Ten Reasons You Can’t Find A Nanny Job (And What To Do About It)

Have you been actively looking for a nanny position but aren’t having any luck? You’re not alone, and the good news is that small adjustments can make a big difference. Below, we walk through the top ten reasons you might be struggling to land a nanny job and, more importantly, what to do about each one.

Have you been actively looking for a nanny position, but you’re just not having any luck? 

Here are the top 10 reasons you can’t find a nanny job and what to do about it. 

Reason #1: You’re not looking in the right places

Maybe you’ve started your nanny search and you’ve only posted on one job search platform (like care.com or local Facebook groups). 

Make sure to cast a wide net by posting on multiple platforms to increase your chances of connecting with enough families and more importantly, the right families. 

If you’re in the Seattle area, make sure that Nanny Parent Connection is one of the platforms that you are using. 

With over 20,000 members, Nanny Parent Connection is one of the most active childcare communities in the Seattle/Puget Sound area. 

Reason #2: You don’t have a resume

A resume is a way to present information about your experience, work history, relevant skill sets, attributes, etc., in a nice package to present to families. 

Not sure where to start with your resume? We recommend beginning by listing out all of your work experience. 

If any childcare positions are included, make sure to list out information, such as the ages of children at the beginning of the position, along with the job duties and the length of employment. 

You’ll want to make sure the resume really tells information about you. 

So, instead of listing a job duty such as “did activities with child”, make the resume really tell more about you with the specific wording that you choose. 

“Planned and facilitated age-appropriate developmental activities and play, both indoors and outdoors.”

See the difference there? 

Make sure you also list out any relevant skill sets, such as music, cooking, swimming, or other sports capabilities, and any certifications or licensures you may have, such as your driver’s license, etc. 

Mention also that you have a clean driving record, and your CPR/First Aid certification. 

Honestly, not having a resume is one of the top reasons we see many nannies unable to find a nanny job.

Reason #3: You’re not checking your messages regularly

We hear from parents each week that they are messaging or emailing nannies, but they just don’t hear back.

Don’t miss out on any messages. Make sure you’re checking your inbox regularly and you’re following up. Some nannies like to check once in the morning and then again in the evening.

Reason #4: Your asking rate doesn’t align with your experience or the going pay rates in the area

The nanny industry has its highs and lows, just like any other industry. 

The nanny industry tends to cool slightly at times compared with periods of more intense demand. 

Wages, in large part, have remained pretty high still due to inflation and the high cost of living. 

However, more families may offer a lower pay rate, as well as be comfortable with a lower experience range, when the economy starts to cool and job layoffs occur, especially in the tech sector. 

Make sure you get a good sense for the going rates in the area, as well as pay rate expectations for given experience levels by checking out Nanny Parent Connection’s annual pay rate survey, you can find that by clicking here.

Reason #5: Your availability doesn’t match up with family needs

This comes up mostly with nannies offering summertime availability. 

Sometimes they’ll need to go back to school at the end of July or the beginning of August, and that really doesn’t match up with a family’s needs of requiring child care through all of August. 

For other families seeking care that’s not just limited to the summertime, they are typically looking for a minimum year-long commitment. 

Most families are also seeking full-time care between the hours of 8 A.M. and 5 P.M. 

If your commitment length isn’t at least a year or your availability falls outside of that general eight-to-five time frame, that could be a reason why you’re having a little bit of a harder time finding a nanny position. 

Now, that’s not to say there aren’t plenty of part-time nanny positions out there or nanny positions that require less than a year-long commitment, but they’re just not as common. 

Reason #6: You haven’t invested time in coming up with a care philosophy

We strongly encourage every nanny to come up with a care philosophy if you don’t already have one. 

Your care philosophy is your nanny care style, and it’s what the family can expect out of you in the nanny care that you deliver. 

This could include things like putting safety first, open communication, getting kids outside daily, mutual respect, honoring parenting styles, working together as a team with family, holding space for big feelings and emotions, etc. 

Or this could be a care philosophy such as Montessori, Gentle Parenting, or Positive Discipline, to name a few. 

Every single family you speak with is going to want to hear about this, even if they don’t ask you directly. 

So, make sure you put plenty of time, thought, and consideration into what your nanny care philosophy is. 

Reason #7: You’re trying to land your first nanny job

Perhaps you’ve been a babysitter for years and you’re looking to roll that experience into landing your first nanny position. 

It’s crucial to have a resume that does convey your relevant childcare experience, as well as your other work experience. 

In this case, letters of recommendation from those babysitting families are going to be super important. 

Make sure you reach out to those families, ask for those letters, so that you can include those with your application or when you’re sending your resume along to families. 

Reason #8: You don’t have relevant experience or list relevant experience on your resume

If you’re applying for an infant care nanny position, but you only have toddler nanny care experience listed on your resume, that probably isn’t going to be sufficient experience for most families who are seeking a nanny to care for their infant. 

Maybe you do have infant care experience, but it’s not been a paid position, such as maybe you’re a parent to your own children or you’ve volunteered to care for infants, or maybe you’ve cared for a family member’s infant. 

Wherever that experience comes from, make sure you tell the family about it. 

It will help them get a better understanding of what your relevant experience actually is, and it will probably help you get a callback for that interview. 

Reason #9: You aren’t asking families you interview with for feedback

If you’ve been doing multiple phone interviews with families, but you haven’t made it to that in-person interview stage, it might be worthwhile to reach out to those families and ask them for constructive feedback. 

Ask them for feedback on you as a candidate, your resume and application, and your phone interview. 

They may be able to help you get a sense of what hasn’t been working and why you don’t make it to that next round of interviews. 

Reason #10: You aren’t following up on your applications or messages

We are all busy, and it seems like we all have millions of emails going back and forth every day. 

With all of these messages zooming around, it’s easy to miss a message. 

Following up on your application or your message demonstrates that you are proactive, you are organized, you are detail-oriented, you’re probably a good communicator, and you are serious about your job search.

And that’s it for the 10 Reasons You Can’t Find A Nanny Job…. and what to do about it!