How hard is it for parents to just tell you the truth? I applied for a position through one of those online babysitting sites. The mom e-mailed me, and we set up an interview, to meet her and her kids. We met, and I think it went well. The mom said she would e-mail me with a few days and times to do a trial run, that night. Well, that never happened. I e-mailed her, after a few days, to tell her I was still interested in the open position, and asked about setting up that trial date. If she didn’t want to hire me, fine, but don’t tell me you are going to set up a trial run, and then go M.I.A. Even if she didn’t want to tell me face to face, at least tell me she will think about it, and then e-mail me later that she doesn’t think it will work out. How difficult is it to tell someone the truth, rather than lie, and then disappear? I guess I should be lucky I even got an interview, being a guy, even though I am a teacher, and work in the nursery most Sundays…
Sunday
How Hard is it to Just Tell the Truth?
How hard is it for parents to just tell you the truth? I applied for a position through one of those online babysitting sites. The mom e-mailed me, and we set up an interview, to meet her and her kids. We met, and I think it went well. The mom said she would e-mail me with a few days and times to do a trial run, that night. Well, that never happened. I e-mailed her, after a few days, to tell her I was still interested in the open position, and asked about setting up that trial date. If she didn’t want to hire me, fine, but don’t tell me you are going to set up a trial run, and then go M.I.A. Even if she didn’t want to tell me face to face, at least tell me she will think about it, and then e-mail me later that she doesn’t think it will work out. How difficult is it to tell someone the truth, rather than lie, and then disappear? I guess I should be lucky I even got an interview, being a guy, even though I am a teacher, and work in the nursery most Sundays…
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OP, I could have written this post myself. I find myself in your shoes many times and I wonder what is up w/the parents.
I use Care.com, sittercity and CL to find jobs. It has happened w/families on all these sites. So, I go to an interview and they really like me. Then they say to me, "Okay...can you start on such and such a day?" I let them know I can, then they get their calendars and I get out my agenda and we both mark the days I will start.
So I walk out of the interview thinking I've been hired on the spot. Right? Wrong. Then a few days later I get an e-mail saying, "Sorry, after some thinking...we have decided to go w/another candidate, but will keep you in mind if things don't work out." Or, "We have decided not to go the Nanny route and try something different." Once after being hired by a lady, I went on CL that evening and saw that she placed an ad 1/2 hr after I left!!! I was stunned beyond belief because I had just told a lot of people I got a new job!!
Parents: If you can offer some explanations to why this happens, I would also like to know.
I think it is best to say during an interview that you are interviewing others (no shame in doing this by the way) and that you will make a final decision on such and such a date...and that you will contact all applicants to let them know the outcome. What's the big deal??????????
Yep, I am there too. I hate when they say that they will let me know either way by a certain date, and then SILENCE. I am used to hearing the no thanks, that is better than nothing at all.
I know what both of you mean. I remember going to a job interview for a nanny position where the mother talked forever about her nanny who did everything she wasn't supposed to do-and more. The mother gave specific examples of things that happened; serious issues that I would've have terminated the nanny. She said she liked me, and literally offered me the job. I went home excited, only to find that she went through the "Mystery MB Magical Mixture" Box.
My other favorite is being the experienced, educated, creative, high-energy candidate and hearing "'thanks for applying. We really enjoyed meeting you, however, we chose a different candidate who meets our needs....blah blah blah'" I am curious as to what they mean by "'needs'", when the only need is to take care of the children and home, along with other duties in the job description, if one is provided.
I also like the one liner parents use when they are looking for babysitters. I answered an ad which listed three qualifications: experience with their child's age group, own transportation, and enjoy interacting with children. I met all of the qualifications, and sent my resume. "'Thanks for your resume. We recieved over 100 resumes, and chose someone else. Best of luck.'".
Seriously, do parents even know what qualifications are anymore or how to interview?!
I think I can tell you why.
The parents want to line up as many candidates as they can. So every interviewee they like, they let them think they got the job. Then at the end of the interview process, they pick the nanny they liked best out of the group they 'hired'. The parents have lots of backup if their first pick doesn't take the job, or doesn't work out.
If the parents are honest, the prospective nanny will continue to interview, and these parents want the nanny off the market while they make their decision.
Village has it correct. It's just life. It's business, nothing more. Of course it is common courtesy to at least call you and tell you that they have chosen someone else for the position, but they don't HAVE to do that, and you shouldn't get angry when they don't, or whatever they tell you.
I have had people never call me back from jobs. I have interviewed with parents who are just jerks from minute one.
But I have also had to find a babysitter, and Village right. You have to see it from their side. If you were hiring a babysitter, you would want to interview a lot of candidates, right?
Or maybe you wouldn't :0
If you are reading this, you are hearing from the one nanny that has written to both Sittercity and Care.com staff so many times regarding this matter, that I finally decided to give up even applying to another position on those sites. Sittercity asked the question several years back if sitters get responses back from potential families. The blog was taken down after close to 80 fed up nannies/sitters basically stunned at the land of no response brought on by these ridiculous cyber sites. I am registered with a nanny agency and for years kept so busy with them. They dwindled down along with the economy and I found myself working a lot less than I ever had. I registered with both of these sites, after both were highly recommended. It took me applying to probably 30 jobs that I felt I was a perfect candidate for before receiving even one response. Although I did luck up and get the two families that I currently sit for and have been with 2 l/2 years, it was unbelievably tough. I got so disgusted that I even emailed some of these moms back to let them know how I felt about their no response, and boy did it him home with some of them. They of course, became defensive and all of a sudden I received the "we would not have you keeping our kids" and the expected "no thank you" responses. I loved it, because I could finally let some of these all about me moms know how it feels to be on the other side. Here's what is happening with those sites, I've become an expert:
(1) Mom, usually a mom, is desperate, she needs a sitter immediately. She lists her needs. Hundreds apply because the economy is in a shamble and anyone and everyone thinks, "well I can't find a job I'm used to doing, I can always babysit."
(2) She reads the heartfelt applications, and only gets back to "the one." Usually the one she thinks is the perfect candidate.
(3) She doesn't realize in all her selfishness and lack of common courtesy upbringing that in hiring what she thinks is "the one", and never responding with even a "thank you for applying, we will keep you in mind, or we have found someone" lack of response to the other qualified candidates applying, she has just shot herself in the foot.
(4) The one she hires that seems to be the right fit all of a sudden doesn't work out. She desperately reappears back on the same site begging for someone to start immediately. Us qualified nannies/sitters who applied before, notice the same mom's name, and practically laugh at her desperation. You see, we never even received a "thank you for applying". So simple, but to these busy frantic moms, so hard.
(5) Pool of potential sitters for this mom dwindles down to nothing as she has made herself known to be what I refer to as a "non-responder." Look for this to continue over and over until the head of these sites forces these selfish parents to either respond someway, somehow, to all qualified candidates or watch as these sites go under for lack of any decent, reputable sitters wanting to waste their time applying. After all, you can't continue to run a site with oodles of families needing help but no one to fill their needs.
I'm probably one of the few nannies who doesn't feel that parents owe you a response just for applying. I've had friends recently applying for jobs in other fields, and they have told me they send out dozens of applications, and 95% of the time are only contacted if the employer wants to interview them. I also know a nanny employer who got 100 responses in 3 days after posting her ad, and more continued to come in. I wouldn't expect her to respond to all of the 200+ emails (although maybe someone should just teach these parents how to set up an Auto Response).
If the family interviews you, that's another story...they should always get back to you one way or another. As for them offering you the job and then rescinding, that's just terrible. I think I would ask for an offer letter, to be signed by both parties, with the effective date of employment. Then at least you may have be able to call their bluff or have some kind of legal standing.
@Village...I thank you for your perspective...it makes a lot of sense and I think you hit the nail on the head. I never thought of it like that, but it makes so much sense. How horrible of parents to do this...in doing this, it prevents the nanny from seeking other employment which is a huge disservice to her in the tough economy. I cannot believe parents would tell someone in effect that they are hired, then meet someone better and hire them, etc. This is just playing w/people's feelings and lives and this makes me angry to the core.
@Nannykeeper, I agree w/all you just wrote, however I seriously doubt Care.com and sittercity will ever go under due to the economy. Sure, if and when our economy changes, they may...but things have been so bad for so long, I do not see immediate improvement in the future.
@anothernanny: I agree that if a Nanny takes the time to interview, she should get a response back either way. Gas is expensive + it is a person's time as well so the least a prospective employer can do is send a brief e-mail or make a brief phone call to the applicant letting them know where things stand. This is a HUGE benefit to the Nanny as she can narrow her job search down as well.
@Minka- well actually the nanny agency out of Atlanta that I am registered with and has been in business close to 30 years has taken such a hit, it has let almost all of it's former 5 person staff go. That wasn't due to the all about me parents, it was due to the fact that most could not afford the fees and the extra nights out requiring a sitter. These online sites are a different story. Why there may always be someone to fill these numerous jobs on both Sittercity and Care.com, there will eventually be less and less qualified nannies responding because of the lack of response. I have yet to run into any nanny/sitter who has engaged in conversation about these sites that has said they found any families through them. We're not sitting around waiting for these silly sites to go under, we're trying to light a fire under the staff who runs them to somehow force these selfish parents to be more diligent in responding to applicants. It's kind of a sickness to me. They need help. You respond with lots of peronal information for them to pilfer through and they have all the power to play the games (such as noted with previous two bloggers) and never get a lesson in common courtesy. It's getting old. How about googling "hard time getting any responses on Care.com". I gave up after reading maybe 30 just last night. The sitter services charge a fee to the parents to use their site, that's why they are scared to death to implement something to make these families respond to all candidates.
By the way, where else does this happen? You can go on and on about applying for a company and not receiving a response there either. But at least there is a physical entity you could drive to such as the place of business itself to check on the status of your application in person. This is just sending all your pertinents to someone you will probably never have any contact with so they can get excited and play childish games. My question is what has happened to people? I know if I ever do get the rare e-mail from a family on these sites pilfering through a list in their area, I am so grateful. I respond immediately with a "thank you so much for your interest. I am currently sitting for 2 other families and cannot help at this time. Please keep me in mind for the future. Good luck to you in your search!" It's simple. Plain and simple.
Just one more note to prove my point. A dad on the Care.com complaint site noted they sent out a request for help. They received maybe 30 candidates applications. They "responded" to 6. Set up interviews with 6. Only 2 showed up for their actual interviews with them. Out of the two, they hired one. "The one" they hired that they thought was the perfect match sat twice for them. Third time they had her lined up to sit for an important engagement, planned for weeks type of event, she does not show up, no phone call, nothing. They can't get in touch with her and had to cancel plans. Here they go with the "desperate" search again. Only this time, had I been one of the 24 that they decided not to respond to one way or the other, I would just laugh at their request for help on the same site in the future. What goes around comes around. Although I know that we put trust into people and sometimes it doesn't work out, which is sad, but think about the consequences of your actions. Perhaps they should take down their post after receiving 10 applicants if they are overwhelmed. One of the few jobs I did get through Care.com years ago was a Friday night/date night job for the nicest couple. When I drove l/2 hour and showed up at their home, on time and really excited, they both came to the door with a suprised look on their faces. The wife responded with "You showed up." I said excuse me? She said, "No,we're just excited you came after talking to you because the first two sitters we set up to come through Care.com never showed up." I sat for them at least once a month until they got transferred to another state. Thanks for letting me vent, this whole subject just erks me as you can probably tell!
I think a lot of families don't want to pay the fee for an agency and at least try and get around it. I know families that interview through agencies and then try and ask the nanny to apply through care. This really sets off a warning to me, because any family who would do this would also likely screw the nanny over too. These care jobs are a joke...I don't know of any nanny who has gotten a job through it but it sure does seem like everyones on it.
I agree Guys that many families who utilize these childcare websites are not very considerate. But like nannykeeper stated, these childcare websites rely solely on the revenue they earn from the parents so they do not want to turn away ONE family seeking childcare.
I think the way the economy is now, it is most def not a Nanny's market. Jobs are scarce and there are women fighting tooth and nail for even a part-time position paying eight dollars an hour. Families know this and they think us Nannies are a dime a dozen and they take full advantage of it. I hate this.
I understand when a family posts a Nanny Wanted ad on a childcare website, they will get flooded w/many responses. I do not think they need to contact all the applicants who write in..that would be too much work. However, if a Nanny takes the time to drive to their home, stay two hours playing w/their child and answering questions and having their resumes scrutinized, etc...the least a family can do is either call or send an email message stating they hired someone else. This allows the Nanny a smoother job search so she doesn't have to keep her hopes tied to a certain family. Parents should realize this and do the right thing, but they seldom have in my case. :(
As another parent's perspective, I want to add that when I advertise for a position, I make sure to include that I will contact the candidate within 24 hours if it appears to be a good match so that people are not left wondering, and I don't have to respond to potentially hundreds of emails. But what I have seen time and time again are people that look fabulous on paper but when I meet them, I'm floored. Some examples:
1. One woman needed actual instructions to move from the corner of the house to a chair. She stood there, against the wall, until I asked her to please walk over and sit down. Wow.
2. The "I love dogs!" claim in the email, in response to my clear explanation that you must be a big dog lover (not just a tolerator). 9 times out of 10, they act in disgust, fear, avoidance (a very typical but well-behaved lab!).
3. The "I have lots of experience with kids!" claim in the email, followed by in vivo inability to interact with my 3-year-old.
4. No-shows--FAR too common.
5. Back and forth emails, canceled meeting times, all while buying time waiting a response from another family. Yes, as parents, we get the same treatment too!
6. Finally, in response to Craigslist ads, I can't tell you how many auto replies of the EXACT same, typo-riddled emails I receive that have complete disregard for the specifications listed in my ad.
I completely agree that parents should respond in some way after meeting with prospective candidates and to also make clear if applicants should expect a response. But as a parent, my experience has been less-than ideal in searching for a good nanny--I wish all the applicants were as responsive as the ones seen on this site. Good luck, ladies (and gents)!
@kai: Too bad you do not live where I live (San Diego) since I never misrepresent myself in my ads. I genuinely love kids and pets, have adequate experience and the type of loving and patient personality that makes me a great Nanny!
I just think that many other candidates look better on paper than I do. For instance, some may have their Bachelor's Degree (I am still working on it) or have ten families who think she is the best. I wish more families would give me a chance based on how well my chemistry is w/their child(ren) vs. how great my resume is.
Anyway, thank you for the perspective from the other side. It makes sweet sense.
Care.com and other huge websites have NO screening process, regardless of what they claim.
These sites allow parents to offer slave wages - this weekend there was a job posted offering $150 - $180 per week for 65+ hours of work a week.
So finding qualified people through these sites is apparently a bit of a nightmare - you get what you pay for with on-line sites that haven't got the morals to offer only minimum wage and up as their pay options.
I do think that with the multi-millions care and others have gotten in investments, they should be able to develop an auto-response system for parents to use when doing their first screening. All it would take is 3 options:
Yes we are interested, we will follow up with you ASAP.
Maybe we would like to speak with you, we will get back in touch with you if we want to move forward.
No, you do not meet our needs, but thanks for applying.
Oh my gosh, I could have written this one! A couple of weeks ago I was hired for a nanny job by what I thought was a wonderful family who was going to pay me well. They did a background check on me and at the end of a 2-hour interview we decided on a start date. We decided the parents would write up a contract and we would go over it on my first day, which would be a training day. They had a nanny before me so I figured they knew what they were doing. That night I had another question so I emailed the mom but got no answer for a week. So I called and left a voicemail and still no answer. I emailed again the weekend before the start date asking if everything is ok and the next day the mom emailed me saying she has decided she didn't want to go back to work after all. So I posted an ad on craigslist the next day and that night I got a response from that mom saying she needed a full-time nanny because she was about to start working again! My husband told me to just ignore the email because if I responded to it I might say some mean stuff I would come to regret later. It pissed me off so much that she lied to me!
Miss Mannah:
Been there, done that. How many times has this happened to me? More than I care to even remember. I hope you get a good job soon. This lady is shady and whoever is her next nanny will discover this sooner rather than later. Be glad you discovered what a flake she is prior to investing in an actual position with her.
Tales, Care.com does have a response for your third line...however I fully agree with you they should have more.
Two Cents: Love the pix. You are hott!!
After I completed my Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education I decided to start looking for nanny jobs, as I'd been a secretary the whole time I was in school because it was easy and the schedule was flexible.
The very first job I ever applied to I scored an interview. They wanted to pay me $12 an hour! With paid days if Grandma or Grandpa decided they wanted to take the baby for the day! Set hours! Paid vacation! ETC! They hired me on the spot (I thought....)
This was right before Christmas break and they said they'd let me know the exact start date after New Years. I e-mailed them a few days after New Years when I didn't get anything from them, and a week later they let me know that a spot had opened in a daycare close by and they decided to put the kid there. 3 weeks I could've spent looking for jobs...
The first nanny job I did get was from Sittercity. I applied to literally 100 jobs before I got a response. After I lost that job (they moved) I tried everything again. Sittercity. Care.com. Nannies4hire. More sites I don't even remember. I applied to HUNDREDS of jobs. (Not to mention I applied to hundreds of jobs while working my first nanny job for babysitting positions).
The current job I have now, the occasional babysitting job I have on Saturdays, and the part-time job I should be starting next week all were found on Craigslist. I never get responses from any of the other sites - except for the first one over 8 months ago!
Minka, thanks. That's what I keep telling myself...better to find out now rather than later.
NannyK, I just want to say that I love your writing style. All those exclamation points cracked me up, especially when you said ETC!
I should also point out that something similar has happened several times in the past, but this was the only time I was actually "hired" and given a start date and everything. The other times the parents just kind of hinted around that they were going to hire me. So now I just ask straight up in the interview if they are speaking with other nannies and if I am speaking with other families, I tell them so. I believe in being upfront with everyone, and I tell the parents that too.
Whenever I ask parents if they are interviewing other potential nanny candidates, they always look uncomfortable...but admit they are.
I think "just to be sure" one should always ask.
Really? I think the parents seem glad that I ask, and sometimes they ask first. I don't get personal or anything, like asking how many nannies they are interviewing or where I stand in comparison. I just present it as wanting to know what my options are and wanting the parents to know that they need to find their best fit.
Or, maybe I'm just oblivious and I am making people feel uncomfortable. That might be why I don't have a job yet.
Think again before turning down a "desperate parent" who had somehow rejected you or not responded to you in some manner and is now seeking help. Business, which is what any job search is, is not personal. You want a job, parents need a sitter. Take the emotion out of it.
First of all, in any field, only expect a response if you are selected to be interviewed. (Some big corporations do send out an automated e-mail when they receive your application - you can not respond to it.) Think very carefully before physically showing up at a human resource office where you have applied - most are locked and very few appreciate an unexpected visitor in this day and age of angry job seekers and employees. Obviously, never show up at a parent's home to check on a job application if you have interviewed.
Years ago, I applied for a paid summer internship I really wanted. The day before it was to start, I received a very pleasant rejection letter saying I was one of the top candidates in a very large applicant field. Sure, I told myself. That afternoon, they called and my husband took the call where they asked if I was still interested as the first choice had decided to go elsewhere. He accepted for me and was very excited to tell me that evening (in the pre-cell phone days!) I ended up there for several years and it was a great experience. My point is, don't take it personally, job seeking and hiring is business, when emotion enters into it, bad decisions can be made and opportunities lost.
Well said Business...:)
I just got passed over for a job for a "granny" but at least they had a nice rejection email. Also a phone interview who was supposed to call today between 4-5 and didn't. Kind of hating people right now.
But in what I think of as "nanny world," it is more personal. You're not in only a business relationship with this person, you're finding someone to come into your home and take care of your children. You want someone who is 100% reliable, warm and loving. And vice versa for the nanny. I know I don't want to work for someone I perceive as flaky. So if a mom advertises she needs a nanny, I send her my resume and never hear a word back, odds are I'm not going to reply to her next ad that says she "desperately" needs someone. I'll think "Well if she didn't think I was good enough the first time around, she's not going to pay attention to my email this time either."
You know what, it is common courtesy. And if you are serious about finding a nanny, I think you should wade through the 100s of responses you get and think over every single one of them. In the business world, if it doesn't work out, you just pick up the next person from the applicant pool. You don't have to worry about your babies getting attached.
@Business as usual- MissMannah summed it up beautifully and now I'm asking "has common courtesy really gone to hell in a handbag and we should just accept that?" This is nothing compared to being hired at a large corporation. This is, all on a more personal level. I remember speaking to a mom on Care.com a couple of years ago. She was a nurse needing someone to come in very early in the morning as she worked the night shift. I had sat for a nurse that same year with pretty much the same hours and felt I would be a wonderful candidate for her to consider. We speak on the phone for 45 minutes, things are going great. Her little guy is having a fit in the background and I politely say "Would you like for me to let you go so you can tend to him?" Nice right? She said "thank you so much. I have your number here on my caller ID, but let me write it down real quick so I can make sure I do have it as I am so excited after talking to you that this could be the perfect fit. I will call you back when I get him down for his nap." "Sounds great, I say, thanks."
2 weeks later I realize I had never heard back from her. I am fumbling around on the site and I see the same woman seeking "sitter willing to work early morning hours for a nurse. I need someone asap as my current sitter is either calling in sick or showing up late, adding stress to my already stressful situation at work." I am stunned as I realize that this is the same mom who I had the wonderful conversation with, discussing both of our needs, everything, just 2 weeks ago and never heard back from. I am also realizing that she hired someone else, and they messed her over. Now, my point Business as Usual. It is not a matter of pride that she chose someone over me, we are not stupid! We sitters realize that someone may just hit it off better with the mom than we did, that's not the point. I don't fill out every application thinking, "now they'll see mine and they'll be calling me first, no doubt." It is nothing more than a matter of absolute common, everyday courtesy. This was a mom that was posting a position that not a lot of applicants would find favorable due to the fact that she needed someone to arrive at her home at 5:00 a.m., 4 days per week. Hence the one that she thought was "the one" decided that wasn't for them. But she definitely could have had me as a second thought as I needed the position badly back then, not now thank God, but back then I would have gone for it. The problem was, she never had the courtesy to call me back that day or anytime within the next two weeks when she posted the new ad and just say "I enjoyed speaking with you, but we are trying someone else out. Can I maybe call you if this doesn't work out?" You know what, I would have said "yes". But since she was the "all about me, to hell with the rest of you" kinda mom, SHE suddenly became the one desperate. It felt nice. I e-mailed her and said that I ran across her need for help and was ready to apply as I had sat for a nurse close to a year and did an exceptional job for this mom by being prompt and never missing a day, but I was passing on her's because I had spoke with her before and she never gave me the courtesy of a quick "no thank you." I wished her luck, but reminded her that while the moms may have their own way of sorta prescreening for a nanny, we nannies also have ways of knowing which moms we wouldn't give the time of day to. She was furious, as one could expect and e-mailed back with a "I apologize I was too busy to get back with you, pardon me for being so rude (sarcastically), and no, I would not want you watching my child now anyway. Sad thing is, this time, I wasn't offering! What goes around will always come around.
You don't have to worry about your babies getting attached.
I have a hard time coming to terms with this kind of thinking. After 20+ yrs as a day care provider n fairly new as a nanny, I can not accept this parental logic... Or more like illogic.
I lost my last position just for this reason... Mommy could not handle the nanny/child bond. ANYWAY...
As for the response courtesy issue, be glad for those inconsiderate people not wanting you 'cause if they ain't got respect enough to contact you they sure as heck won't respect you while employed
Miss Mannah...
You said on July 5, 2011 6:04:00 PM
the family did a background check on you, and you never heard back from them? That means they have your social security #, right? You should check your credit for unauthorized activity, and also find out what you can do to prevent someone from stealing your identity (if anything). It could be a scam to get people's social security # and do identity theft.
Wow is right Mannah. How do you know they weren't planning to steal someone's identity by pretending to be a family looking for a nanny?
I recently redesigned my resume, in which I included specific situations at each center that were challenging, and how I resolved the issue. I also listed my hobbies at the bottom. According to the website I found, the reason why listing the challenging situations and hobbies lets the family know that you are proactive, and the hobbies helps the family know more about you.
I recently interviewed for a one day a week position last week. I had a long weekend searching for my kitten, who ran away from home, so I didn't get a chance to send my references as requested. In fact, my kitten was the only thing on my mind all weekend. I get an email from the hiring family that said they enjoyed meeting me and hired someone else. I responded back, politely thanking them for the opportunity to interview and not even getting a chance to display my abilities as a nanny. Definitely not the best thing to say, however, I am so tired.
I am tired of being a well-qualified candidate for both a babysitter and nanny in a college town. I am tired of sending my resume and either getting no response or the "thanks for applying. We recieved over 100 applications. We chose someone. Best". I am tired of parents being rude to me both when I apply and during the interview (I have a high energy level, and it shows during the interview. I also have ADHD, and had to live without meds, as I had to teach myself how to live with it and manage homework, because nobody gave me consequences for not doing homework as a kid. During the interview, the mother noticed my energy level, commented on how high it was, and asked me if I took something that made my energy higher than most people. I didn't know how to respond and yes, I was offended.) I am tired of parents being intimidated by a well-qualified caregiver, brushing them aside for a park bench.
I am tired of the lack of courtesy on CL, Care and other sites that assist families with childcare. I agree that the economy is awful now, however, do any of these families even know what qualifications are, or how to recognize if someone is qualified? Do their children mean so little to them that they would hire anyone with a pinch of experience, expecting them to provide quality care, while promoting growth and development and what do to in certain situations which could be life or death. I guess that's why families make snap judgements, when they "read" resumes and cover letters. Are they afraid of offering a trial week to see if the applicant they overlooked is the best fit? I think they are. (I always try to negoitate a "working interview" so they can see me in action.)
I have decided to start a website promoting myself as a babysitter/nanny, due to the fact that CL and Care.com are jokes, not to mention that to be taken seriously in college town (Madison, WI) I would have to be a 20 something UW-Madison student or alum....Or maybe I look like a troll.
Tales from the NannyHood, holy shit, for 65 hours a week the nanny should be getting paid at least $300 a week IF it is a live-in position with all expenses such as transport, internet, cellphone, food etc paid - I assume it was a live in position. I certainly wouldn't want to work that many hours as a live-out!!!?
As for my response to this thread: I live in New Zealand, and nothing has changed. I've had three years of experience now nannying and tutoring kids ranging in age from three to fourteen, and also two years of experience as a housekeeper for households with pets of all sorts. I am also a qualified nanny who works with a local nanny agency. I don't have a problem with not hearing back from jobs I've been referred for where the family has decided not to interview me, as if you have had ten to fifteen candidates referred to you, especially if it's your second round in a year or so, I would imagine it would get quite exhausting trying to reply to them all. What I have experienced that has really made me annoyed:
- One family where I took the time to drive out to their place and where they complained blue murder about how they hadn't been able to find anyone suitable and how I was such a godsend and how it would be so lovely to have someone with special skills in music and all the rest of it... only to find the next day that they'd decided to 'go with someone else'. When I asked for feedback, they simply said I wasn't the right fit. Doesn't tell me much.
- Another family who didn't get back to me for a good month at least. They were going through a bit of a chaotic time however and they did apologise so they could be forgiven.
- Another family where I spent a good hour with them, and where they said if I sent them my CV to look over, they would get back to me in three days. I sent the CV through then never heard back. I didn't think we were the best match schedule wise anyway, but needless to say I still wasn't terribly impressed.
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