Nanny resume examples & templates

Working with children and their families can be rewarding. The intimate nature of childcare, especially if you are working in someone’s home, makes obtaining a nanny’s job a very personal proposition. That’s why crafting a nanny resume that shines and conveys a positive personal image is so important.

Parents want the best for their children, so convincing them you’re the right person for the job takes skill. You must highlight your skills but also show enough of who you are that parents will want to invite you into their lives.

A nanny’s resume should give the impression of efficiency, trustworthiness, and warmth. You want a family to trust you with their child and with access to personal details of their lives. 

Resume guide for a nanny resume

At Resume.io, we want to make creating a resume as simple as possible. That’s why we’ve built a library of over 500 resume examples, complete with expert tips and statistical insights. You can also use our state-of-the-art resume builder to craft a compelling resume.

We will be covering the following items in this nanny resume example and writing guide:

• How to write a nanny resume
• Choosing the right resume format for nanny positions
• How to add your contact information
• Using summaries
• Adding your nanny experience
• Listing education and relevant experience
• Picking the right resume design/layout

How to write a nanny resume

A nanny’s resume should give the impression of efficiency, trustworthiness, and warmth. You want a family to trust you with their child and with access to personal details of their lives.

The first step in writing your nanny resume is understanding what sections to include. Your resume should contain the following elements:

• The resume header
• The resume summary (aka profile or personal statement)
• The employment history section
• The resume skills section
• The education section

Parents may have very different requirements for a nanny. Some are looking for college-educated, career child-care workers, while others are looking for a summer caretaker or someone just starting their life in the workforce. Some nannies work part-time while they are in school and others are full-time, live-in helpers.

Regardless of the position you are looking for, these tips can help ensure you create a resume that stands out:

• Action verbs are powerful when included in a resume. Some you may want to consider including for your nanny resume are: facilitated, implemented, coordinated, educated, maintained, and instructed.
• Some nannies have special qualifications in newborn care, sleep training, or working with multiples such as twins or triplets. Include this information whenever possible.
• Using correct keywords is important. Listings are indicators of exactly what skills and attributes an employer wants in a nanny and using those words shows that you paid careful attention to their needs.

Selecting the best format for nanny resumes

The best format for structuring a nanny resume depends on where you are on your career path. 

The most commonly used reverse chronological order format works well for nannies whose work history has followed a linear employment path. In that resume section, progressive job experience and accomplishments are organized by employer in reverse order from most recent to earliest dates. 

Alternative resume formats are better suited if you’re new to nannying. Nannies with specialty qualifications might consider the functional or hybrid formatted document if it better reflects your background, skills, and interests.

In our resume builder, you’ll discover many resume templates to choose from. Plus, you can see some examples of the formats we offer in the resume examples section.

How to display your contact information

The resume header is an important design element and you can use it to make your resume more visually appealing. However, you shouldn’t make the header gaudy or gimmicky. Instead, use professional fonts, spacing, and designs. Be sure to include the following in the header:

• Full name & title. Start with your first and last name followed by the title of the role you are pursuing or the childcare specialty you are experienced in.
• Professional email address. As a nanny, having a professional email address is a must. It should be something simple, such as firstname.lastname@gmail.com.
• Phone number. Parents looking for a nanny will want to speak with you in person, so be sure you have a phone number included on your resume and a professional voicemail added to your phone line.
• Location. You only need to add your city and state on your resume, but you could also note ‘Willing to Relocate’ if you plan to move for the position.
• LinkedIn. You should ensure your LinkedIn profile is up to date and shows your unique skills and credentials in the childcare industry. You don’t necessarily need to be active on the site, but your profile should be current.

Don’t include:

• Date of birth. To avoid age discrimination, avoid adding your birthdate and year of birth.
• Personal details. Remove any personal details, such as your marital status or social security number.

Tips for writing a career summary

The summary is the one part of the resume where you can be a bit creative. You should remain professional, but give yourself a little leeway to explain why you will be a great nanny. 

The number one quality any child-care worker needs is a love of children. Point that out through examples of how you entertain and treat children in the one section of your resume that allows you to be yourself. In two to four sentences, lay out your career successes and the attributes that will make parents trust you. Use vivid descriptive language and strong action verbs that tell the story of your career achievements.

Perhaps you started babysitting when you were 12 years old or mentored younger students in your school. Describe your caregiving style here, too. Parents are looking for someone whose philosophy agrees with their own. 

You can find adaptable nanny resume summary examples below:

Outline your nanny work experience: a step in the right direction

All your work with children counts when it comes to creating a great nanny resume. 

Your employment history tells agencies and parents that you are serious about your work as a nanny. If you have raised your own family, this is one job where you should show that off. What are your biggest parenting successes? Consider adding parenting as a “job” and listing some of your philosophies and parenting achievements.

Avoid just listing responsibilities in this section. For example:

• "Gave child after-school snack daily."
• "Performed routine first aid."
• "Communicated with parents daily."

Agencies will know that you have been responsible for the safety and well-being of a child. Instead, use strong action verbs to describe your achievements and successes in the field. The details are the key here. Show the impact you had on the children you cared for.

Consider these reworked examples of the vague statements mentioned above:

• "Sang silly song about fruits and vegetables to encourage healthy after-school snacking."
• "Attended to playground scrapes without a fuss."
• "Developed routine of weekly “newspaper” report by child to parents."

The second descriptions offer a glimpse into your style and creativity. They also distinguish you from the crowd. Make sure you are still thinking about the keywords that will get you past the ATS and into a person’s hands. For instance, consider whether you regulated a child’s sleep schedule or helped improve his or her grades.

If you have not had a nanny job, think about other childcare experiences you may have. Have you babysat, even if it was for a younger sibling? Did you tutor or mentor children? What about coaching a sports team or teaching an art class? All of those experiences required you to take responsibility for other people’s children. Remember that many of the skills needed to be a great nanny are also needed in other jobs. Reliability, trustworthiness, and communication, among others, can be demonstrated through your work in a different field.

Here’s an example of what your nanny work history section will look like:

Choosing relevant key skills that show your nanny expertise

Give agencies and parents a chance to quickly view all the abilities you will bring to the job with your nanny resume skills listing. Working with families requires the ability to understand and get along with people, but that’s just the beginning. 

Understanding and interpersonal skills are called soft skills, but hard skills are also a necessity. Hard skills are the distinct knowledge you need to get your job done. 

Before you finalize your skills section, you should do two things:

1. Make a master list of all your job skills, successes, and achievements. Cherry-pick the most relevant ones for each specific case.
2. Analyze each job listing for keywords you should try to include in the skills section.

Once you have your master list, you can refer to it whenever you apply for a job. Choose the top five to 10 skills mentioned in a job listing and alter your skills section to include those words. Trustworthiness, reliability, child development knowledge, and first-aid and CPR certifications are just some of the skills nanny agencies suggest parents seek. You may have demonstrated others, such as creativity or staying calm during emergencies. If you speak a language other than English or have training in special needs care, those are valuable skills.

You’ll see an example below of what the skills section from our nanny resume template could look like.

Keep in mind that the skills section isn’t the only place where you’ll want to add your skills. You’ll also want to demonstrate them throughout the rest of your resume, especially in your career summary and work history section. Giving examples of how you’ve used those skills can make them even more powerful.

For example, you can draw attention to your various skills in your work history and career summary sections by highlighting your

• Childcare skills by showing your understanding of child development stages and milestones and ability to handle behavioral issues.
• Creativity skills by demonstrating your passion for stimulating imagination and learning through creative fun, educational activities.
• Safety and first aid expertise by listing your CPR credentials and knowledge of safety protocols.

If you aren’t sure which skills to include on your resume, take a closer look at the job description for a better idea of what the parents are looking for.

Detail your education & relevant academic certifications

The entry point for a nanny job is a high school diploma, but many parents are looking for more. If you took early childhood education classes or have a higher degree, make sure you list them in the education section of your nanny resume. 

Having a bachelor’s degree in child development, education, or another related field will increase your desirability as a candidate. Many agencies require a bachelor’s degree or at least an associate’s degree or certificate in a childcare-related subject. Many college students work nanny jobs because they can still fit in their classes. If this is you, list your expected date of graduation and any childcare or related classes. Any certifications you have, including your first aid and CPR training, should also go in this section.

Some of the other items you may want to consider including in your education section are:

• Specialized classes. Highlight specific courses related to child development or any project work you’ve completed.
• Additional certifications. Include any specialized certifications, such as infant and toddler care, special needs education, and behavior management.
• Internships and volunteer work. Mention internships and the experience you gained during your educational studies.

Choosing the best resume layout and design for a nanny resume

Your design should still be clean and professional although you may take into account the age of the children when developing your design. You want to show parents you understand child development.

The best resumes are the ones that make an agency or parent think, “Wow! I want to meet this person!” That won’t happen if your resume contains formatting errors or an overly busy layout.

Big blocks of type or cute fonts present a barrier to easy reading. A touch of color is fine, but any more is distracting. Even though you may be applying to work with a small child, stay away from primary colors; they are too bright for eyes that are scanning dozens of resumes. Here are some tips and hacks to help you:

• Agencies will be looking for your contact information, your last job, and your skills first, so make sure they are prominently placed.
• Do not put any information into headers or footers because ATS programs may not “see” them when they scan.
• Always save your completed resume as a PDF file. Formatting errors may be introduced when a file is opened in different word processing software or different versions of the same software. Use the Resume.io builder tool or another dedicated resume software to avoid that problem.
• Have a friend proofread your resume before you send it.

If you’re not a design pro, consider using one of Resume.io’s expertly designed, customizable resume templates.

Nanny text-only resume example

Key takeaways for building a nanny resume

Make sure to custom-tailor your resume for each specific job application for the best possible results. Pay close attention to the wording and requirements of job listings. Make your resume showcase a warm, caring person with creative, organizational, and/or educational strengths. This is especially important in the summary section. Also, be detailed in your descriptions of past duties, achievements, and successes.

Make sure your layout and formatting are clean and readable and use software that protects you from formatting bugs and technical issues. Using our online resume builder to complete this task makes creating a resume easy.