The household staffing industry is unique in that you don’t always need to have direct experience of working within a household to be considered for the role. In fact, you need an extremely varied skillset to be successful as a household employee and so in this My Household Managed blog, we discuss the extensive skills that can be valuable when looking for a new job in the private staffing world.

What Are the Most Common Industries to Have Experience in?

Working as a household employee varies from role to role. You may be working as a nanny, a housekeeper, an estate manager, private chef or one of many other roles within the private staffing industry. That is why staff come from an extremely varied background. Some of the most common industries that can lead to a career in private household employment or private service include:

> Hospitality (luxury hotels, catering)

> Education

> Event planning

> Entertainment/creative (actors, freelance workers, writers) - those seeking part-time employment

Even if you haven’t got direct experience working for a private household, oftentimes working within the above industries still means you have valuable experience that you can bring to the role. Ultimately employers want to know that you are trustworthy, reliable and competent and that you will understand the discretion and confidentiality that comes with a household position, so be sure to consider the transferable skills you have from your current employment and how you can demonstrate this within your resume and during the interview process.

Examples for Specific Roles

To understand further how you can demonstrate the skills you have, even when you don’t have direct experience, read our examples for some of the most common roles that we recruit for in the Chicagoland area.

○ List experience cleaning private households for friends or family members, or even working as a nanny or in-home caregiver
○ Write a cover letter describing your ability to pay attention to detail or any specialized skills you have in ironing or caring for fine art or antiques.
○ Teaching skills are valuable. Many times teachers become career nannies.
○ Describe any experience you have with babysitting, even if it was for a short period of time.
○ List experience you have working in an office setting, communicating directly with your boss
○ Showcase how you have been flexible and can work with last minute changes or unique hours?
○ Give experience of when you may have run personal errands or organized a schedule for someone else
○ Depending on how they want you to work, show that you have experience working remotely, or in an office setting

What Other Skills are Valuable as a Household Employee?

There are countless other skills that are a real asset to anyone working within the household staffing industry so really think about what sets you apart from someone who may have lots of direct experience in similar roles. Some of the skills and qualities employers tell us that they are looking for include:

Discretion - ability to maintain the family’s privacy, work in the background and read the room to step in or away as needed.
CPR & First-Aid Certified - consider doing an accredited course in your own time to add to your qualifications.
COVID Vaccinated - especially in a post-pandemic world, lots of employers will request that you are COVID vaccinated.
Valid Driver’s License and reliable car - for any type of household role, having a valid driver’s license and your own reliable car is both helpful for the role and your ability to get to more remote areas for work.
Clean Driving Record - showing you have a clean driving record shows how you are responsible and reliable.
Non-smoker - many private household employers prefer to employ non-smokers.
Comfortable with Pets - if you are comfortable with pets, or have experience of working with pets (even if it’s walking your own dog!), be sure to include it as they can make a real difference when comparing candidates!
Native English Speaker - whether you are a native English speaker, or speak English to a very high level, be sure to include it on your resume.
Travel-Ready (Domestic or International) - particularly if you are working with high net-worth families, the ability to travel and be flexible domestically or internationally is a real positive for a prospective employer.
Proactive - whatever industry you’ve come from, show how you’ve been proactive and can work on your own initiative
Able to multitask and juggle multiple responsibilities - whether you’re coming from another industry or returning after a career break, demonstrate how you can multitask to highlight how capable you are.
High attention to detail - detail-oriented people are some of the most successful in an industry where high-quality is always expected.
Comfortable with twins & multiples - for families with twins or multiples, seeing you have experience is a definite plus!
Experienced with different age children - if you have experience with newborns or toddlers, or perhaps you have experience with potty-training children, families are always looking for how you can best fit in with their family needs.
Baking - if you’re applying for a private chef role or even as a nanny, a love of baking shows additional skills that you can bring to the role.
Additional appropriate hobbies - Whether it’s hiking, reading, knitting or sewing, many hobbies and interests can serve a purpose within the household industry. More than that, they show who you are as a person and a willingness to participate in things outside of normal day-to-day work. Make sure they are appropriate hobbies for the role you’re applying to though!

Above all remember that one of the main considerations for families when searching for household employees is whether they will be able to have a long-term commitment to the role. If you are new to the industry, be sure to demonstrate that you have done your research in the types of jobs that you want to do and perhaps consider getting a part-time job or temporary role in this field to get exposure, build your resume, and make sure if this type of work is really for you.

You’ve got enough on your plate in your day-to-day life — let us make your life easier by handling your unique household staffing needs.

If you are a family looking for a nanny, house manager, family assistant, or other home service, submit an inquiry with My Household Managed.

If you are a professional nanny, house manager, or family assistant looking for a job, apply at My Household Managed.