My last employers gave me notice in June and I finished in August. I’ve been looking for 3 months and I still don’t have a new job. What am I doing wrong?
NannyAnnie, Hampshire
Looking for work is a very stressful time, and unfortunately the job market isn’t great at the moment so lots of nannies are in the same position you are – it doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you! You don’t say whether you’ve had any interviews or interest from employers, or where you’re looking so let’s try to cover everything.
There are lots of places to find jobs these days. You can register with local and national agencies, look on websites where parents can post nanny job vacancies privately, post an ad at toddler groups, look in local papers and magazines and ask your friends and acquaintances whether they know of anyone looking for a nanny. If you’re only trying a few of these avenues, for example only looking at jobs advertised with agencies, try some other options, but remember to be safe when arranging to meet a family.
If you’re getting contacted about jobs but they don’t appeal to you then maybe you’re being too specific in your requirements. Most people’s dream job is one family, full time, sole charge while the parents work out of home, but those are few and far between these days. Consider putting two or even three jobs together to fill your week, looking for nanny share positions or try a job where the parents work from home. If you set everything out clearly at the start then parents working from home doesn’t need to affect you.
Perhaps you’re getting interviews and find yourself being pipped to the post by other candidates. Try asking families for feedback on what you can do to improve your chances. It might be that you could take a course or volunteer to get some extra experience.
Finally don’t give up hope! Not having a permanent job is hard and you might need to take temporary nanny or nursery jobs but it’s all experience and the perfect job will come and find you one day!
bapn 