A Quick Nanny Resume Example With Actionable Writing Tips

If you love children and feel comfortable with living at someone else’s house, working as a nanny could be perfect for you. Some people choose this as a lifelong career path, while others work as nannies to pay for their expenses while they’re in school.

In any case, before you land the perfect job as a nanny, you’ll have to begin with a great resume. Most families are rather selective about who they will allow helping them raise their children. You should expect to go through a formal hiring process whether you are contacted directly by a family or via an agency. To get started, check out the following tips, and the nanny resume example that follows.

Add Skills That Will Be Most Important to Parents

Even if you are an experienced nanny, you may be better off using a functional resume format instead of a chronological one. Here’s why: most parents will be more interested in any special skills that you have, rather than in how many babysitting or full-time nanny jobs you’ve had in the past.

With a functional resume format, you can list important skills at the very top of your resume. Remember that parents want to hire someone they can trust to capably handle any situation. Thus, consider listing the following skills (if you have them) atop of your nanny resume:

• First Aid and CPR Certification
• Food Safety and Nutrition
• Special Needs Care
• Clean Driving Record
• Time Management
• Multi-tasking
• Food Preparation
• Menu Planning

Open With a Positive and Upbeat Personal Profile

Start your resume with a three to a five-sentence profile that quickly and clearly displays your experience and enthusiasm. This should let parents know exactly what they can expect from you in terms of work style, abilities, and personality.

Highlight Your Most Relevant Personal Experience

Tailor your resume to the needs and requirements for each family. As you outline your professional experience, emphasize the duties and accomplishments that are most relevant.

One way to do this is to list these in bullet form after you have detailed the relevant job information. For example:

The Davis Family, Los Angeles, CA (2012 – 2017)
Live-In Nanny. Two Children Ages 7 and 9

• Prepared meals for the household while accommodating multiple allergies and food sensitivities.
• Administered daily medications, and assisted one child through physical and occupational therapy exercises.
• Assisted with homework.
• Transported children daily to activities, appointments, and school.

Use Action Words to Make Your Resume Stand Out

The best nannies are energetic and proactive. To demonstrate this vibe in your resume, use plenty of action words in your resume. Here are some great examples:

• Manage
• Care
• Cook
• Entertain
• Organize
• Transport
• Communicate
• Teach
• Protect
• Enrich

There are also some great adjectives that many parents will associate with positive caregiving. These include:

• Caring
• Fun
• Positive
• Motivating
• Organized
• Proactive

Of course, you will also want to mine the job listing itself for relevant keywords. Include these in your resume so the family will see that you have the qualifications they want.

Emphasize Relevant Skills When Listing Other Work Experience

Don’t leave any jobs off of your resume simply because they aren’t nanny positions. There are several skills that nannies need that can be developed in other positions. A good nanny is organized, nurturing, a good communicator, physically active, and a problem solver. When you list your work experience, use bullet points to show how you have developed these skills no matter what the job was.

Resume Sample For Nanny (Word version)

Download resume example (.docx)

Nanny Resume Example (text version)

Final Thoughts

Keep the tone of your resume positive and upbeat. While you should still showcase professionalism, most parents will be looking for a nanny who is fun, creative, and positive. Remember that more than everything you are selling yourself.