When it comes to landing your dream nanny job, having a standout resume can make all the difference. We sat down with Briana Murphy, the certified career coach and resume writer behind Your Nanny Resume, to get her expert insights on creating the perfect nanny resume. With nearly a decade of experience in the childcare industry, Briana knows the ins and outs of what it takes to secure your ideal position.

Here's what she had to say:

Getting Started in the Childcare Industry

Briana's journey in the childcare industry began as a nanny herself nearly 10 years ago. Her personal experiences as a nanny led her to realize that others in her field were likely facing similar challenges. She had always been the go-to person for friends seeking job leads or resume help, and one day, she felt a calling to help people find jobs. Initially she considered starting an agency, but Briana ultimately found her true calling in crafting resumes. Thus, Your Nanny Resume was born.

Briana's passion for helping nannies stems from her own experiences of feeling taken advantage of in her early career. She couldn't stand by and watch others go through similar struggles. Understanding the unique relationships childcare providers build with children daily, Briana shares our ethos in making sure that candidates and clients are well-matched and that prospective nannies have well-written resumes to make their experience shine. Knowing that her work plays a crucial role in the success of so many nannies is what drives Briana to keep going.

Want to know Briana’s top tips for crafting the perfect resume? Read on….

Tailoring Your Nanny Resume

When it comes to writing a nanny resume, Briana emphasizes the importance of tailoring it to the childcare industry and specific role you’re applying for. While there may be transferable skills if you’ve come from a different industry like hospitality, your resume should be specific to the job you're seeking. Briana suggests “to be considered for a role, take keywords that resonate from the actual job description and add them to your resume.” Use keywords like “potty-trained” or “sleep-trained” with the ages you have worked with to easily convey your skills to an employer.

Briana advises nannies to view their resume as a professional document highlighting their achievements, not merely their job history. Keep it concise and focus on accomplishments that set you apart from other candidates.

Things to think about when writing your nanny resume

Resume Length

While corporate resumes often aim for one page, the childcare industry welcomes longer resumes. Employers in this field want to know as much as possible about your qualifications and experience. So long as it is relevant, don’t worry too much if your resume is longer than one page.

Include the numbers

Whether it’s ages you’ve worked with, duration of employment or quanitifable skills you’ve helped children with (e.g. increasing reading skills %), when crafting your nanny resume, be sure to include any essential details. This information provides context for your duties and showcases your experience. Include ages of children you’ve worked, whether you’ve worked with multiples (i.e twins, triplets etc) job titles, locations, and the duration of your employment, down to the month and year, to demonstrate your credibility.

Describing Hybrid Roles

If you've held a hybrid role with mixed responsibilities, choose a job title that best reflects your main duties. You can then use your cover letter to provide additional context if necessary. Some employers will appreciate your ability to adapt and work multiple roles (e.g. housekeeper and nanny).

Including Unrelated Work Experience

Deciding whether to include unrelated work experience, such as waitressing, on your resume can be tricky. Briana suggests focusing on the skills gained from these roles, as they may still be relevant to childcare, rather than the specific role (e.g. waitress/hostess). However, for experienced nannies, it's best to omit unrelated work to maintain a clear focus on your childcare expertise, so long as it doesn’t leave gaps in your employment.

Highlighting Speciality Skills

Rather than emphasizing specialty skills, tailor your resume to reflect the specific job you're applying for. Include both hard skills (technical skills) and soft skills (personal attributes) that align with the desired position. “Hard skills include more of the technical stuff - so for a career nanny, bottle prep and swaddling is a hard skill. In contrast, soft skills speak to your personal attributes, i.e., communication, promptness, and reliability.”

Adding Hobbies and Interests

Including your hobbies and interests on your resume can showcase your personality and potentially help you connect with prospective employers. For example, if you love reading and a child you may care for struggles with reading, this could make you an ideal candidate. Similarly if you can swim, that is a life skill that many families will look for when hiring someone that can help their children to be safe in the water. “Families love to see an active nanny” so including things that you could share with the children you’re working for is always a bonus.

References and Reasons for Leaving

Briana strongly advises against including references or reasons for leaving each position on your resume. Save your references for the interview stage, and avoid including reasons for leaving, as it's often irrelevant and unnecessary. If your prospective employer wants to know your reasons for leaving at interview stage, then you can explain any reasons at this point if relevant.

At MHM, we recommend that if you are leaving a job on good terms that you ask for a letter of recommendation. Many prospective employers or agencies are likely to request them and it could increase your chances of being successful. Think of a letter of recommendation as the icing on the cake to be included alongside your application. Find out more about what letters of recommendation should include here.

Common Resume Mistakes

Briana has seen her fair share of resume mistakes in the childcare industry. Some of these include:

"References Available Upon Request": This outdated statement should be omitted from your resume as it takes up valuable space and references can be dealt with by an agency/after-interview stage.
Listing Actual References: As above. Avoid including your references on your resume; save them for the later stages of the hiring process to prevent overusing your references.
Neglecting to Include Skills: Skills are crucial to showcasing your qualifications for a role, so don't forget to include them. A good prospective employer will be interested in what makes up your personality so that they are more likely to find a good fit for their family - this is where your skills and hobbies can be of utmost importance.

The Importance of Cover Letters

Unlike traditional corporate jobs where they may often go unread, cover letters are crucial in the private household job market. A well-crafted cover letter can increase your chances of being considered for a role by providing additional context to your qualifications and addressing gaps in employment or career transitions. Read the MHM blog on how to write the perfect cover letter if you’re looking for a nannying role.

And lastly, remember the 30-Second rule

Briana’s last piece of advice? Remember the 30-second rule. Employers or recruiters will quickly scan your resume to determine if you're a suitable candidate, and often spend no longer than 30 seconds looking at it before making up their mind whether to proceed your application or not. They look for years of experience and keywords relevant to the job title so make sure they are clear to potential employers. If your resume passes this initial scan, you're on your way to securing an interview.

Insight for Agencies

Agencies like MHM play a pivotal role in connecting nannies with families, and Briana has some insights for agencies as well.

Briana’s advice for agencies is to choose well-formatted templates for resumes and avoid unnecessary phrases like "references available upon request" on them to give your candidates the best chances of being successful. Briana suggests that agencies should focus on collecting information relevant to the industry and be prepared to use transferable skills and cover letters to explain career transitions, rather than having a one-size-fits-all approach. That’s why at MHM we always work closely with clients and candidates to provide a bespoke, personalised approach to household recruitment.

Working with Your Nanny Resume

At Your Nanny Resume, Briana specializes in creating resumes and offering career coaching for individuals in the childcare industry. While her niche is centered around nannies, she emphasizes that she can craft resumes for anyone. Her services include four different packages, with the fourth package offering quarterly coaching sessions to help clients dive deep into their career goals. She also collaborates with numerous agencies, either by training their staff on resume revisions or through referral programs.

Crafting the perfect nanny resume requires attention to detail, tailoring it to the childcare industry, and avoiding common mistakes. Briana's expert insights provide valuable guidance for nannies seeking to land their dream jobs. So, take her advice to heart, and get started on creating a resume that will make you stand out in the competitive world of childcare. Your dream nanny job could be just a well-crafted resume away!

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