2024 was another tough year for nannies seeking work, but they can make 2025 a better year…

We keep getting messages from nannies who are fed up that their applications are unsuccessful, and who ask for advice because they no longer know what to do to find work.

They did not expect the job search to be so difficult, and do not understand why it is so difficult to find a good position even though they have the right experience.

We sometimes have the impression that they are just not aware of the reality and what goes on behind the scenes, so to end the year we thought an article on the current state of the industry and some feedback on the candidates currently on the market would be useful to put this difficult job search into perspective

Yes, there are nanny jobs advertised all over the place but families are not hiring like crazy, and it is increasingly difficult to land a position, it can even be a real nightmare to find work.

The first thing candidates need to know is that not all families complete their search, far from it! Not all jobs you see advertised are filled and you can read our blog about this to learn more about why.

It’s not just candidates who have difficulty landing jobs, families also have difficulty finding good candidates, and agencies don’t place as many nannies as you might think…

Believe it or not, when agencies have a new position to fill, they are not always successful in placing a candidate. And this year for example, we saw agencies that had to lay off staff or close altogether because the money wasn’t coming in as expected…

At this time of year, some agencies publish statistics. One of them published the following : tens of thousands of applicants in 2024 and only a few dozens nannies placed. Yes, you read correctly!

This is the reality, there are much more candidates looking for a position than positions that are actually filled. And when we say “much more” it means “really much much more!”.

Don’t get us wrong, we’re not saying that absolutely no one gets a job.

Obviously there are plenty of nannies who have found a job, plenty of families who have found a nanny, and agencies have succeeded in many placements.

But there are really fewer candidates who find a job than one might imagine.

The market is just saturated with candidates and most of these candidates who saturate the market do not know how to apply and do not know how to target the right positions. If you’re having trouble finding a role and need help figuring out what’s wrong with your applications, you’re actually far from alone…

The competition is really tough, and the real difficulty is to stand out from other candidates.

If many candidates receive no response, it is firstly because they underestimate the importance of a well-crafted resume. Most resumes don’t get past the agencies’ applicant tracking system and aren’t even seen by human recruiters.

Agencies have changed the way they recruit : there are so many candidates that they need AI help to save time. For your CV to be noticed by a “human” recruiter you must carefully read the job description and tailor your resume to each application. You need to understand the power of keywords and learn how to optimize your resume.

Many candidates think that it is enough to say “I have 10, 15 or 20 years of experience” to be noticed.

Having experience as a nanny is actually not enough to get a job.
You also need to have the right attitude. And of course you must know how to apply and target the right positions!

Having 10, 15 or 20 years experience is worthless if you can’t remain professional no matter what, it’s also useless if you apply for anything in the hope of finding any job.

The number of candidates who whine all the time about not finding a job and who actually don’t realize that they are being rude and completely unprofessional, and who don’t even see that all the applications they send are unsuitable applications is simply insane.

And what’s even more insane is that when you try to help these candidates and point them in the right direction, they just get pissed off… or worse they insult you!

Anyway, if many experienced candidates do not find work, it is also because they spend their time complaining or criticizing everything, or even slandering on social networks.

All of their nasty or defamatory posts and comments are public and are very damaging to their career.

If you don’t want to end up on a blacklist, you should always think twice before posting on Facebook and other social networks.

Discretion is paramount in this industry, so if you want families and agencies to want to work with you, you have to be super-mindful of your online presence.

The lack of professionalism of the candidates is what families deplore the most and is also one of the reasons why they do not want to pay the price.

Yes, many families have no consideration for nannies and just want candidates who will work as much as possible for as little money as possible.

But there are also many families who would agree to pay the price but who do not understand why salaries increase so much while the general level of professionalism of the candidates does not increase the same?

Families also don’t understand why candidates turned nannies overnight charge as much as nannies who are NNEB qualified or attended the prestigious Norland College?

If candidates don’t have answers, very often it’s simply because they mistakenly think the requirements are flexible, they are not! The number of funny applications sent every day is not funny at all.

Many candidates do not get that it is inappropriate to expect families to change their requirements to suit their needs, and they actually send so many unsuitable applications that they lose all credibility.

Many families stop searching and consider other childcare options if they are disappointed with the applications they receive.

Another problem that is not visible to candidates and which makes the job search real difficult, is that literally all candidates want and aim for the same positions : high-paying positions or ROTA positions.

These highly coveted positions involve working with VIP, HNW or UHNW families, and they can receive several hundred applications while other positions receive fewer than 10.

There are already not enough positions for everyone, so it is simply impossible for everyone to have a ROTA position or a position that pays more than the average.

If the job search proves difficult, it is also because most candidates forget that not every family looking for a nanny can afford a private jet or yacht, they want above-average salaries even when families are not HNW or UHNW… that can’t work!

There are many families with high (but still regular) incomes who can afford a nanny : they don’t spend their vacations on yachts and won’t offer above market rates, but they can definitely afford a decent salary for the right candidate.

If more candidates aimed for a decent job and wage, rather than jet-setting and above market rates, and considered applying to these families, many more candidates would find work.

We know that this article is not what you expected to read and is very negative for candidates, but it is important to face facts: yes, there are a lot of negative things to say about parents and agencies, but there are also a lot of things that are wrong with candidates.

Very often, all we can answer to these nannies who are fed up that their applications are not successful, and who ask for advice because they no longer know what to do to find work, is that this is the reality, the nanny job search is really tough. And to be fully honest, sometimes if they can’t find a job, it’s entirely their fault.

You should never assume that finding a nanny job will be easy. Landing a nanny position is anything but easy, it can take anywhere from a week to several years, and you may never even find one!

If you can understand the behind-the-scenes and use this information wisely, you won’t miraculously find a job, but maybe you can change what’s wrong with your applications and make 2025 a better year?

It’s important to understand the industry inside and out, sometimes trying to put yourself in the shoes of families and recruiters is enough to understand what they want…

We hope you’ll find this transparent and honest point of view useful.
For more tips or insights, check our blog regularly!

 

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