Many nannies begin their career journey by word-of-mouth referrals or by working as a sitter for family and friends. This means that even if you’re not new to caregiving and being a nanny, you might be new to professional interviews for nanny jobs.

While there are many similarities between nanny job interviews and regular job interviews, many nuances set them apart. For example, when’s the last time you heard of kids being part of a job interview or someone having an interview in their employer’s home? Probably never!

The way that you get ready for, arrive at, participate in, and end your nanny job interview sets the tone for your future working relationship with a family. They deserve your time and preparation.

Think through each component of your interview and plan to make the best first impression possible.

Dress Appropriately and Comfortably

Proper nanny attire is comfortable, allows you to move and get down on the floor with kids, and is mostly casual yet still professional. We recommend keeping your accessories and piercings to a minimum as these aren’t always kid-friendly either! Pay attention to how perfumed your clothing is and don’t wear scented products like lotions or perfumes to your potential employer’s house. Extra accessories and fragrances can be distracting and you can never know for sure what types of allergies or sensitivities a family may have. It’s best to err on the side of discretion and caution.

Give Yourself Plenty of Time to Be on Time

Days before your interview, determine how much travel time you’ll need to plan for. Remember to check traffic and/or public transportation times during the time of day you’ll be traveling to the family’s house. If you’re in a bigger city, your route may double in travel time during rush hours.

Arrive 10-15 minutes early for your interview, but don’t ring the doorbell until your scheduled time. While you want the family to know you’re responsible and punctual, you also don’t want to add unnecessary stress to your family’s experience. Showing up at the door too early could interrupt the potentially chaotic last minutes of a family meal or clean-up just before you arrive.

Put Connection to the Family First

When you arrive, greet the family professionally and confidently.

You can make the family feel at ease and assure them with your words and your actions. Your demeanor, mood, expressions, and even tone of voice can tell a family that their children would be in safe hands with you.

Since you’re interviewing for a position as a caregiver to the family’s littlest ones, you’ll likely be asked to meet the kids during your interview as well. Some kids may be shy and others may want you to stay all day and play. For children who are more on the shy side, be warm, kind, and give a gentle introduction or ask them a few questions, but don’t push the child to interact with you. Kids who are enthusiastic about meeting you may want to show you something they’ve recently made or that they love playing with. Show your genuine interest and get curious about them!

Be Prepared to Answer Questions

There’s nothing worse than feeling caught off guard by an interview question. Considering potential interview questions ahead of time will help you feel relaxed and at ease. You can find a list of questions potential employers may ask you on the What to Expect site here.

As you prepare and answer questions during your interview, keep in mind that families want to get to know the real you as it pertains to the nanny position. Alene Mathurin, New York City-based founder of nanny community and advocacy group My Nanny Circle says, “Skip the fluff and share aspects of yourself that are important for the job…but don’t try to be something you’re not…”

Misrepresenting yourself — whether intentional or not — can have dire consequences down the road when you realize you’re in over your head or the family feels they’ve ended up with a nanny that isn’t who they hired!

Ask Your Own Questions

“The interview is a 2 way process so have some questions prepared. This is your opportunity to find out more about the position…” - Tinies.com

Interviews are your chance to get to know the family you might be working with. Focus your questions on their personalities, lifestyle, and job requirements so you can determine if their position would be an all-around good fit for you. Having questions of your own also shows your interest and ability to be proactive.

Asking questions is also a good way for you to get a sense of whether past employees have stuck around, how reasonable the family’s expectations are, and if there is a particular reason why a family hasn’t been able to keep a nanny.

Some questions to consider asking during your interview are:

What are your household values, parenting philosophies, and approach to discipline?
Who will I report to and how will I meet with them? (This is usually mom, dad, a personal assistant, or household/estate manager)
Do both parents work full-time? How flexible do you need me to be with your schedule? Do you expect there to be late nights or date nights?
What have been your experiences with nannies in the past? What worked well for you and what didn’t work well for you with your past nannies?
What would a typical day look like working for your family?
Do your children require any type of specialized care?
What personality style do you and your kids connect with best?
What is expected during a child's nap time? Do you prefer I keep busy or is that considered downtime for me?
How long do you hope to have someone in this role?

Leave This OUT of Your Interview!

Most agencies like MHM will handle the negotiation of pay and benefits during the offer process to guarantee you the best possible outcome. For this reason, it’s unnecessary to bring up pay or benefits during your interview.

Wrap Up Your Interview Professionally

When you leave, thank the family for their time.

If you enjoyed your meeting with the family and you truly think you are the right candidate for the job, restate your interest in the role and affirm that you feel you would be a good fit for the family’s needs and personality. It’s important for families to feel like the decision to hire their nanny is mutually beneficial.

Send a Good Old-Fashioned Thank You

Always assume the family is interviewing other candidates, whether you’re told this or not. Your interview presence and follow-up from the interview should be top-quality, engaging, and enthusiastic so that you stand out amongst all of the candidates.

The day after your interview, send the agency a thank you email to forward to the family. This is a nice personal touch that never hurts!

Share an Update With the Agency About Your Interview

Touching base with your agency allows you to share any unexpected information that was revealed during the interview. For example, you’d want to let your agency know if a family expressed that their child is autistic or has special needs, but failed to share about the extensive care required for their non-verbal child before the interview. You may also learn crucial details about the household or parents, such as a family living and working in tight quarters, that extended family resides with the family, or that pets run the house!

Connecting with your agency after an interview is the best way to conclude the interview and express your interest (or lack of interest!) in a job.