What’s the biggest pitfall to avoid when applying for nanny jobs?
Mass applying!
Why it’s never a good idea to send out mass applications?
How many applications are considered mass applications?
Here are the mass application records we’ve seen on our site: one nanny found over 200 offers to apply for in just under an hour, another found over 60 ROTA positions to apply for in less than half an hour.
Obviously, you have to apply for several offers to land a job; no one finds a job by sending a single application.
And when you don’t have a job and need a paycheck, mass applying might feel productive, but in reality more applications doesn’t mean more interviews and more offers…
Applying for a ton of nanny jobs doesn’t increase your chances of getting hired. Applying for too many jobs raises red flags and can actually hurt your chances of getting hired by making you appear unfocused or desperate.
Mass applying doesn’t work for landing a nanny job, but it works very well for getting blacklisted…
When you click the “Apply” button like you’re playing slots in a casino, you’re usually applying without reading carefully the full job description, and you’re applying for jobs that don’t really match your skills or experience. You’re wasting your time on jobs that aren’t right for you, and you’re also wasting the time of those you’re mass-applying to.
Recruiters hate dealing with irrelevant applications and time-wasters, and they usually filter out “serial applicants” to focus on more serious candidates.
Not only will this damage your reputation with recruiters, but mass applying can also lead to job search burnout.
When you apply for everything, you inevitably apply for positions that are not right for you and it is therefore very unlikely that you will get any responses.
Seeing little response can be mentally exhausting. Many nanny job seekers experience job search burnout, feeling discouraged and unmotivated after too many rejections, and this could be avoided by focusing only on roles that match your skills, experience, and career goals.
So how many applications are considered mass applications?
There is no specific number from which we speak of mass applications.
For some profiles, it is not possible to find more than 5 suitable opportunities per week, for others it is not more than 2 or 3 per week, for others not more than 1 or 2 per month…
In any case, it’s not possible to find dozens of offers to apply to at once, or hundreds of suitable opportunities per month or worse per week!
If you find 3, 5, 10 or more jobs to apply for in one place and in just a few minutes, you are definitely mass applying, and you have to stop if you don’t want to completely ruin your job search. And there’s no point complaining that you don’t have answers. The problem isn’t with others, it’s with you.
It makes no sense to send out so many applications in such a short time, and if you do that you have to do something about it or you risk being blacklisted everywhere and never getting a job!
How many applications should you submit to avoid being considered a “serial applicant”?
There is no right answer to this question.
Nannies who live in cities with the highest demand (London, New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Dubai, etc.) will likely find more opportunities to apply for than nannies based in more remote locations.
In these cities where demand is higher, some nannies can submit more or less 5 quality applications per week. In more remote towns it’s probably less than 5 per week.
Also, there is not the same demand for all profiles, for some profiles it is sometimes possible to submit more than 5 quality applications per week, but for some profiles it is sometimes not possible to submit more than 1 or 2 per month!
It’s best to limit yourself to 2-5 quality applications per week for jobs you have a real chance of getting and remember that no matter where you are based, and if there is demand for your profile, it is not always possible to find new offers to apply for every day, or even every week, and you have to accept that.
Applying just for the sake of applying is pointless. Yes, you won’t find a job if you don’t send out applications. But you also won’t find one if you only send out unsuitable applications.
It’s frustrating when you need a job and can’t even find suitable openings to apply for. And of course, it’s tempting to send out as many applications as possible, thinking that one will eventually be successful, but it’s not a lottery!
When you’re struggling to find suitable opportunities to apply for, instead of wasting your time hitting the “apply” button like crazy, spend time networking!
You must be laughing and wondering if this is a joke but it’s serious: networking always trumps mass applying.
Your time will be better spent networking rather than mass applying. Networking is the most important thing you can do to help yourself find a job. It can help you find out about jobs that aren’t advertised, and it can also lead to better results.
If you’re not convinced by networking, continue to educate yourself, start thinking about starting your own business, etc.
Finding a nanny job is difficult. And finding opportunities to apply for is just as difficult. It’s not possible to find suitable opportunities every day, or even every week, and that’s okay.
But remember, it takes time! Don’t be discouraged if it takes months to find an employer who appreciates your resume. You’re not alone in this situation, and it’s not easy for anyone in this industry. Eventually, you’ll find the perfect opportunity!
