How to Write a Nanny Resume
When drafting a resume for nanny positions, you want to show you can keep children safe and healthy while highlighting what sets you apart from other applicants. This isn’t your typical job search — the recipient of your resume isn’t a recruiter or hiring manager, but a parent or guardian highly invested in finding the right person to help raise their children. So it’s especially important to write a resume that makes a good first impression and shows your relevant skillset. The tips and examples below will help you do just that.
1. Write a compelling profile summarizing your qualifications
The Profile section should briefly summarize your years of nanny experience and any related training or certifications you have. As safety is critical to your work, make sure you mention it as a strength in your Profile. This section is also a good place to describe your overall childcare approach or philosophy. Give details that overlap with the position you’re applying to – for instance, you could specify whether you focus on explorative play and low-tech entertainment or can provide tutoring and other education during care hours.
Senior-Level Profile Example
Nanny with 10+ years of experience. Skilled at working with parents to set clear weekly schedules and build a safe, positive home environment. Committed to supporting parents’ educational and disciplinary goals for each child. Offer live-in or live-out flexibility.
Entry-Level Profile Example
Dedicated Nanny with nearly two years of experience. Create engaging activities that incorporate learning through play and build children’s social, emotional, and behavioral skills. Highly organized and attentive in caring for multiple children at once, with strong practical knowledge of safe feeding and bathing practices.
2. Add a detailed professional experience section
View the Experience section as a chance to give examples of your success providing quality, home-based childcare. Under each past nannying job, cite the number of children you cared for and their ages. Also list the main ways you promoted a safe and healthy home environment, such as preparing meals, helping with school projects, or organizing fun games and art activities.
Senior-Level Professional Experience Example
Full-Time Nanny, The Smith Family, Rye, NH | February 2019 to Present
Contact: Art and Tamara Smith, [email protected]
- Care for two boys, ages 7 and 9
- Help both children complete their homework assignments nightly
- Prepare and serve healthy, balanced meals accounting for each child’s food allergies
- Coordinate trips to local parks, zoos, and museums
- Safely transport children to and from school, playdates, medical appointments, and extracurricular activities
- Perform light housekeeping duties
Entry-Level Professional Experience Example
Nanny, The Dupre Family, Wellesley, MA | July 2021 to Present
Contact: Jesse and Roy Dupre, [email protected]
- Supervise 3 children when their parents are at work or on vacation
- Prepare balanced and healthy meals, closely following parents’ instructions
- Engage children with fun indoor and outdoor activities
- Help maintain a tidy house by doing laundry and sweeping and vacuuming floors as needed
- Pick up children from school and take them to after-school activities
3. Include relevant education and certifications
Parents and guardians seek nannies with plenty of up-to-date childcare knowledge. If you have a degree or training in child education or a similar subject, be sure to feature that on your resume and include the date if it was recent. But if your degree didn’t pertain to childcare, consider adding bullet points on what you learned that would still apply to the position. Also include any relevant certifications (such as CPR or first aid) to show parents you’d provide safe, quality care of their children.
Certifications
Template:
[Certification Name], [Awarding Organization], [Completion Year]
Example:
First Aid and CPR, American Red Cross, 2022
Education
Template:
[Degree Name], [School Name], [City, State Abbreviation] – [Graduation Year]
[Child-focused courses and other relevant assignments]
Example:
Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education, University of New Hampshire (UNH), Durham, NH – 2013
- Degree program included part-time student teaching in a kindergarten classroom
- Excelled at planning lessons pertaining to language development
- Planned activities designed to foster children’s social skills
4. List relevant key skills and proficiencies
Add a Key Skills section to show the various ways you can support children’s health and wellbeing. To help you get started on this section, we’ve included a list of common key skills for nannies below.
| Key Skills and Proficiencies | |
|---|---|
| Activity Planning & Scheduling | Child Development |
| Child Hygiene & Cleanliness | Conflict Resolution |
| Creative Problem-Solving | Early Childhood Education |
| Healthy Meal Planning & Preparation | Homework Assistance |
| Household Management | Montessori |
| Parent & Guardian Communications | Playtime Facilitation |
| Positive Discipline | Safety & First Aid |
| Task Prioritization | Time Management |
| Waldorf | Work Scheduling |
5. Consider adding details on your professional references
With resumes, there’s an exception to every rule. Case in point: You may have been told to omit references on your resume, but this rule doesn’t apply to nannies since positive references are often key to their overall candidacy. For any family you’ve worked for that’s agreed to be a reference, feel free to give their name and contact info in your Experience section. That way prospective employers can reach out to them and learn more directly about your work ethic and childcare skills.
How to Pick the Best Nanny Resume Template
A template can help you visualize what your nanny resume should look like based on your goals and experience. Feel free to choose one with a bit of color and personality, but make sure it’s still clean, simple, and organized. Parents and guardians should be able to see at a glance whether you have the skills and background to fit their family’s needs.
Nanny Text-Only Resume Templates and Examples
Years of Experience
- Entry-level
- Mid-career
- Senior-level
Maria Jakes
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
123 Main Street, Boston, MA 12345
Profile
Dedicated Nanny with nearly 2 years of experience. Create engaging activities that incorporate learning through play and build children’s social, emotional, and behavioral skills. Highly organized and attentive caring for multiple children at once, with strong practical knowledge of safe feeding and bathing practices.
Key Skills
- Conflict Management & Resolution
- Creative Problem-Solving
- Early Childhood Education
- Meal Planning & Preparation
- Parent & Guardian Communications
- Task Prioritization
- Time Management
Professional Experience
Nanny, The Dupre Family, Wellesley, MA | July 2021 to Present
Contact: Jesse and Roy Dupre, [email protected]
- Supervise 3 children when their parents are at work or on vacation
- Prepare balanced and healthy meals, closely following parents’ instructions
- Engage children with fun indoor and outdoor activities
- Help maintain a tidy house by doing laundry and sweeping and vacuuming floors as needed
- Pick up children from school and take them to after-school activities
Education
Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education, St. Joseph’s College, Boston, MA
Select Coursework:
- Beginning Literacy
- Childhood Development
- Language Development
- Early Childhood Education (Including Child Psychology)
- Science for Young Children
Helen Barrett
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
123 Main Street, Boston, MA 12345
Profile
Reliable Nanny with nearly 10 years of experience. Consistently praised by client families for warmth, dedication, and professionalism in a fast-paced home setting. Skilled at organizing children’s daily schedules for meals, school, and recreational activities. Effectively engage with children at different developmental stages.
Key Skills
- Child Development & Psychology
- Conflict Management & Resolution
- Creative Problem-Solving
- Early Childhood Development
- Meal Planning & Preparation
- Parent & Guardian Communications
- Task Prioritization
- Time Management
Professional Experience
Live-in Nanny, The Brown Family, Boston, MA | September 2018 to Present
Contact: Cecilia and Ronald Brown, [email protected]
- Care for two girls, ages 6 and 9
- Prepare safe, balanced meals accounting for 9-year-old’s wheat allergy
- Organize fun, educational games and activities, both indoors and outdoors
- Run errands including grocery shopping and dry cleaning pickup
- Meet with parents regularly to discuss upcoming events or changes in weekly schedule
Nanny, The Johnson Family, Newton, MA | September 2013 to August 2018
Contact: Erika and Neal Johnson, 098-765-4321
- Cared for three boys, ages 2, 5, and 7
- Engaged children in fun educational activities to support their social, emotional, and behavioral development
- Drove children to and from school, as well as various after-school activities and playdates
- Prepared and served dinners according to parents’ specifications
Education
Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education, University of New Hampshire (UNH), Durham, NH | 2013
- Degree program included part-time student teaching in a kindergarten classroom
- Excelled at planning lessons pertaining to language development
- Planned activities designed to foster children’s social skills
Certifications
First Aid and CPR, American Red Cross
Katie Johnson
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
123 Main Street, Portsmouth, NH 12345
Profile
Nanny with 10+ years of experience. Skilled at working with parents to set clear weekly schedules and build a safe, positive home environment. Committed to supporting parents’ educational and disciplinary goals for each child. Offer live-in or live-out flexibility.
Key Skills
- Conflict Management & Resolution
- Creative Problem-Solving
- Early Childhood Development
- Meal Planning & Preparation
- Parent & Guardian Communications
- Task Prioritization
- Time Management
Professional Experience
Full-time Nanny, The Smith Family, Rye, NH | February 2019 to Present
Contact: Art and Tamara Smith, [email protected]
- Care for two boys, ages 7 and 9
- Help both children complete their homework assignments nightly
- Prepare and serve healthy, balanced meals accounting for each child’s food allergies
- Coordinate trips to local parks, zoos, and museums
- Safely transport children to and from school, playdates, medical appointments, and extracurricular activities
- Perform light housekeeping duties
Full-time Nanny, The Cross Family, Newington, NH | August 2012 to January 2019
Contact: Alex and Vicky Cross, 098-765-4321
- Cared for two girls, ages 8 and 10
- Safely drove both children to recreational activities, playdates, and medical appointments
- Prepared and served snacks and dinner based on parents’ specifications
- Performed light housework such as vacuuming, doing laundry, and washing dishes
- Held personalized “book clubs” to enhance each child’s reading comprehension and engagement
Education
Master’s Degree in Children’s Literature, Southern New Hampshire University, Manchester, NH
- Applied high-level analysis to children’s literature in multiple genres (fantasy, folklore, realistic fiction, nonfiction, and picture books)
Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature, University of New Hampshire (UNH), Durham, NH
Certifications
First Aid and CPR, American Red Cross
Frequently Asked Questions: Nanny Resume Examples and Advice
What are common action verbs for nanny resumes?+
You may find it hard to generate unique verbs for each bullet point on your resume, especially if you’ve held similar nanny roles. The list below can give you some fresh ideas and help you find a good mix of action verbs on your nanny resume.
| Action Verbs | |
|---|---|
| Adapted | Cared for |
| Cleaned | Coordinated |
| Created | Documented |
| Dressed | Drove |
| Encouraged | Engaged |
| Enhanced | Ensured |
| Established | Facilitated |
| Fostered | Generated |
| Guided | Helped |
| Improved | Led |
| Maintained | Managed |
| Monitored | Nurtured |
| Observed | Organized |
| Performed | Prepared |
| Promoted | Protected |
| Provided | Read |
| Resolved | Sanitized |
| Secured | Strengthened |
| Supervised | Supported |
| Taught | Transported |
How do you align your resume with a job posting?+
The Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts that jobs for childcare workers will increase by about six percent between 2021 and 2031. This growth rate is roughly the same as the average for all US occupations.
Whenever you’re applying for a nanny job, make sure you tailor your resume to the job posting. To do this, go through the posting and note the key skills or requirements listed. You should try to use any of these keywords that overlap with your background in order to indicate you’re a good fit. For example, if a job posting calls for someone with a bachelor’s degree in childhood education and a teaching license, you can pull these elements in. However, you can also use shorter keywords like “outdoor play” or “school-age children” to help your resume more closely match the position.
What is the best nanny resume format?+
In nearly all cases, you should use a Combination (or Hybrid) resume, because it’s easiest for parents to learn about your childcare skills and experience – it’s also easiest for you to align with your job goals.
With the Combination format, you highlight your most relevant skills and experience in your Experience or Work History section and an intro section. (This combination of work history and intro content is where the format gets its name.) Your resume intro should include a Profile summary and Key Skills section, and you may also add a Career Highlights or Awards section. By carefully choosing the details for these intro sections, you can (a) position yourself for your target job and (b) give employers a clear, quick view of what you offer.
Expert Advice: Include a cover letter with your resume
Nannies work very closely with families, so writing a cover letter can help you start that personal connection and ensure you’re not just another name in the pile. See our cover letter guide for examples and tips on this key job search document.
