest a different time. Parents will appreciate that so much more than having to try to decipher what you’re saying in a noisy subway station or when you look like you clearly just woke up.
Are you looking for an after-school position?
If you’re already in the Smart Sitting network, polish up your profile and start applying! If you are not a SmartSitter, but you are an experienced, fantastic childcare provider looking for a great job and a supportive community, join us!
We are always looking for new nannies and sitters to match with professional childcare jobs in ideal connections with families. Apply via the button below now to maximize your chances at landing that dream after-school job!
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