Received Saturday, July 19, 2008. - Perspective & Opinion
Hello everyone. I really want some opinions on this. I am a live-in nanny in Westchester. At the end of the year, I will have worked here for two years and I am ready to move to Manhattan and onto a new live-in job, which I have told my employers. I am wondering what the best way to find that job is? A friend recommended an agency, Absolute Best Care, but I cannot find a lot of reviews.. only 7 or 8. They are half good, half bad. You see, I have been doing this live-in nanny gig for almost two years and so I know what I'm looking for, what I'm not looking for and I know what I'm worth. I want some choices so that I can find a family who is going to treat me right and pay me what I deserve. I am in my early 20's, I am athletic, I love children and being a nanny, I work hard, I'm very NYC savvy and resourceful, as of May 2009 I'll have a bachelor's degree, I was born and raised in the United States and my English is impeccable. I need to find a family who needs and wants these qualities and who is going to treat me with respect and pay me accordingly. A moment ago I mentioned that I love being a NANNY. I need to find a family who is not going to progressively turn me into a personal assistant among other job titles that do not have anything to do with childcare. I need a family who knows that my time is precious to me and that even though I am a live-in, I am not on-call 24 hours a day. I need a family who will let me focus on caring for their children. I am happy to cook for the children and clean the kitchen, I am very happy to take them to any activities and to do all of their laundry and keep their bedrooms and playrooms neat. I'm not lazy, I just do not want to be bombarded with daily errand lists. So, where the heck do I find these people? I'm not from this area so I don't know a lot of people here. Is Craigslist a good place? Do you know of any sites, newspapers or reputable agencies?
Thank you for reading, CH.
27 comments:
whoops--just read on and realized Jane doesn't want anonymous posts anymore. Here's my comment again (since I guess the first post will be deleted since it was anonymous):
I would NOT recommend Craig's List in the NY area. I am an employer, and I found very bad (and somewaht scary) candidates there. I personally have found some really good quality people on sittercity and I prefer it. I am not fond of agencies, but Family Helpers is good as well as Frances Stewart are two of the better ones.
BTW, MPP. If you are college educated, sometimes you can find a high end job through your university's employment office. My sister-in-law is a Columbia Teachers College grad who got a live-in position with a high profile--but very nice--couple in NYC that way and her living arrangements are far better than most 20 somethings could ever hope for in NYC.
The INA website has links of agencies that you may want to pursue. I agree with the above poster regarding Craigslist. I used them when I was just starting out in the nanny field. Since you are experienced, I would look into agencies for the top jobs. Good luck!!
No Longer Anonymous ~
Thank you for re-posting, lol.
But the Nanny Job post wasn't written by me, it was a Submission from an Anonymous reader.
I just posted it onto the Blog for Jane.
:)
Hey OP. I found my wonderful live in job through a company called "Urban Nurture". Look them up online, they are in downtown, NYC. They are an agency but more like contracters-- they dont take ANY money from you!! They charge the family to find you,run a background check, check references, etc. They are the nicest group of women--very friendly and dedicated. They charge a lot to the family so the family hiring you will be wealthy and able to afford a good salary, on the books, etc. I highly suggest you contact them. They have tons of positions live in and out. Best of luck!
I don't know that area at all, but wanted to say that no matter which route you take, make sure you are crystal clear and adamant about your expectations upfront. You will find, I think, that parents appreciate the honesty and like to know what to expect. Being realistic is a very important and smart thing, and making sure you draw up a nanny/employer contract to reflect both yours and the potential family's wishes and expectations is very important. I am glad you know what you want... you seem confident, smart and able to make sure you get exactly what you want.
They don't exist. FYI, no matter how hard you try to find the perfect family...they aren't out there. You always end up having to settle for something less. If it sounds to good to be true, IT IS! Trust me! You have to do all the dirty work, get out there and sell yourself on all the free nanny sites you can find, and call agencies in the NYC area that have higher standards (like require education and x number of years experience before they will even consider you). Be up front with exactly what you are looking for/needing, and don't waste time on families that aren't willing to meet you expectations. Don't settle for less than you deserve
MPP--LOL. That makes more sense to me. Your perspective seems far more mature to me (not meaning old-but evolved/experienced) than any 20 year old I've ever met.
There are any number of good to excellent agencies in the NYC area. The Lindquist Group and The Katie Facey Agency have both sent their owners to Nannypalooza in the past, and I had the chance to meet them/hear them speak, and was very impressed.
It sounds like you know exactly what you are looking for, so go and find agencies with high expectations of their nanny candidates, interview the agency rep when they interview you, and stay true to what you want.
Good luck to you!
My apologies for going off subject here but I have to say I can't even begin to tell you how awesome it is to finally put a face to some of my 'friends' ....
1st Lindalou, and now you Chick!
You rock, girl! :D
No Longer Anonymous ~
Well Thank you, I will take that as a compliment because I'm really not that old .... definately not 20, lol - but not old. :)
I second the recommendation of Sittercity. Granted, I'm in Chicago, but it worked wonders for me. Within two weeks, I had two dozen possibilities. Although, I should say the easiest thing to do on those nanny sites is you should search out the parents, not the other way around. That way you can control which people you interview with.
Good luck!
Thanks MPP! Do I look like I did in your head?
I've worked with a bunch of agencies in NYC and the two best are Urban Nurture and A Choice Nanny.
Urban Nurture is a boutique operation, and they don't have a cadre of nannies in their files, they do a search for each family individually, so if you don't fit their current families needs they won't be able to help you.
A Choice Nanny is run by a husband and wife who could not be nicer! They're very involved in the whole process and are the only agency I've worked with who seem to truly have the best interests of both parties at heart, rather than just the side that's paying them.
Once you've found a great family make sure you have a very detailed contract that stipulates exactly what your duties are. That way, when and if issues arise, you can both just refer to what is stated in the contract.
Good luck!
The Right Staff Lifestyle Management is good too. It sounds a lot like Urban Nurture. Good luck!
Hi Chick!
To be honest, and I don't know why ... but I had pictured you as a really light blonde, perhaps even a bleached-blonde! It might've been your moniker that led me to lean that way, lol. :)
I don't know why I had Lindalou pegged so well ... that was such a shock!
I'm just dying to see what Sprak looks like! I've got a vision on her too -- dark hair, dark eyes .... I'm probably wrong, lol.
I found my current job on Nannies4hire.com The job before that I simply found in the newspaper.
i really am a clip-art snake. That's like, really what I look like and stuff.
Honest.
It isn't a good time to be looking now, families are away in the Hamptons etc. and many agencies actually close in August. After Labor day there will be a deluge of jobs.
Register with a couple of good agencies, and I would also use on line sites. Don't discount Craigslist. In Sept. it will be very busy. Post your own ad, and check through those posted by families. You will get a ton of responses, most of which you won't consider, but some nannies I know have found wonderful families there.
I am looking to find my nanny a new gig and every interview she has gone on has been some crazy parent who basically wants her to cook, clean, run errands and watch 2-3 young kids for 12 hours a day. The interviews all start out normal and by the end she is being asked "and can you iron, can you grocery shop, can you hem pants" It's tough out there.
umass, I think your greenness is fabulous. And I could go on and on about your squiggliness as well, but...
chick, you are too kind. :)
LOL chick, that's cute. I think you're quite attractive myself, umass!
There were only two new websites added to About.com's list of Top 10 employment sites this year, Linkedin.com and Realmatch.com. There are lots of news ways to find jobs nowadays.
Top 10 Employment site list here:
http://jobsearch.about.com/od/joblistings/tp/jobbanks.htm
I don't think Craigslist is bad at all. I found a great family that I am currently working for on the site. I would definitely meet the family the first time in a public place just to be safe. There are some weirdo’s on there, so it's good to play it safe. I would also join an agency and see what they come up with.
I met an AMAZING family on craigslist while looking for summer nanny position in the Hamptons, I've continued to sit for them weekends after going back to college and am currently with them for the second summer. The perfect employer is out there, don't let anyone tell you that there isn't!
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