Here’s the truth: the best nanny jobs rarely make it to job boards. After twenty years of matching incredible nannies with amazing families at Seaside Staffing Company, we’ve learned that the most coveted positions get filled through relationships long before they’re ever posted online. That family looking for someone who speaks fluent Spanish and loves hiking? They’re going to ask their current nanny if she knows anyone perfect. The household seeking a night nanny with newborn expertise? They’ll reach out to the agency that placed their day nanny because they trust that relationship.
Your professional network isn’t just a nice-to-have in this industry. It’s your career lifeline. Think of it as your invisible safety net that catches amazing opportunities before they hit the ground. When you invest time in building genuine relationships with other professionals, you’re not just being friendly. You’re creating pathways to positions you never knew existed and opening doors to families who could become your dream employers.
We’ve watched nannies transform their entire careers simply by showing up authentically in their professional community. It’s not about collecting business cards or adding LinkedIn connections. It’s about creating real friendships with people who genuinely want to see you succeed.
Building Real Connections in the Nanny World
Let’s get real about networking. The word itself makes some people cringe because it feels fake or manipulative. But here’s what we’ve discovered at Seaside Staffing Company: the best professional relationships happen when you stop thinking about what you can get and start focusing on how you can help others.
Remember Sarah, one of our longtime nannies? She started attending local nanny meetups not because she needed a job, but because she was lonely working in isolation all day. Those casual coffee conversations about everything from tantrum tactics to family dynamics became her strongest professional relationships. When she decided to transition from full-time live-in work to part-time care, three different nannies in her circle had families looking for exactly what she offered.
The magic happens in those real conversations where you’re genuinely curious about someone else’s experience. Ask about their favorite family traditions, the most challenging age group they’ve worked with, or what continuing education has made the biggest difference in their work. These aren’t networking questions. They’re human questions that create authentic connections.
Show up to industry events, nanny playdates, and professional development workshops with the mindset of making friends, not contacts. When you hear about a great training opportunity, share it in your nanny groups. If you discover an amazing resource for dealing with picky eaters, pass it along. This generous spirit creates the kind of relationships that naturally lead to referrals and opportunities.
Making Your Agency Relationships Work for You
Here’s something most nannies don’t realize: your relationship with agencies like Seaside Staffing Company can be one of your most powerful career tools, but only if you nurture it properly. We’re not just here to place you once and disappear. We want to be your career partners for the long haul.
The nannies who get called first when dream positions come available? They’re the ones who stay in touch. They send us updates when they complete new certifications, share photos from family vacations (with permission, of course), and let us know when their career goals evolve. When we get a call from a family seeking someone with specific experience, we immediately think of the nannies who’ve kept us updated on their professional journey.
Don’t be shy about asking questions either. We know which families are the most generous with benefits, which households have the most realistic expectations, and what qualifications are becoming increasingly important in the market. This insider knowledge isn’t secret. We want to share it with nannies who are committed to growing their careers.
Think of your agency relationships as having a team of career coaches who understand the industry inside and out. But like any good coaching relationship, it requires communication from both sides. Keep us posted on your wins, your challenges, and your dreams. The more we know about where you want to go, the better we can help you get there.
Learning While You Network
Some of the strongest professional relationships we’ve witnessed at Seaside Staffing Company started in classrooms. Whether it’s a CPR certification course, a child development workshop, or a conference on working with high-net-worth families, these learning environments create natural bonding opportunities.
You’re all there for the same reason: to become better at what you do. That shared commitment creates instant common ground. Plus, you get to see how other professionals think, problem-solve, and approach challenges. These insights are invaluable, and the people you meet often become your go-to resources for advice throughout your career.
Jessica, one of our team members, still talks about the connections she made during her TESOL certification program years ago. Those classmates became her professional family, cheering her on through career transitions and sharing opportunities across the country. Some of them even ended up working together on family assignments or collaborating on freelance projects.
The key is being present and engaged during these learning experiences. Ask thoughtful questions, share your own experiences when appropriate, and exchange contact information with people you genuinely connect with. These educational relationships often evolve into mentorships, collaborations, and lifelong professional friendships.
Keeping Relationships Alive Over Time
Here’s where a lot of people mess up networking: they think it’s a one-and-done activity. Real professional relationships require ongoing attention, just like personal friendships. The difference is, you don’t need to be best friends with everyone in your network. You just need to stay genuinely connected.
Send congratulations when someone gets a new position or achieves a professional milestone. Check in periodically with former colleagues and agency contacts. Share interesting articles or resources that might benefit others in your network. These small gestures keep you visible and demonstrate that you value the relationship beyond what it might do for your career.
Social media makes this easier than ever, but don’t let digital connections replace real human interaction. Make time for coffee dates, attend industry events, and pick up the phone occasionally. The nannies in our network who’ve built the strongest professional relationships are those who show up consistently in their professional community.
At Seaside Staffing Company, we’ve learned that the most successful careers aren’t built by the most talented individuals. They’re built by talented individuals who understand that success is a team sport. Your network becomes your team, supporting you through career transitions, celebrating your wins, and helping you discover opportunities you never would have found on your own.
The beautiful thing about this industry is that we’re all working toward the same goal: providing exceptional care for children and families. When you approach relationship building from that shared purpose, networking stops feeling transactional and starts feeling like what it really is: building a community of professionals who genuinely want to see each other thrive.
