The responsibility of answering questions.
The Nanny Podcast
When someone asks you a question, what you might not think of or realize is the enormity of responsibility that comes with. Let me frame it for you. When I ask a client what they are looking for, it happens that I can see them over the phone tapping their fingertips together in delight of being granted the wish of being able to have whatever they can think of. Which of course is not true. Same with nannies and for example salary wishes.
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Why are you applying for this job?
The Nanny Podcast
A common question you might get in an interview is “why are you applying for this job”. And I bet that the person asking it has something in mind that they want to hear. It’s never going to be the same answer that is the right one. This is one that I have been thinking a lot about recently, I had a client who said the first question they ask is always why are you applying for this job, and the way he told me it seemed very obvious I should know exactly what his right answer was.
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What does a gap in your CV mean?
The Nanny Podcast
Let’s talk about a gap in your CV and how people read it. First off, I just want to say that I generally think that it is much better to address possible objections first, meaning, if you think someone is going to ask or wonder about something, take charge of that conversation and lead it where you want it to go rather than be caught off guard and not feel prepared to answer, or even comfortable to.
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Honesty in a time of pandemic
The Nanny Podcast
Since the beginning of the Sars Cov2 pandemic we have all collectively gone through a traumatic period. We are all affected differently, but regardless of how, the world is different now. We are different. Some things are good, some things are awful and I always try to look at it, trying to find the silver linings. One of the things I like is a new level of honesty. We have relied on each other’s honesty to stay safe and healthy, and we will continue to do so.
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Sharing parenting values with the family
The Nanny Podcast
Parenting values can be controversial topics in all kinds of circumstances. What philosophies do you agree with? Which ones do you disagree with? That's what we will talk about today.
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Have you envisioned your career path?
The Nanny Podcast
Today I thought we could talk a little bit about your career path and whether or not you have an idea of where it’s going.
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Where do you want to be in five years?
The Nanny Podcast
Have you thought about where you want to be in five years? Not only geographically, but emotionally, physically, in your career, in your relationships? I think it’s always good to have goals to aim for, and for the areas that are your priority right now, a clear path to take you to the next step.
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Who do you want to be?
The Nanny Podcast
Who are you? Who are you now, and who do you want to be? It can be in any area of your life, but because we usually talk about work and career, let’s talk about who you want to be as a professional.
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Who are you?
The Nanny Podcast
Friends, this is the first episode of the third season of The Nanny Podcast. I am so psyched you are here with me. Let’s start this season with something a little different.
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The Nanny Podcast season 2 episode 17
The Nanny Podcast
Today I want to talk to you about figuring out who people are, using simple tools like search engines online. Always a good first step to start building the image of the person you are trying to figure out.
info_outlineWelcome to season 2 of the Nanny Podcast, I am so happy you are here.
Today we are going to ask ourselves the question “are you looking for the wrong things?”
It goes for both nannies and families, I think often nannies are looking for the wrong things in families to work with, and as often, families are looking for things in nannies that is not what is going to work for them.
Let me explain what I mean.
I get a lot of nannies contacting us, looking for work, and when they tell us what kind of work they want, to goal and the path to get there are often not compatible.
For example, we might have a nanny who wants to work in the villas in the cote d’azur, but she doesn’t drive, doesn’t have own transportation and is not interested in getting it. Fair enough, whatever the reason is for that, but looking for jobs in the villas is not going to work out in their favor, because often there is not public transportation that supports it, and the client might is probably not going to want to schedule their childcare around the bus schedule, so they will hire someone else.
Another example is high stress, high demand and high paid jobs. Are they right for everyone? No, they are not. Going into this kind of job requires a certain kind of skill and mind set. Know why you are doing it, the reasons are different for different nannies, and then set yourself up to thrive in that position, depending on what that is for you it can be everything from a social support network, sufficient self care that can be as simple as a good pair of running shoes or enough books to read on your downtime if you are in a remote place.
I see a lot of nannies who just want a job, if they just get the job they will figure it out after and make it work. If you are a quiet person who does not like physical activities you are not going to fit with a family that love the outdoors. If you are a sociable person who needs to feel connected to others, a remote rota position in Russia might not be right for you, no matter how much it pays. Knowing who you are, what your strengths are and where you do best is going to guide you to choose jobs where you shine, remember that there is a place for you to shine, and it might not be where you think it is.
The same things are true for families.
When you look for your nanny you might have a few things that you want, and then there might be things that are like shiny objects of desire on a CV that seem like things you really really want.
Families, I’m going to tell you something you might not like to hear, that shiny thing, that celebrity job or impressive training, it might not be what you need, or what is even compatible with your family.
I will give you an example. Imagine you are looking for a nanny for your six months old baby and you run into a nanny who speaks several languages and have an impressive list of education in early childhood development and has been a nanny to the stars. But she does not have experience with infants, she doesn’t drive and you live outside of the center of town and you need her to be able to drive. Then you run into another candidate who has a long experience working with infants, has been with each of her families for years and, she drives. She has not been a nanny to the stars (I talk about this a lot because it does not necessarily mean that a nanny is good), her formal education is less, but she seems like a great fit for your baby and your family. You click with her, but the CV is less impressive at first glance. And the first nanny is so shiny and has things on her CV that you desire, even though deep down you know that the second one is going to work out better.
Why? She has done what you want her to do, she is experienced. Her requirements match yours. And she has worked with families for a long time on each job, which is a huge piece of information for you about how she will be to work with. Excellent nannies who do short term jobs usually stick to short term jobs and jump around. Excellent nannies who do longer term jobs, and apply for longer terms jobs tend to have stayed with families longer. Which one would you pick? I see all the time that families jump for the shiny one, they interview a few of them, sometimes they even hire them, and then it doesn’t work out. The nanny sees another opportunity that fits her CV profile better and leaves, or you realize that all the certificates in the world do not give you experience with newborns, and the skills you need to figure out how yours works.
I think it’s something to think about for both nannies and families, to not just sell yourselves to get a job or a nanny, but to really look for someone who is compatible with what you are looking for. That’s what we do, and we often see both parties looking for things that are not in their interest.
Thank you for spending time with me today, I am really happy you chose to listen to our podcast.
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This episode is brought to you by Mamatoto, the online community that supports women from pregnancy, birth and into motherhood. Go to Mamatoto.info and join the tribe of supportive mothers and their babies.
See you next time when we will talk about cell phones. Bye :)