While some people have never been through a nanny agency others feel the most comfortable finding their positions through agencies. And while going through an agency can offer a tremendous amount of support, protection, insight and help with negotiation of wages, not everyone has the opportunity to go through an agency. While there can be a lot of reasons to be rejected from working with an agency, here are some common ones in which we see more often than others.
Lack of Experience
Well, this is just kind of obvious. When a client reaches out to an established agency, they are looking for someone they have not been successful in finding on their own through various other resources. Care.com and Facebook groups have no oversight, no vetting and no professional in the industry vouching for you. Care.com is nothing more than a database, an online platform. Facebook Groups are not any different. These parents will eventually get sick of the sting of unlucky interviews and reach out to a reputable agency. If you want to work with a company like Seaside, you must have longevity at past positions, solid references, excellent references, and experience with different age groups.
Insufficient References
Your family members love you. We know this and that is why having a relative give you a letter of recommendation doesn’t count. We want to see references of families you have worked for. Being a mother is incredible and yes, there is a multitude of issues in which you, as a parent, have dealt with before, but these are not your children. They are someone else’s, therefore you are not your own boss.
Background Check Issues
Felony, misdemeanor, DUI? Not ideal if someone who just had a baby or someone with children of any age feel comfortable with if they are hiring you through a professional nanny agency. And as we know people grow and all have an inherent worth, these are the things that will haunt you in this field and they are not wanted by the parents that hire a professional nanny agency.
Shocking Social Media Presence
Only one thing here to note: Everything you put online is a fingerprint that will never be erased and can always be found. Any good nanny agency will do a deep dive into the internet to try to uncover everything from social media presence as well as court records. We love Google.
Poorly written Cover Letter
Cover Letters are to give your reader a brief overview of why you are interested in a position, who you are and why you would be the perfect candidate for the position. Meaning, that with each job you apply to you may want to tweak your cover letter.
Not Having a Resume with Longevity at Past Positions
There is nothing more unexciting than seeing a resume with short lived positions, even if there are valid reasons for those jobs being short lived. Any professional agency would like a solid resume with a min. of 2-3 years at your jobs. Short lived jobs serve as a red flag that you cannot stay at your jobs long, leaving the family in a pickle and therefore, no agency wants to take the risk.
Inflexibility
Being a nanny means having flexibility. This is technically not a M-F 9-5 type of job as well as each day never repeats itself. You must have flexibility to adapt to a multitude of different situations as well as the attitude to go with the flow. And no, we are not expecting you not to have boundaries, but it is important that you can be fluid.
Although rejection can be discouraging, it is important to view it as an opportunity to figure out what you can do to improve and grow. Pay attention to yourself and figure out what was it that made the agency reject your application, work on things that will enhance your skill set, and work on puffing up your cover letter, resume and don’t blame the agency for not on boarding you because a few of your “ducks” are not “in a row”! Perseverance and dedication to your career goals can pay off in the end!
