Wednesday

Ending her nanny career....

Received Wednesday, May 7, 2008- Perspective & Opinion
I have a question for any of you that have experienced what I am going through. I have been a professional nanny, (on and off), for over thirteen years now. Although I enjoy working with children, I am ready to make the transition into another career. My question is, how does one go about making that transition? I have interviewed on and off for a couple of years now with companies and I get calls and interviews, however when it comes to describing my work history, the interview takes a turn for the worse, (I.E. it is evident that they think that I have not really had a "real" job or transferable skills).

The other obstacle that I am facing is leaving the children and family. I have been with all of the children their whole lives and I know that the parents are going to be very disappointed when I leave. What can I do to make it easier on everybody? (Just for reference, they have just had another baby)

Thanks in advance!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good luck in starting a new career! If I were you, I would take some classes (once a week) whatever,so that you can put that on your resume. Brush up some old skills, learn some new. In interviews, be quite up front about the skills you've learned being a professional nanny. Without coming off as being on the offensive, that is...."Being a professional nanny has given me such a great advantage in that I've become the world's greatest multi-tasker.....Not only that, but being able to work with two other opinionated adults and getting us all the same team has taught me a lot about working together. While some may think of nannies as just a babysitter, I'm proud to point out the differences of a babysitter and a professional nanny are like night and day" . . . . etc. Just some ideas. I do think if you came off really positive and brought out different optimistic things that might otherwise be missed, you'de be doing will. And then, just some classes shows extra initiative on your part....shows a bit more then just the 'arts and crafts' side of you.

As far as the family....Lots of preparation time (esp. for the kids)...talking about perhaps all the different fun things they could learn from a new nanny...and then, an active date/time when you all can see each other after you leave would be great!

Good luck!!!!

Anonymous said...

Agreed: first off, good luck to you! I know you will do great.
Get it out of your head that you have not had a "real" job. You need to market your experience and skills as a very very real job, packed with not only childcare, which requires dedication, organization and people skills, but intelligence, education in psychology, and reliability, all important qualities in any business-related job.
In the meantime, don't be afraid to volunteer at an organization in your desired field, or temp as well if you are able. Many temp agencies can place you in a business in the hours you are available, just so that you can gain some experience and some great references.
This is not going to be as hard as you think! Be confident, and you shall get what you want! :)

Anonymous said...

Depends on what type of career you are looking to move to. I am an HR manager for a Fortune 100 company and I can tell you we often have selected candidates with the non-traditional backgrounds for sales where you will undergo heavy training and the key thing we are looking for is drive and the right attitude as opposed to prior sales experience. We will not go for non-traditional backgrounds for other areas like communications, secretarial/administrative support etc. because we want to know you have the basics skills. I agree with the suggestion to take classes if those are the typed of positions you are looking for. The most important thing is always a positive attitude and demonstrating a willingness to learn new things.

Anonymous said...

OP here....much appreciation to you all for the advice, support and tips! My background, (besides childcare), is in Corporate Management. I am still deciding what direction to take. It helps to hear others advice and suggetions. What a great group!