Crafting a CV that effectively showcases your childcare expertise and personal aptitudes can be a daunting hurdle. Our guide offers targeted advice to help you articulate your unique skills and experiences, ensuring your application stands out to prospective families.
- Answer job requirements with your nanny CV and experience;
- Curate your academic background and certificates, following industry-leading CV examples;
- Select from +10 niche skills to match the ideal candidate profile
- Write a more succinct experience section that consists of all the right details.
Do you need more specific insights into writing your nanny CV? Our guides focus on unique insights for each individual role:
Formatting your nanny CV to meet the role expectations
Staring at the blank page for hours on end, you still have no idea how you should start your professional nanny CV. Should you include more colours, two columns, and which sections? What you should remember about your CV format is this - ensure it's minimalistic and doesn't go over the top with fancy fonts and many colours. Instead, focus on writing consistent content that actually answers the job requirements. But, how about the design itself :- Use the reverse chronological order to showcase your experience, starting with your most recent role;
- Include your contact details (email address, phone number, and location) - and potentially your professional photo - in the header;
- Must-have CV sections include summary or objective, experience, education, and skills: curate the ones that fit your profile;
- Your professional nanny CV should be between one-to-two pages long: select the longer format if you have more experience.
A little bit more about your actual CV design, ensure you're using:
- plenty of serif or sans serif font (e.g. Montserrat, Exo 2, Volkhov) as they are Applicant Tracker System (ATS) compliant. Avoid the likes of Arial and Times New Roman because most candidates' CVs are in this typography.
When submitting your CV, are you still not sure what format it should be? Despite the myth that has been circling around, most modern ATS systems are perfectly capable of reading PDFs. This format is an excellent choice as it keeps all of your information intact.
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Use bold or italics sparingly to draw attention to key points, such as job titles, company names, or significant achievements. Overusing these formatting options can dilute their impact.
The top sections on a nanny CV
- Personal Statement: Introduce your passion for child care and highlight your unique qualities.
- Child Care Experience: Detail your previous roles and responsibilities working with children.
- Educational Background: Showcase relevant qualifications in child development or education.
- Certifications and Skills: List any special training like first aid relevant to caring for children.
- References: Provide contacts who can vouch for your expertise and character as a nanny.
What recruiters value on your CV:
- Highlight your experience with children, detailing the age groups you've cared for and specific duties or activities you've managed, as this will demonstrate your capability in handling the varying needs of children at different stages.
- Include any relevant qualifications such as a degree in early childhood education, paediatric first aid certification, or any childcare-related courses to establish your expertise and commitment to professional development.
- Emphasise your soft skills like patience, communication, and creativity, which are crucial in engaging with children and gaining the trust of both children and parents.
- Mention any additional skills that may be attractive to parents, such as being multilingual, the ability to tutor in specific subjects, or proficiency in playing musical instruments, to show your ability to contribute to the child's development.
- Provide details of any specific duties you've performed in previous roles, such as meal preparation, helping with homework, or managing bedtime routines, to illustrate your versatility and hands-on experience in a household setting.
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Making a good first impression with your nanny CV header
Your typical CV header consists of Your typical CV header consists of contact details and a headline. Make sure to list your professional phone number, email address, and a link to your professional portfolio (or, alternatively, your LinkedIn profile). When writing your CV headline , ensure it's:
- tailored to the job you're applying for;
- highlights your unique value as a professional;
- concise, yet matches relevant job ad keywords.
You can, for examples, list your current job title or a particular skill as part of your headline. Now, if you decide on including your photo in your CV header, ensure it's a professional one, rather than one from your graduation or night out. You may happen to have plenty more questions on how to make best the use of your CV headline. We'll help you with some real-world examples, below.
Examples of good CV headlines for nanny:
- "Experienced Childcare Provider | Early Childhood Education Certificate | Newborn & Toddler Specialist | 5+ Years"
- "Senior Nanny & Early Years Practitioner | Montessori Trained | Bilingual Education | 10 Years' Expertise"
- "Professional Au Pair | Senior Level | Child Psychology Enthusiast | First Aid Certified | 8 Years"
- "Dedicated Nanny | Special Needs Experience | CACHE Level 3 Diploma | Positive Discipline Advocate | 7 Years"
- "Junior Nanny | Passionate about Outdoor Learning | Recently Qualified CACHE Level 2 | 2 Years On-site"
- "Expert Child Carer | Twin & Multiples Specialist | Nutritional Awareness | SEN Knowledge | 12+ Years"
What's the difference between a nanny CV summary and objective
Why should it matter to you?
- Your nanny CV summary is a showcasing your career ambitions and your unique value. Use the objective to answer why your potential employers should hire you based on goals and ambitions. The objective is the ideal choice for candidates who happen to have less professional experience, but still meet some of the job requirements.
Before you select which one will be more relevant to your experience, have a look at some industry-leading CV summaries and objectives.
CV summaries for a nanny job:
- With over 10 years of dedicated experience in early childhood development, I have honed my skills in creating engaging educational activities and managing complex schedules. My proudest achievement includes successfully guiding multiple children through developmental milestones and implementing a bilingual program that enhanced language skills amongst all my charges.
- As a seasoned elementary school teacher seeking to transfer my expertise into a more personalised setting, I bring a deep understanding of child psychology and curriculum development. Over my 8-year teaching career, I developed interactive learning initiatives that increased student engagement by 30% and am now eager to apply similar strategies to support individual children in their home environment.
- Transitioning from a 5-year career in paediatric nursing into child care, I possess a unique combination of healthcare knowledge, empathy, and nurturing skills. I'm adept at creating safe environments for children to explore and have expertly managed care plans for children with special needs, ensuring their health and well-being remains paramount.
- Enthusiastic about fostering cognitive and emotional growth in children, I offer 6 years of experience as a dedicated childcare provider. With a knack for crafting creative learning activities, I have consistently received positive feedback from parents regarding children's academic improvements and social advancements under my supervision.
- Seeking to nurture young minds and create a loving environment where children can thrive, I aim to utilise my passion for child development and my background in psychology to build strong, trusting relationships with the children and support their emotional and intellectual growth.
- As someone with a heartfelt dedication to child care and a deep desire to cultivate engaging and educational experiences, I am determined to apply my organisational skills and creative mindset to create a stimulating and safe environment where children can develop essential life skills and achieve their developmental milestones.
Narrating the details of your nanny CV experience section
Perhaps you've heard it time and time again, but, how you present your experience is what matters the most. Your CV experience section - that details your work history alongside your accomplishments - is the space to spotlight your unqiue expertise and talents. So, avoid solely listing your responsibilities, but instead:
- adverts' keywords and integrate those in your experience section;
- Use your CV to detail how you've been promoted in the past by including experience in the reverse chronological order.
Before you start writing your nanny CV experience section, dive into some industry-leading examples on how to structure your bullets.
Best practices for your CV's work experience section
- Maintained a safe and stimulating environment for children, organising educational games and outdoor activities that encouraged physical, emotional, and social development.
- Managed daily routines effectively, including meal preparation, feeding, bathing, and establishing regular nap and bedtime schedules, always adhering to dietary requirements and allergies.
- Assisted with homework and school projects, utilizing patience and creativity to help children achieve academic goals and develop a love for learning.
- Implemented positive discipline techniques as guided by the parents, fostering good behaviour and respect for others within the household and community.
- Provided comprehensive infant care, including diaper changing, bottle-feeding, and establishing sleep routines, ensuring the wellbeing and comfort of the youngest family members.
- Coordinated playdates and social interactions with peers, understanding the importance of socialisation for children’s development and facilitating opportunities for friendships.
- Kept detailed records of children's progress and daily activities, providing parents with insight into their child's day and ensuring open and transparent communication.
- Transported children to and from school, extracurricular activities, and medical appointments, ensuring safety and punctuality at all times.
- Liaised with parents to manage any behavioural or health issues that arose, showing empathy and professionalism in responding to the needs of both the child and the family.
- Facilitate an educational environment for two children, ages 4 and 6, by developing a curriculum that increased early literacy skills by 20%.
- Implemented a structured daily routine that improved behavioral consistency and reduced tantrums by 50%.
- Coordinated extracurricular activities that enhanced children's social skills, leading to more positive peer interactions.
- Managed the care of three children under 10, tailoring educational activities that resulted in each child performing above grade level.
- Orchestrated a transition plan for dietary restrictions, introducing gluten-free meals that improved the children's health and energy levels.
- Developed a bilingual immersion program for the household, significantly advancing the children's fluency in Spanish within six months.
- Created a safe and nurturing environment for newborn care, tracking developmental milestones and achieving targeted health metrics.
- Instituted sleep training techniques that established stable sleep patterns for the infant within three months.
- Implemented a dynamic activity agenda that supported motor skills development, with both children achieving milestone skills ahead of average timelines.
- Provided consistent after-school care for a set of twins, coordinating with teachers to support a 15% improvement in academic performance.
- Introduced a weekly art and music appreciation program, fostering a 30% increase in children's creative expression and interest.
- Devised a summer educational trip itinerary that included cultural and historical sites, enhancing the children's real-world learning experiences.
- Oversaw a busy household's childcare needs, successfully managing schedules for four children ranging in age from 2 to 12.
- Executed a technology-use plan that limited screen time to 1 hour per day, subsequently increasing time spent on outdoor activities by 70%.
- Cultivated a garden project with the children, teaching environmental stewardship and producing a range of organic vegetables for family consumption.
- Synchronized a complex calendar of activities for three school-aged children, ensuring no overlap and 100% attendance to all events.
- Implemented a literacy-focused game night that rose reading comprehension scores for all three children by one grade level.
- Pioneered a neighborhood playgroup that expanded social networks for two families, increasing peer interaction opportunities by fourfold.
- Implemented a family's first digital chore chart, boosting chore completion rates from 60% to 95% and instilling a sense of responsibility.
- Organized a weekly science exploration day which ignited a passion for STEM subjects, receiving commendation from their school for exceptional projects.
- Delivered personalized care for a child with special needs, working closely with therapists to integrate practices that improved communication skills by 40%.
- Administered time management strategies for twin teenagers, culminating in both securing part-time jobs while maintaining academic commitments.
- Facilitated a digital safety workshop for the household, leading to a secure online presence with zero privacy breaches over a two-year period.
- Coordinated a volunteer project aligning with the family's values, which contributed to the children's personal development and community engagement.
- Supervised weekend and overnight stays for three young children, enabling parents to travel for work without disruption to the children's routine.
- Formulated a hands-on nature curriculum that included regular hikes and park visits, fostering a strong appreciation for environmental conservation.
- Installed a reward system for positive behavior which reduced sibling rivalry incidents by 60%, maintaining a harmonious household environment.
- Developed a summer language immersion program for two children, 7 and 9, which resulted in both achieving conversational fluency in French.
- Engineered a diet and exercise plan in collaboration with a nutritionist, contributing to a 15% increase in children's overall fitness level.
- Implemented an innovative reading strategy using interactive e-books, which spurred a passion for reading and improved language arts grades by 20%.
Writing your CV without professional experience for your first job or when switching industries
There comes a day, when applying for a job, you happen to have no relevant experience, whatsoever. Yet, you're keen on putting your name in the hat. What should you do? Candidates who part-time experience , internships, and volunteer work.
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Include examples of how you adapted to new tools, environments, or work cultures, showing your flexibility.
Describing your unique skill set using both hard skills and soft skills
Your nanny CV provides you with the perfect opportunity to spotlight your talents, and at the same time - to pass any form of assessment. Focusing on your skill set across different CV sections is the way to go, as this would provide you with an opportunity to quantify your achievements and successes. There's one common, very simple mistake, which candidates tend to make at this stage. Short on time, they tend to hurry and mess up the spelling of some of the key technologies, skills, and keywords. Copy and paste the particular skill directly from the job requirement to your CV to pass the Applicant Tracker System (ATS) assessment. Now, your CV skills are divided into:
- Technical or hard skills, describing your comfort level with technologies (software and hardware). List your aptitude by curating your certifications, on the work success in the experience section, and technical projects. Use the dedicated skills section to provide recruiters with up to twelve technologies, that match the job requirements, and you're capable of using.
- People or soft skills provide you with an excellent background to communicate, work within a team, solve problems. Don't just copy-paste that you're a "leader" or excel at "analysis". Instead, provide tangible metrics that define your success inusing the particular skill within the strengths, achievements, summary/ objective sections.
Top skills for your nanny CV:
Childcare Expertise
First Aid and CPR Certified
Early Childhood Education
Knowledge of Child Psychology
Meal Planning and Preparation
Safety and Hygiene Standards
Behaviour Management Techniques
Special Needs Care
Educational Activities Planning
Household Management
Patience
Emotional Intelligence
Communication
Creativity
Problem-Solving
Adaptability
Observation
Time Management
Stress Tolerance
Interpersonal Skills
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Focus on describing skills in the context of the outcomes they’ve helped you achieve, linking them directly to tangible results or successes in your career.
Listing your university education and certificates on your nanny CV
The best proof of your technical capabilities would be your education and certifications sections. Your education should list all of your relevant university degrees, followed up by their start and completion dates. Make sure to also include the name of the university/-ies you graduated from. If you happen to have less professional experience (or you deem it would be impressive and relevant to your application), spotlight in the education section:
- that you were awarded a "First" degree;
- industry-specific coursework and projects;
- extracurricular clubs, societies, and activities.
When selecting your certificates, first ask yourself how applicable they'd be to the role. Ater your initial assessment, write the certificate and institution name. Don't miss out on including the completion date. In the below panel, we've curated relevant examples of industry-leading certificates.
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If there's a noticeable gap in your skillset for the role you're applying for, mention any steps you're taking to acquire these skills, such as online courses or self-study.
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Key takeaways
Here are five things you need to remember about writing your nanny CV for success:
- Sort your experience based on the reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent career items, to showcase how you've grown your career;
- Include within your CV header your relevant contact details, a headline that could spotlight your unique value, and a photo - if you're applying for roles outside the UK or US;
- Decide to use the CV summary, if you happen to have more professional experience, and an objective, if you want to showcase your career goals;
- Within the experience section, write your bullets using action verbs, skills, and success, instead of just merely listing your on-the-job responsibilities;
- Prove your technical skills, using your education and certificates, and your soft skills, with your achievements and strengths sections.
