Nanny 

(Female, Age 25) from Anaheim, NY

This is a REAL-LIFE job profile written by a Female aged 25 who works as a Nanny in Anaheim, NY. We have removed all names and personal information in order to protect privacy. This professional kindly spent a bit of their time to complete one of our job profile surveys so that prospective job seekers like you could read their insights. Please excuse any punctuation or grammatical errors in this profile.

At a Glance

Current Job

Basic data on your current job

Job Title Nanny
Salary $30,000
Other Compensation None Set
Hours/Week 35
Company Size (not answered)
Location Anaheim, NY
Years Experience 3.5 years

Career Ratings

Opinions on your CAREER overall (i.e. not just your current job)

Years in Career 0
Education (not answered)
Income Rating 0 / 10
Interest Rating 0 / 10
Work-Life Rating 0 / 10
Fulfilment Rating 0 / 10

Current job Q&A

Describe the type of organization you work for.
I work for a private couple. One is a lawyer and the other is a real estate agent. I

Describe your job role and responsibilities.
I pick up their 4 children from school. When we get home I get them all snacks. After 30 minutes of down time I start by helping the youngest with her homework, then work my way up to helping the other kids by age. Once homework is done I supervise the children in cleaning their rooms. After cleaning rooms we sometimes do art, other times we play outside games, sometimes we swim. I make their dinner, set them down for dinner and they eat. Sometimes if its let I make sure they take their showers and I put them to bed. I give their parents full printed out reports of what each child had for homework, upcoming projects, what has been completed, and how much difficulty they had with completing each homework task.

Please list an additional benefits (beyond compensation) that you receive.
NONE

Do you feel you are under/over or well/fairly compensated at your current position?
I feel that I am justly compensated

Does your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this something you like/dislike about your job? Please explain.
I have to work with kids on a daily basis. I love working with kids. I have a Bachelors in Psychology and I have ECE credits. I want to work with children when I have my career settled, so this is practice for what I want to do with the rest of my life.

Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
Yes

Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?

Describe your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what you like/dislike about working in it.
I work in their home, which I love. It gives the children access to everything that they may need, or want. It gives me the access to give them the best care, in their own environment. Its a place in which they are comfortable. The more comfortable they are, the easier it is for them to get along with me.

Please rate each of the following aspects of your current job on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest/best):
Income: 3
Benefits: 6
Hours: 5
Co-Workers: 2
Supervisors: 1
Job Title: 8
Level of Responsibility: 7
The Actual Work: 4

A day in the life of…

Please describe a typical workday for you in your current job:

5am to 6am
6am to 7am
7am to 8am N/A
8am to 9am N/A
9am to 10am N/A
10am to 11am N/A
11am to 12pm N/A
12pm to 1pm N/A
1pm to 2pm At 1:55 I pick up the youngest of the four children. She is disabled, so she goes to a school different from the other 3 children. After I pick her up, I head to another elemtary school to pick up the next child.
2pm to 3pm I pick up the 8 year old at the Elementary School. I park the car and walk with the youngest to the classroom and wait for her to get out. When the bell rings at 2:20 she comes out, grabs her backpack from the hook outside the door, finds me, and then we walk to the car. After the girls and I are buckled in we head 2 blocks away to go get their brother from middle school. He gets out at 2:45, nd walks to the car. He buckles in and then we drive to Irvine to go pick up his twin sister at her private school.
3pm to 4pm The oldest girl gets out at 3:20. I prk in the line of cars, and when I get to the front I sign her out from the security guards, and they walkie in that her ride is here. She comes out to the car and then we drive home.
4pm to 5pm I make sure all the kids have snack( if they don’t, they get grouchy!!) After they have some time to calm down after school I start homework with the youngest. She hs to practice her daily spelling. She asks me what certain words mean, and why she has to write them. I laugh, and tell her how important school is and then she does her work. I read with her for 20 minutes, and help her with her addition. She is done with her homework, and then I help the next one. She is older, so her homework takes longer. She had math, spelling, art, science, and history. I help her with the math questions she doesn’t understand. I tell her how great her painting of the black horse looks. I quiz her on spelling words, and then she is don.e
5pm to 6pm I help the oldest two at the same time. They are twins, and they don’t get along…so homework is heck. I don’t ask much help them with homework, as I do sit and make sure they actually do their homework! It takes them a while as they like to discuss everything that they are doing.
6pm to 7pm All the kids are done with their homework, so now I am making dinner. THey all love Spaghetti and Meatballs. Except the oldest, she only likes noodles with butter and parmesan cheese. THe youngest try to do that too, but I catch them and tell them they need to eat meat for protein. They all talk while they are eating, so it takes 45 minutes. When they are done with dinner, dessert. They all love ice cream, but different flavors. I get them ice cream, and they sit down in the living room to watch reruns of Spongebob Squarepants.
7pm to 8pm All the kids are finishing up their ice cream. I tell the youngest two to take their showers and get ready for bed. While they are showering I clean up from dinner, and make their lunches for tomorrow. When the youngest are ready for bed I tell the oldest two to take a shower and get ready for bed.
8pm to 9pm I put the youngest two to bed while their older brother and sister are showering. They like me to read, so I read Dr Suess books. They love One Fish Two Fish. They fall asleep halfway through the book. The older two children re ready for bed, and they put themselves to bed( with their tvs of course!) The parents come home. I fill them in on the days happenings, and then I drive home.
9pm to 10pm N/A
10pm to 11pm N/A
11pm to 12am N/A

Table of Contents

How you got your job

How did you get your current job?
Internet search

What was the application process?
I submitted a resume, then had an interview with the parents, then watched the children one day. The parents then discussed with the children about the different people that watched them. THey weighed the kids likes and dislikes, then their own, and then mde a choice.

Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail?
Yes, I did interview for my job. I interviewed with both parents, and then “interviewed” with the children. I watched the children one day, and they got to know me, that was my “interview” with the kids.

If you can remember, what questions were you asked during the interview?
I was asked about my schooling, references, and lots of other things. They got very personal. Questions about my own childhood, my parents, my habits, my likes and dislikes. I got the feeling that the parents weren’t just looking for someone to watch their kids, but someone to be a role model, and someone to be prt of the family.

Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain.
I don’t think there was anything to be prepared for…

Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
There was no training for this job.

Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain.
Yes and no. I learned alot from my ECE classes, and my Psychology classes. I learned things bout disciplining children and having fun with them. But, there are some things that I think come instinctually, things that are inherent within.

If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare for your job?
N/A

If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
Look on the internet, job boards, ask people at church or friends if they know someone who may be interested in your nanny services. Just because people don’t say anything doesn’t mean they aren’t looking. They my not know you are interested in that type of position. Put yourself out there. Make flyers, and business cards. It may be babysitting 3 times a week, but if there is a chance it turns into more, take the job. No job is too small.

What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours?
I definitely think you need to know something about kids. You need to be comfortable with working with them, you must be patient, especially when working with younger children or children with disabilities. Also, CPR and First Aid are gret things to know in case of emergency. Prepare yourself for crafts, games, and know how to be firm, but nice. Sometimes there are children tht need to be disciplined. Never hit, never spank. Know hoe to communicate with the children, and their parents.

Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
I don’t think certain level of education, but I do think that training helps.

What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
The children may not like you in the beginning, but don’t be discouraged. It can take a while for some children to warm up to you. Its not you! Its how children cope with new situations, especially if they have never been left alone with someone other than family. Take it slow, and things will get better.

Long-term career plans

Is your current employment part of your overall career plan? Why or why not?
Everything is in my career plan. Its just a stepping stone from where I want to be. What I learn from the kids, what they teach me about kids, it all helps me for the future.

What are your current career goals?
I want to go to graduate school and get my Masters in Clinical Psychology with an Emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy. I would like to eventually go to school and get my Psy.D in Clinical Psychology and start my own practice. I would also like to teach Abnormal Psychology at the college level.

Is there anything else you would like to share about your career?
It is very fulfilling. If you are thinking about this career, and have any doubts, then its not for you. If you want it, then go for it!

Prior work history

Please list your most recent jobs prior to this current job:

Title Length Salary Description
Prior Job 1 Inventtory Associate 1 year 9.25/hr I did inventory with a handheld device at various chain stores throughout Southern California
Prior Job 2 Preschool Teacher 2 years 10.50/hr I taught preschool children ages 2-6. I created and implemented lesson plans. I supervised the children and made sure they were safe. I gave them my nurturing and care.

Educational background

Please list your educational background:

High School GPA:3.89

GPA School Degree
College (Undergraduate)
or Technical/Vocational
3.11 Cal State Fullerton B.A. in Psychology
Graduate or Professional
(Masters or Doctorate)

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