mini's guide to creating your professional nanny portfolio
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Creating a nanny portfolio is one of the best ways to make sure you stand out from amongst other nanny candidates- it adds personalisation and a professional touch to your application. All you'll need is a binder for your portfolio, paper protectors to hold copies of your resumes and references that you can leave with either the nanny recruiter or the family. The best part about it is that it's so simple to do and only takes a bit of time, creativity, and organisation- and as a nanny, I'm sure these are your areas of expertise!
What goes into your nanny portfolio?
Letter of introduction
For any position you apply for, you should always create a cover letter which is written for that specific role and why you would be the perfect match. This letter of introduction will be slightly different to your cover letter. Your portfolio letter of introduction is a small bio of yourself as a nanny. Really sell yourself here and let your gorgeous personality come through. The mini Nanny Agency team loves a good story so make yours stand out!
•Why are you a nanny?
•What is your nanny experience (newborn care, multiple children, years of experience etc...)
•What are some of the activities that you enjoy doing with children?
•What are your interests and skills that you can bring into the household?
Resume
You should definitely include your resume in your nanny portfolio and make extra copies should the nanny recruiter or nanny request one. Your professional resume should include your contact information, in depth job descriptions, timelines, relevant skills, education, certifications, and other relevant qualifications.
Security Documents
Prove your qualifications! Save the nanny recruiters and families time and hassle by showing them right off the bat, that you are a qualified nanny instead of having them chase you down for documents. Include photocopies of your Blue Card, Driver's License, First Aid & CPR certificate, Life Guarding, Nanny and Car Insurance, ABN, diplomas, degrees, certificates and any other relevant documents you might have.
Just make sure that these documents are relevant and presented in a logical manner. For example, you don't need to include all of your expired First Aid and Blue Card documents and you might choose to have them filled in your portfolio in chronological order.
References
It's a nice touch to include reference letters in your nanny portfolio to vouch for your personality, character, and work ethic. Get in touch with your references before hand to get some reference letters printed.
Be sure to also include contact information for your references should the nanny recruiter or family wish to speak with them.
Nanny Log Samples
Nanny journals gives the family great insight on how you keep a schedule, communicate, stay organised, and demonstrates your attention to detail.
These logs can be your daily schedules, cleaning routines, notes, kids' progress and learning reports, sample menus for meal prep, grocery lists, and play time crafts.
mini Nanny Agency has you covered with FREE nanny log book and meal prep printable worksheets. Enjoy!
Activities
Do a bit of research and put together a list of activities and ways to entertain the children around the family's local area. It's a wonderful addition to your professional nanny portfolio that will be sure to make your stand out.
You can even check out mini's affiliate page for some ideas. Make your list of activities age appropriate. This is as simple as organising the activities according to the age group. Be aware that different ages and stages of child development requires different types of activities.
mini Nanny Agency has partnered up with amazing organisations such as Ginger Sports and Chess Mates! Get to know local kid friendly communities for the family to keep yourself and the kids engaged and entertained.
Photos
Bring your experiences to life! Photos oftentimes have more to say than words so including photos will personalise and make your portfolio stand out from amongst the other nanny candidates.
Always get permission from the families first before including them in your professional nanny portfolio.
Once you have all the juicy pieces to put together in your portfolio, it's just a matter of displaying the information in a neat and organised manner. Having a messy portfolio will do you no favours!
Remember to create copies of documents that families and nanny recruiters might want to keep for their references as well as your contact information.
Be sure to read up on our article "How To Nail A Nanny Interview" here before going in to meet with the family and recruiter. The mini team wishes you all the best, and don't hesitate to contact us for any questions.