How to become a professional nanny (and live abroad)

Become an Au Pair or Nanny
How to become an Au Pair or Nanny

Learn what it takes to become a professional nanny or au-pair for a wealthy family living abroad, making up to $100,000 a year. Where to find jobs, qualifications needed, and more.

Are you looking to change your career this year? Maybe find one that will allow you to travel more? Do you enjoy working with children?

What if you could do all of the above, while making a lot of money in the process. Welcome to the world of VIP Nannies & Au-Pairs.

In this guide, I will explain the best way to find and hire a VIP teacher, au-pair, or nanny joband – in order – why you might (or might not) want to work at this company.

Nanny Career Guide for 2022

Babysitting for the rich: VIP Au-Pair

If you still don’t believe that all this is possible, go to Google and search for ‘VIP nanny agency’, or check the salary for nanny, coach and teacher jobs.

You will find that a salary of £1000 or $1400 per week is typical for a full-time position.

And if you want to reach the 6-figure bracket that is required in English teaching, teaching and nannying jobs, you will need to do a little more research in the specific area, and understand what the specific job involves.

Nanny, Au Pair, Government, Teacher

All these terms describe a similar function. Earn money to care for other children while they live (and travel) with family. These jobs are for both women and men.

The highest paying jobs are usually private, teaching abroad or babysitting for UHNW (Ultra High Net Worth) families. It’s a simple concept.

Wealthy families recognize that English is a useful language for their children to learn.

They know that their children will have better opportunities to study or work abroad, or feel more comfortable traveling if they speak English well.

For families who do not have English as their first language but have the money to pay for a higher education, getting a teacher or nanny from the United States, Canada, or the United Kingdom is often the answer.

A British citizen woman or a teacher who works with their children 40-50 hours a week can give these VIP children the kind of immersion experience that makes them know quickly, in the end, they are brought up in – Speak English with a clean accent, like a native.

For many wealthy families abroad, this is a common thing.

The life of a professional nanny

Working as a nanny
Working as an Overseas Nanny

The daily experience for a nanny will include getting paid (or paid) in the morning, showering, dressing, eating breakfast and going to kindergarten or kindergarten, then there is a break.

In the afternoon, perhaps, walking, sports, small trips and the evening process of preparing the child for sleep.

The teacher (or ‘governor’) can focus more on school sports, games, homework support and reading, while always speaking English. And, of course, tag along with all the family vacations.

The benefits of this type of work include a clear high salary (full-time jobs usually start at a minimum of £1000 or $1400 per week), global travel and luxury resorts (Maldives, South France and Dubai are options) known for these.rich family types) and even money sometimes. Sounds pretty good, right?

Where Do Rich Families Live?

This is really easy to answer. The highest paying places for teachers and staff for international VIP families are usually:

  • Russia (mostly Moscow and St Petersburg)
  • UAE (mostly Dubai and Abu Dhabi)
  • South of France (Monaco and its surroundings).

Naturally, this list is not exhaustive. Although the areas listed above are the most common, many niche areas will include areas like these. London or new York (international families who have moved there but have not acquired English at a basic level), Paris, Lagos and many others.

Most major international cities will have some type of market for VIP nannying or tutoring, it’s just a question of looking in the right places.

The bottom line is; Almost all of these situations involve travel and relocation. If you want a job like this, make sure you are ready to commit to an overseas contract and prepare yourself well.

OK, so you love traveling and traveling, and you love working with children. What is the next step?

Qualifications & Experience essential

It’s important to be reasonable here – you’re unlikely to find a wealthy VIP agent willing to pay you $100,000 a year to work with their family if you have no experience or qualifications.

Time to go get some! Qualifications will vary for a nanny or teacher. A nanny applicant must have a bachelor’s degree in first year, early childhood education or equivalent to earn a higher salary.

However, shorter nannying courses and certifications can be done. Inside CaCHE book would be a good start for UK-based nannies, but there are plenty of options – get on Google to find nanny courses near you.

You will also be able to do some sort of background check (most companies will ask for this) and a first aid certificate will also help.

For teachers, a few years of English lessons for your peers, and a TEFL, TOEFL or CELTA certificate are sufficient. You can take these courses in school or online. A degree in education, language or early childhood education would be preferred.

A full scholarship will allow you to increase your salary potential.

You will also need to show at least a few years of work experience. Longer is better; a year or more in a stable position shows your family or employers that you are reliable and strong and suitable for their family.

Families don’t want a nanny or teacher who will leave after a month or two, unless they are an expert in the tropics.

You will need references from employers (not necessarily VIPs), so check that you have someone willing to talk to the company or a new boss who can talk to them.

As a general rule of thumb, the better your qualifications and experience, the better your chances of finding a VIP nanny or tutor.

Craft a unique resume/CV

The first thing to include in your CV is your qualifications and experience (as above). Recruiters will often like a photo to ‘see’ how you fit into their life, so smile in your CV photo and dress smart and sensible, clean and professional .

Your CV should include some information about yourself (but keep it professional, this is not the place for childhood memories) and information about any technical skills you have.

The nannies and teachers who earn the highest salaries often have music or sports skills, or the ability to speak a second or third language on top of English. Anything you can think of here (piano, yoga, chess, Spanish) that you can teach children is money.

When all is included, your CV should be a maximum of 2 pages (no more, cut out irrelevant information). Write a cover letter introducing yourself, include some photos of you working with the kids (or just hanging out with them), include your CV, your qualifications and references and an application ‘pack’ you are good to go.

Where to Find Great Nanny Jobs

Child care services
Where to Find Nanny Jobs

Now that you’ve got your kit, you need to start shopping for the right condition.

One of the best places to start is the Internet, as always. Both job sites and companies can be your friends here. Service sites like Services and child care with different levels from the VIP industry.

Alternatively, go to Google and use search terms like ‘VIP nanny jobs’ or ‘VIP tutoring’ to find individual companies. The best way to upload your CV and documents to the job site or send them as a package to any company.

Visit the job sites and companies themselves, and find out what kind of terms are offered. Take a look at the schedule, the work available and pay attention to the years of salary and work required, and see if you can find any position that interests you the most.

What are the downsides?

We are talking about ‘value’ above’; This might be a good time to name the awesome ‘cons’. Working with family can go either way. You may have an awesome employee, or an awesome one.

Make sure that:

a) You feel comfortable and confident that this is a good job (99% chance it will be, if it is). Talk to real people during this process, and do as much research into the industry/situation as you can.

b) Are you prepared for what may be different cultures, homesickness, opportunities and people not speaking good English where you are going.

c) You are aware that it is possible that the children you nanny or tutor may behave badly, be well-mannered or poorly behaved.

While these are important opportunities to be aware of, that doesn’t mean working for the family is a bad idea. On the contrary, a good employer with well-raised children can lead to a happy working life that pays you a fantastic salary, and I myself know many people in this situation.

It is important to be aware of the potential pitfalls, go into this type of work with an open mind and be ready to back down if the situation is not what you expected. If your interview is going well, try and block a specific test to give you time to understand if the position is right for you.

Interview process

A professional interview is the next step if the company or employer likes your profile. Your job interview will be in person (if local) or (most likely due to COVID) on Skype, Zoom or a similar video conferencing platform.

Make sure you are on time! It is very awkward to sit for your interview, so don’t make this mistake.

You should be well dressed and well prepared. Make sure your WiFi connection is good and make sure no one can block you, either on the phone or in person. Have a sensible light and keep a pen and paper nearby to take notes.

If your interview is for a specific position (rather than a general ‘welcome to our company interview’), think of questions you can ask to show a little interest in the job) Oh, and remember to smile !

The Nanny’s Trial

So if you’ve put together a good CV and successfully interviewed, then it’s time for the final step – judging time.

If you are a country, you have to make your own way there. If it’s longer (or overseas) a good agent will arrange this and pay for it for you, as well as any visas you need.

Court time must always be paid; discuss this with the company you work with. Key tips for your experiment will include:

a) Do not be late under any circumstances! Better be there 15 minutes early and take a book.

b) Be prepared – take books and games appropriate for your age or level of student, and outerwear for yourself in case you find yourself outside.

c) Dress well, clean, don’t wear perfume or shave your head, and – again – smile!

At the end of your first day, ask your employer for feedback if you get a chance. Remember that this trial is for you to see if you are a good fit for the employer. So if you don’t want that position, don’t apply for it – there will be others!

And if you are offered a job, make sure that the company you work for gives you a contract and that the terms are clear and concise, especially in terms of salary, schedule, working hours and vacation conditions. .

Good luck!

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