Member Articles

• It’s also good to come up with a plan for how you will go about actually hiring childcare if you get the job. I’ve begun keeping a file of promising nanny postings from Craig’s List, so I have a list of people to email and ask if they are still available. When asked about my availability, I tell potential employers that I can come in for meetings and do remote work immediately, but will need 2-3 weeks to ramp up to the full schedule. (I checked with friends who have recently hired nannies to find out how long it took them to find someone.)

• You also need a plan for what to do if you get an unexpected call and it’s not a good time to talk. Just saying, “Now’s not a good time, how about 3pm?” would’ve been much better than the time I said, “My son hasn’t gone down for his nap yet, can we talk later this afternoon? I want to make sure we can talk undisturbed.” (Although I later decided that if they couldn’t handle that response for an unscheduled call, I didn’t need to be working for them anyway!)

• Finally, review your interview attire, both business casual and more formal – don’t forget shoes, handbag, and resume folder. Try it on (including fixing your hair and makeup) during naptime. Do you need a haircut? You don’t want to be making a panic run to the mall with toddler in tow because your handbag has a big scuff or your pants are too tight.

Finding a new job or that first client moves very slowly and very quickly at the same time. One possible project has been under discussion for three months, while for another opportunity I had two phone screens and a lunch interview within the space of a week. You will learn a lot about what you do and don’t want as you go through the process of searching and interviewing. Good luck!