Take the time to prepare small sheets where you will have noted all the information you already have, as well as the questions you could ask. Remember to take note in parallel of all the points of the profile sought: training, experience, qualities in order to highlight your skills which correspond, and to provide an argument for your faults.
Do not hesitate to practice with someone: there is nothing obvious about speaking orally. Preparation is fundamental to really going to meet a family. Taking care of children is not a job like any other, so it is important that parents feel your involvement right away.
Next, be sure to plan for the day of the interview. Check your travel time carefully, allowing for a margin in case of unforeseen events. Make sure you won’t be solicited by your family or your current employer during the interview. No need to add extra stress to yourself if you fear arriving too late when your child leaves school!
Plan well for all your belongings and documents
It is up to you to ensure that you arrive at the interview with all the documents that the parents may ask you for or that may be useful to illustrate your experiences. Prepare a file the day before (this leaves you a margin if you think of other things during the night) with:
Adapt your outfit to the family
Unfortunately, there is no standard “dress” for nanny positions. Indeed it depends a lot on the families and their lifestyle. Showing up in a black suit/suit can be well seen in a company, but it risks preventing parents from visualizing you with their children: getting down on the ground to play with them, not being afraid of spitting up on your shoulder or get dirty in the park, for example.
A simple and casual outfit to be comfortable and to be able to move easily is essential. But if you are applying for high-end positions, such as nanny and/or housekeeper, the standard will be a much stricter dress code.
Cleanliness and hygiene are fundamental criteria for caring for young children, especially toddlers. So be sure to have clean clothes, short and unvarnished nails, tied hair and little jewelry.
Pay attention to his attitude and the way he speaks
Your interpersonal skills and your attitude will have a real impact on the parents’ final decision. In general, human nature is more comfortable with what it knows. In other words, if the way you interact with parents and children does not match their way of being at all, they will have a hard time trusting you. So, be sure to behave as neutrally as possible, respectful, discreet and pleasant for this first meeting.
language of the parents is not your mother tongue, focus on articulating the words well and do not hesitate to reformulate your sentences or to ask the parents for additional explanations to be sure that the communication between you is clear. .
What you should not do…
In fact, 80% of communication passes through your body. Don’t slouch in your seat and have an open posture, don’t cross your arms, smile…
Finally, always keep in mind that parents have not necessarily made the choice to entrust their (and their home!) to a parental assistant. They may feel guilty about going back to work, having heard abominable stories around them of nannies shaking babies… You can’t blame them for conflating what they feel with you. Your role will be precisely to appease their fear, and the best way to do this is to show “white paw” during the interview by being understanding and empathetic.
However, not enough! Above all, stay natural. Parents are also wary of “perfect” profiles. Yes, we never said it was easy!
Pay attention to your speech
Take the time before the interview to prepare your presentation. Parents often prefer that you start by introducing yourself and telling them about your professional background. This question is so vast that it can quickly confuse you if you are not prepared. At this time, you will not yet know precisely what the parents are looking for and what the missions will be requested. To avoid breakage, be concise, but share enough information to make parents want to go further.
It is not a question of reformulating your entire CV but rather of personalizing your training and your experiences. Explain why you work with children, what you liked about your previous jobs and highlight your motivation, your skills and your qualities. Above all, do not slander your former employers, always make sure to find a positive aspect in the experiences that went less well.
The exercise is not easy so don’t hesitate to train yourself: practice talking about each of your experiences and speaking fluidly and regularly, neither too fast nor too slow. The more you have practiced, the less stress will take over during the interview.