How do I become a celebrity Nanny? How do get I get a job with a high profile family in Los Angeles? How do I become a nanny in general? We receive phone calls and emails that ask these questions on the regular. However, this is only a small piece of the big nanny picture when trying to become a nanny in Los Angeles.
In the city of Angeles, the LA Nanny culture is huge and thriving. From nanny support groups, to private Facebook pages and just about every different kind of agency you can think of. LA is one of the fastest growing markets with new agencies popping up everyday. It’s not surprising that we have a ton of California dreaming applicants looking for work in the sunshine state. Nannying as a profession in Los Angeles is enticing. With that said, not all nanny jobs are created equal. Becoming a nanny in Los Angeles, a good nanny in Los Angeles, takes time and dedication. A lot of times giving up and dedicating your life outside outside of work to help support busy families in the city of entertainment.
Where do you get started? Our first tip, start researching agencies. There are tons and tons of agencies in Los Angeles and each one works with different types of families. In addition to each one being a little bit different their qualifications and minimum requirements are different. These are usually listed on their website. If you’re new to the nanny profession we suggest that making sure your resume is up to date, polished and you do your research on each agency you are applying to. No, you don’t have to go out and pay someone to do your resume most agencies have a downloadable template usually found on their website where you would apply to jobs or fill out an application for representation.
Secondly, make sure that you always read through minimum qualifications for each agency . It’s very important to follow directions. Some agencies won’t even let you past go and get past the first steps without following the directions completely. If, a job post says “send your updated resume with a picture”, you should probably do this. If an agency is requesting at least five years of professional experience, make sure that is reflected on your resume. Following directions is on the top of our checklist when screening new and old candidates alike for a position.
Third, make a “portfolio”. Real talk, you do NOT, I repeat do not need a website to be successful in landing that big job. You also do not need a scrap book with 100’s of letters and cards and art projects you did with your kids from your very first nanny job. In fact many agencies frown upon this. Having a small bio, your updated polished resume (make sure you spell check), letters of references, and certifications all in one PDF file and ready at your finger tips is key. We even suggest that you have it saved on your smart phone (if you have one) so you can send it immediately when a job you’re interested is posted.
Fourth, job postings. We take a lot of time and consideration in putting together job descriptions. Our pro tip here is, again, read all the directions. If it says the family is looking for someone who has a four year college degree or an education background and you don’t have either, odds are that the agency or family isn’t going to get back to you. Remember, depending on the size of the agency, the amount of applicants are going to be just as large. Choose your agency wisely and be patient with the process.
Fifth, has to do with jobs posted on social media pages. Pro tip, again follow the post directions to apply. Make sure you follow up with the agency via email. No DMs or PMs. We can’t tell you the number of private messages that get lost into the vast black hole of the inter web. Beating the Facebook algorithm is a real thing and we have had tons of messages go into secret messenger files never to be found again until months later. When in doubt always email.
The last two points we want to make about becoming a nanny in Los Angeles are really simply and all have to do with relationships. As an agency that prides itself in having almost an entire client base based on personal referral, making sure you always leave a job in good standing and interact with an agency in a positive professional way are your most important take away. Even in a big city with many people, the nanny world is small and the circle of agencies that work with celebrities, professional athletes and so on is even smaller. We have many wonderful relationships with other agency owners families, candidates and by far feel making those connections and building those relationship is the key to becoming the very best nanny you can be in Los Angeles.
