For Nannies: Part 1 / Prepping for an Agency Interview

Put your best foot forward

Making a strong first impression at your agency interview is equally as important as making a strong first impression when we send you out to meet our clients. A well-groomed appearance with business casual attire, being on time and your level of preparation immediately tell us that you are a serious professional child care provider who is ready for placement.

Provide us with credible references.

You should list at least three highly qualified references who: 1. Know you well, 2. Can speak to your strengths and 3. Who won’t be bothered by being contacted because you’ve given them a heads up and asked for their permission first. Giving the names of former employers where the situation ended questionably, families where you may have only babysat a few times who may not be able to answer many questions about you or family references means that the information is sketchy, at best. The references you provide must be credible and professional. We must be able to verify the information you’ve provided to ensure that you can be trusted with our clients’ children. Checking references is one of the most important things we do when vetting our caregivers. Make sure to give us the most meaningful ones you can.

Have your previous work history written down and bring it with you to the interview

Prior to meeting with us and filling out our online application, write down your work history, take a long look at the dates and make sure everything is filled in, correct and cohesive. If you supply different dates entirely in an interview vs. your application, it’s going to be even harder to track with your references for us, making your work history appear less solid. If you have gaps in your employment history, make sure you can explain them as we take the time to understand all of your jobs, not just those that you present on your application. Think about how many hours you worked—were you really part-time or full-time, or were you more of an occasional babysitter? The more accurate your information, the more we can get a clear picture of where you’ve been, what you’ve accomplished and what a great placement may be.

Make a list of your strengths…is there something that makes you stand out we should know about?

Are you CPR certified? Have you taken cooking classes or are you Basic First Aid certified? Make a list of your strengths and anything that may make you different from the average applicant. Be prepared to talk about, show certifications, if applicable, and/or know when your documents will be out of date ahead of time of the interview.