Resources for Candidates
Free downloads to make your next job search even better.
Adventure Nannies Candidate Guidelines
Many Adventure Nanny candidates don’t advance to our final stages of screening not because they lack experience, but because they lack professionalism.
Download our Candidate Guidelines so you know what we’re hoping to see (and not to see) along the way.
Adventure Nannies Resume Template
Your resume is the first thing any nanny agency will look at, so you want to wow them from the get-go.
Put your best foot forward on your next application by using this template.
Adventure Nannies Glossary
Our job descriptions may include terms you’re not familiar with, and we want to set you up for success!
Download this glossary to get the inside scoop on all the jargon: rotational position, high-profile, governess, and lots more.
Nanny-Family Communication Guidelines
Best practices for keeping open, honest, and respectful lines of communication between your new employers or prospective employers. Written by a past employee with a Master’s degree in conflict resolution!
Privatizing Your Social Media
We want potential employers to be meeting you on your own terms – not on TikTok. This guide will help you make sure your social media is professional and positive.
Discussing Compensation
Does talking about money make you a little nervous? Have agencies told you never to bring up money with families? This guide will help you approach conversations about money with confidence and professionalism!
Working with Household Staff: A Primer
Working in private households brings its own unique set of benefits and challenges many don’t realize.
Whether you’re considering moving to a fully staffed household or being asked to take on more household-management tasks, this guide will provide you with some clarity and assistance.
We use the word adventure on purpose.
Over the past decade, the nannies we’ve helped place have traveled to more than 30 countries and most of the U.S. Plus, they’ve experienced year-long RV trips to every national park, tours with musicians and theater productions, Burning Man, yacht expeditions, and extended trips around the world.
“Invaluable support in finding the perfect placement…”
and other kind words from the professionals we represent
Adventure Nannies are always by their Batphones. They provide just as much excitement for the high times as support and solutions for low times. To know you have them at your back is to come to work with greater confidence every day.
– Hannah
Adventure Nannies helped in the process of getting connected with the family, negotiating details, and assisting with setting up logistics and expectations to help me prepare for my first international nannying adventure. They continue to be available for guidance, allowing me to feel supported and comfortable enough to travel to the far side of the world as a nanny.
– Eliza
I cannot imagine finding a more perfect placement. The family I work with is incredibly generous, kind, communicative, and supportive. They are involved with the care of the children and work collaboratively with me while also allowing me to have autonomy in my role with them.
– Alyssa
Common Questions & Insider Tips
About Adventure Nannies
Where are you located?
We represent families and nannies all over the United States and around the world. As adventurers ourselves, our staff lives in New York, Seattle, Philadelphia, Louisville, Toronto, Ft. Lauderdale, Camarillo, Austin, and Denver.
How do you find your candidates?
Our candidates find us through personal and client referrals, our extended nanny network, specialized training programs, local university networks, parenting groups and organizations, our website, networking, and word of mouth. We actively recruit for every family we work with and receive more than 10,000 candidate applications from across the country every year.
Less than 5% of candidates who apply to Adventure Nannies make it through our rigorous qualification process.
Is Adventure Nannies, itself, vetted?
We are! The nonprofit organization, Association of Premier Nanny Agencies, vets and supports nanny agencies in the United States and around the world. Since the nanny agency industry is largely unregulated, APNA members (such as Adventure Nannies) undergo a rigorous review of all documents, materials, and agreements to ensure they are operating ethically and within the law.
About Your Adventure Nannies Account
Do I have an account with Adventure Nannies?
If you’re unsure of your existing account, please click here. If you need to create an account, please click here.
What's my access code?
To receive your access code, please fill out this form.
May I update the resume you have on file?
Absolutely! Please fill out this form.
How do I update my account information?
Please complete this form.
About the Application Process
How do I get started?
Explore our current opportunities and submit your application and resume. There’s no need to email or call to let us know you’re interested.
What's your vetting process like?
Extensive! See our entire Candidate Process.
What's the probability I'll get a job soon?
It depends on the current market and season as well as your location, experience, and qualifications. There is no set timeline for any given applicant. Every placement is different, and every candidate has their own unique skill set. Some applicants will find a job within a few weeks of applying while others may never find the perfect job.
Being engaged, prompt, and professional throughout your application process greatly improves your likelihood of being offered a position.
What are you looking for in a resume?
Your resume is the first thing both our team at Adventure Nannies and a prospective family will see, so it’s important that your resume is clear and concise, and your experience and qualifications are shown in the best light.
To ensure your candidacy is considered as quickly as possible, your resume should:
- List all relevant positions worked, in chronological order from most recent to least recent
- Include start- and end-dates (month and year) for each position
- Provide individual listings for each full-time/part-time, long-term position (no blanket positions, e.g., “Nanny for multiple families, 2014-2019”)
- Include the ages of the children at the start of the position
- Describe the nature of the role (full-time, part-time, on-call, summer only, and so on)
- Provide details about the job duties and responsibilities
- List your reason for leaving the role
- Explain any gaps in employment
- A separate section at the bottom of the resume for “Other Professional Experience, if applicable
If you upload a resume that does not contain the information above when applying to a position, we will be unable to move forward with your candidacy.
We highly encourage our candidates to use our Adventure Nannies resume template whenever possible. We look forward to putting your best foot forward on paper and working with you on future opportunities!
Can you wait to call my references until after I have a job offer?
Sorry, but no. It’s important for us to gather as much information about our candidates as we can before introducing them to families. So we’re going to need to speak to your references first. And if you sent in a letter of recommendation or diploma, we’ll be verifying that as well.
Does raising my own children count as childcare experience?
While we know it’s a lot of work, raising your own children is not considered a professional childcare experience.
Working in another family’s home and following their rules and family philosophy is a skill that can only be learned on the job. The families we work with are looking for candidates who already possess that professional experience.
What do you look for when reviewing applications?
- Professionalism
- Extended full- or part-time experience
- Proven ability to commit to a long-term position (if seeking such a position)
- Passion for working and/or educating children
- Strong resume
- Excellent professional references
- Prompt, polite, and grammatically correct communication skills
- Organized and “tech savvy”
- Unique life/traveling experiences
- Hobbies, talents, volunteerism, sports, and so on
Candidates with Bachelor’s degree or higher strongly preferred
When will I receive an update?
Our team reviews applications for each specific job to verify candidates have extensive experience applicable to the position. Due to the high volume of applications and jobs, we are unable to provide an update for each position you applied for. If your qualifications match the current needs of the families, then our team will be in touch with you directly to discuss the next steps.
In the meantime, we encourage you to utilize our Candidate Resources and Candidate Process pages for additional information.
How do you screen candidates?
Each candidate has at least two interviews with our team. We also check at three professional childcare references to verify your employment and conduct an online and social media screen before you are presented to a family.
Once you’ve received an offer of employment, you’ll undergo a thorough background check in compliance with applicable laws:
- Criminal Background Investigation
- DMV Driving Record
- Social Security Number Verification
- Sex Offender Registry
- Civil Restraining Orders
- National Wants and Warrants
- Education Verification
- TrustLine Verification (California)
For more info, visit our Candidate Process page.
Why am I not getting chosen for any of the jobs I apply for?
Our placements are extremely competitive. In fact, for each job you see, less than 5% of applicants will be actively considered, including candidates in our existing roster and brand new candidates.
Because we recruit all over the country, our candidate pool is very large. That means we can only advance and screen the top candidates who are more than qualified for our positions and are a match for the family.
Our blog is full of ideas and tips on how to bolster your resume and experience. Adding more specialized experience will help you stand out among our candidate pool when you are applying for jobs. Here are some ideas!
About Specific Jobs & Families
Do you have the job I want?
Maybe! And if we don’t, we might tomorrow. Check our Job Board for the most up-to-date positions and apply for any you find interesting!
Is the job still open?
Great news! If a job is on our Job Board, we’re still accepting applications for it! If the job closes after you’ve applied, you’ll immediately receive an email notification.
Can I ask a question about a job?
Due to confidentiality with our families, we can’t provide any other information about the position other than what is already listed in the job description. We truly understand how important it is to find the right fit, and if the family selects you to move forward, you will have many opportunities to discuss your specific questions throughout the interview process.
If you want to be considered for the position and learn more about it, the first step is submitting an application directly through our Job Board.
What are the standard job responsibilities requested by your families?
Nanny positions vary based on the family’s needs. General duties include feeding, dressing, and bathing the child(ren), as well as planning and carrying out age-appropriate activities, driving children to their activities, and careful supervision at all times. Additional duties may include light housekeeping, meal preparation, laundry, errands, and general family assistant duties. While deep cleaning will not be part of your job, we always expect our nannies to pitch in to the overall cleanliness of the family’s environment, and leave the home as clean or cleaner than it was when they arrived.
Private educator positions also vary greatly and depend on whether the family is looking for a private educator only, or someone to work in a hybrid private educator/nanny role. Curriculum-building may or may not be a requirement, and additional skills such as familiarity with alternative education methods or children with unique circumstances are often required or preferred.
How many families and jobs do you have?
The number of families we’re currently working with changes every day, and depends on the season, location, skill set, and current market. We typically limit the number of families for whom we’re recruiting long-term placements to ensure they receive the time and attention they deserve.
How do you screen the families/have you ever chosen to not work with a family?
Our team speaks directly with each family over the phone multiple times, which gives us a great sense of their personalities, needs, and lifestyles.
Although we do not background check families (we don’t know of any agency who does), we research each family as much as we research our candidates. We collect references from current and past employees and conduct an internet screen so we feel confident their home will be a safe and positive workplace. Many of our families were referred through loyal past clients, which is an added endorsement.
We turn down approximately 80% of the families who reach out to us.
Is there a trial period?
During the interview process, we encourage families to have a paid trial of 1 to 7 days for each candidate.
What do I do if I'm not happy with my placement?
We want everyone to feel happy and comfortable. That’s why we spend so much time and effort getting to know our clients and their families, learning what’s important to them, and understanding how a domestic employee will fit in. The perfect fit—the first time—is not only a goal for parents, candidates, and the children; it is Adventure Nannies’ priority!
In addition, we provide ongoing support throughout your placement. Once a candidate is hired, we check in to see how things are going, provide training and check-in materials, and offer feedback from the family.
If you're not happy or comfortable, let us know.
We have a number of resources that can help create solutions for sustainable relationships. And if you feel the position is beyond repair, we’ll help you make your plan for notifying the family.
About Agency Fees and Compensation
Does becoming an Adventure Nanny candidate cost anything?
Absolutely not. Becoming a member of our roster is free. However, you must commit yourself to match our high standards of responsibility, professionalism, and punctuality. We expect clear, quick communication, and extreme discretion.
Does Adventure Nannies take a cut of candidates' pay?
No. Never. We charge a fee to families, and we advocate for our candidates’ requested rates and benefits (provided the requests line up with their level of experience). You set your own rates, and the family pays you directly.
Do you take off-the-books or cash jobs?
An important part of our role is educating both families and candidates on legal practices for hiring a domestic employee. A key facet of that is ensuring each candidate we place who is paid over the minimum annual threshold ($2,600 in 2023) is paid legally, or “on the books.”
Being paid legally is not only a basic qualification of any professional position, but it also protects you as an employee by offering unemployment, worker’s comp, and other benefits associated with working legally.
Whether or not you find a placement through Adventure Nannies, we encourage you to pursue positions that include legal pay. Accepting positions without legal pay put both you and the employing family in legal jeopardy that can result in back taxes, fines, or criminal action. It can also prevent you from receiving unemployment benefits at the conclusion of your position.
What is the average salary of your candidates?
Depending on location, job specifics, and details, our nanny positions typically range from $30 to $45+ per hour and private educator positions range from $35 to $50+ per hour.
At this time, all of our families offer a minimum of 40 guaranteed hours, paid weekly on the books. We also encourage families to provide health insurance assistance, paid time off, and other benefits to ensure the longevity of whomever they choose to hire!
Who is responsible for a candidate's travel expenses on a temporary or travel assignment?
The traveling family is responsible for their candidate’s transportation, lodging, and meals. We always recommend our families offer comfortable, private travel accommodations whenever possible.
In some cases, candidates may prefer to book their own travel and get reimbursed, but that step is always optional and based on the candidate’s preferences. Ability to do so and does not preclude candidates from being considered for positions.