Nanny Resume Mistakes: 10 Things To Avoid

Each week, my team and I review dozens of nanny resumes. Most of these resumes are well put together but we constantly see the same nanny resume mistakes being made.

Check out my latest video, “Nanny Resume Mistakes: 10 Things To Avoid” where I discuss the top common mistakes that we see on nanny resumes and how to fix them. Make sure to check out my pro tip at the end – it’s a game changer when applying for nanny jobs!

Some of the mistakes that I’m going to discuss in this video are: 

– Listing babysitting experience when it’s actually nanny experience

– Not listing special skill sets

– Not including child care experience on your resume

– Your resume is not up to date

Click the button below to watch the video and I hope you find it useful for touching up your own resume!

Click Here To Watch!

A transcript of the video can be found below: 

Hi everyone, Laura from Nanny Parent Connection here.

Each week my team and I review dozens and dozens of nanny resumes.

Several qualities of a good nanny resume are that it will paint a clear picture of any previous nanny positions held including job duties and ages of children. It will provide insight into any applicable and relevant skill sets that you might possess. It will also convey professionalism and that you are taking your job search seriously.

Unfortunately, we see many of the same mistakes over and over again.

Here are the top ten most common mistakes that I see on nanny resumes.

Mistake: Listing babysitting experience when it’s actually nanny experience

You can fix this mistake by really thinking about your previous childcare experience.

Was this date night care or maybe occasional care?

If so, this was probably babysitting experience, which by the way is absolutely okay to include on your resume if your experience is on the lighter side, or if this was regularly recurring work that including more responsibilities such as meal planning, driving the children, facilitating nap time, or facilitating age-appropriate and developmental play and activities.

There is a big difference on your resume between the words “babysitter” and “nanny”, and what those two words convey to your prospective employers.

Mistake: Not listing the ages of children cared for

You can fix this by listing out the ages of the children at the start of the position for each position you held.

I really like to see the ages listed, because this lets me know that you have relevant experience for the position that you’re applying for.

Mistake: Not listing special skill sets

You can fix this by making sure to list out any of the special skill sets that you possess that are relevant to nannying. This could include foreign language skills, musical talents you may have, culinary skills, swimming etc.

You can have fun with this section, maybe you are an expert on all things Disney, you could be an arts and crafts wizard, or you could be a Lego building expert.

Mistake: Not including special certifications, classes or licenses

To fix this, think about all of the special certifications you have or classes you’ve taken, and yes, your driver’s license counts and is relevant to nanny positions.

This would also include any specific infant care or preschool training things like your food handlers permit, any STARS or MERIT training, this could also include bloodborne pathogens, safe sleep training, and your CPR/First Aid certification.

Mistake: Making spelling and grammar errors

You can fix this easily by making sure to use spell check on your computer, you can also save your work and then take a look at it again the next day to see if your eyes catch anything new.

You can also enlist the help of your friends and family members, ask them to take a look at your resume, and see if they notice any spelling or grammar errors.

One trick that I use when writing is to put together the first draft and then review from the bottom to the top (reading backwards). It’s pretty amazing some of the issues that will jump out at you!

Mistake: Not including child care experience on your resume

You can fix this by making a childcare-specific resume if you must, or by listing your child care specific experience alongside your other positions you’ve previously held on your resume.

Think about all of those really relevant skills that you’re leaving off your resume when you exclude a childcare position.

This would include things like reliability, trustworthiness, time management, organization, ability to function well under stress, this would also include things like critical thinking, and problem-solving just to name a few.

Mistake: Lumping nanny experience together in one spot on your resume

You can fix this easily by listing out each individual nanny position that you’ve previously held.

Make sure to include the dates that you worked in that position, the month and the year, as well as the ages of children at the start of the position.

Mistake: Not listing out job duties or responsibilities held at previous positions

You can fix this by summarizing your job duties and responsibilities for each position that you’ve held, even if it’s not a childcare-specific position.

This is a great way to show responsibility, reliability, organizational skills, trustworthiness, etc that you have demonstrated with previous positions.

Mistake: Assuming that because it’s nannying you don’t need to be professional or take your resume seriously

The fix for this? Make sure to have a resume.

I’m always surprised at how many people apply for childcare positions but then don’t have a resume to convey and demonstrate their previous and relevant work experience.

If you’re not sure where to start with creating a resume, please make sure to check out my video on how to make a great nanny resume. You can find that by clicking here.

Mistake: Your resume is not up to date

You can easily fix this by updating your resume each time you start a position.

You will list your current position, the month and the year that you started and list “until present”.

That way if you’re suddenly needing to start a new job search, your resume will be ready to go.

And finally my pro tip: Make sure to include a cover letter with your resume.

I’m always impressed when I see a cover letter included with a resume because so few care providers include one.

This means that including a cover letter is a great way to stand out from the crowd.

It will also give you a chance to tell any prospective employers more about who you are and why you think the position is a good fit for you.

Cover letters are a fantastic way to help personalize your application for a nanny position.

Alright everyone, that’s it for my “Nanny Resume Mistakes: 10 Things To Avoid” video.

I hope you found this video helpful.

If you like this video please click the like button, subscribe, or ring the bell so that you can be notified when more of these videos come out.

Thanks everyone, I will see you next time!