How to Talk About Yourself in an Interview for a Role as a House Manager, Nanny or Other Household Employee
You’ve done your research, you’ve filled in the application and now you’ve found yourself with an interview for your dream domestic staffing job. But how exactly do you talk about yourself in an interview to make sure you have the best possible chance of being hired? Whether you’re in a nanny, house manager or other household employee interview, our tips below are tried and tested with both candidates and clients telling us this is what makes them successful at interview. Read on to find out how you should answer one of the most important questions in a domestic staffing interview.
When you first find out you have an interview, you may want to start thinking about how you could answer some of the key questions you may be asked. Many of these will be based around your experience, skills and qualifications but for any household role, who you are as a person is also important to your employer to make sure you are a good fit for one another. When it comes to talking about yourself, we suggest first watching this video from The Nanny Solution.
Interview preparation is key
If you enter your interview with calm, cool confidence and a practiced elevator speech, you should have nothing to worry about.
On the other hand, if you go into your interview and intend to just “wing it”, rest assured that you might end up saying some things you shouldn’t have. Whether you are speaking with a recruiter or an agency like MHM, or you are interviewing with a family, first impressions matter.
You want to be memorable, but for the right reasons! You want to be relatable, but professional. You want to be open and honest, while maintaining discretion. Here is a quick summary of the most important “do” and “do nots” at interview!
| Do | Do not |
|---|---|
| Summarize your work experience at a high level and walk through how your career progressed | Overshare details about things that are irrelevant or go on a tangent |
| Explain your want to move on from your current role or why your last position ended | Talk badly about a past employer |
| Highlight all of your greatest accomplishments like you are creating a “greatest hits” playlist of your career | Assume the person you are speaking with has already read and memorized your resume in detail |
| Explain the type of role you are looking for that would fit in best with your lifestyle and goals | Discuss your personal drama or intimate details of your personal life |
| Begin by allowing the interviewer to ask questions of their own | Dominate the conversation and not let the interviewer to take the lead |
| Emphasize your passion for the job and the industry as a whole as well as what sets you apart | Sound dull, uninterested, passive aggressive, condescending, or entitled |
What you should say:
Q: “Tell me about yourself”
Do say: “I am seeking a new opportunity working for a family in a full-time position as a nanny or nanny/house manager. I am a career nanny and I have X years of experience. I specialize in working with toddlers, but I am open to working with children of all ages. I have helped many families with potty training and getting through developmental stages, as you can see from my experience with the Smith family in my resume. They have also written me a letter of recommendation.”
Q: “Why are you leaving your current job?”
Do say: “I love my current role, but I am looking for a new challenge where I can have more autonomy. Also, since the family relocated the commute is getting too far with traffic. I can be flexible with hours most days, but on Thursdays I do need to be home by 6 PM
What you should NOT say:
Q: “Tell me about yourself”
Don’t say: “I started my own jewelry business on the side and I feel like being a house manager could be fun because I really like being in nice homes. I basically manage my own home all by myself, it’s super easy. I used to nanny and now that I’m graduating school and my son is getting older, I have more free time”
Q: “Why are you leaving your current job?”
Don’t say: “The mom is working from home a lot and I feel like she wants to become a stay-at-home mom, so I’m keeping my options open in case they decide to let me go. Also, they are always making me stay late and my boyfriend needs to use my car.”
Why discretion matters
You may think that the agency or family wants to get to know you as fully as possible, and to a certain extent this is true - but only in professional terms. Whilst you should obviously be yourself as much possible, remember that when you work for a family, they are your employer - your boss - and you need to maintain a certain level of professionalism in your relationship.
Discretion is one of the qualities that makes a great household employee. The inability to conduct yourself as a professional shows an inability to “read the room”. It is important to know when to speak and what to say, and when some things are best left unsaid. This is an important skill when you are working closely in a people-to-people business like private service in a household.
Shouldn’t a family or agency be able to see all of this in a resume?
Hearing how you present this information is just as important as your actual experience in order to get a feel for your personality and professionalism.
Our best advice is to always customize your talking points to the specific role you are interested in and why your experience is relevant. During the interview, you are able to share more detail than your resume allows for and you can explain to a family why you are passionate about their role over any other.
What’s next?
Should you be offered a job, and if you are using an agency like MHM, you can expect that the agency will handle the offer and negotiation process. Read more about the process here.
We also have a blog that goes into more detail about the interview process and how it can make or break your job prospects. Make sure you read it before attending your next interview by clicking here.
Are you looking to take the next step in your household staffing career?
My Household Managed takes a consultative and personalized approach to household staffing.
We hire the best domestic staff qualified to fit each home’s unique needs, saving you time and providing peace of mind.
Let us help you find the best nanny, house manager, housekeeper or other domestic employee position you may be searching for and submit an application with My Household Managed.