Interviewing mistakes happen in every industry and can instantaneously ruin an opportunity to be hired in just a matter of minutes. I tell my students that it takes merely 30 seconds for the average person to look at you and develop an impression. Everything you do and say thereafter matters.
Here is a quick review of interviewing techniques to follow:


1) Dress Code - Have a preset outfit in your closet ready to wear. It doesn't matter whether you are interviewing for an office or nanny position, dressing conservatively is the way to go. Black/Blue pants with a white blouse, closed-toe shoes, hair back (away from your face), not too much jewelry, light make-up and no perfume is best. Make sure your nails are short and polish is clear or light colored.  No loud colors or prints to distract the interviewer from focusing on you. Your appearance should be immaculate.

2) What to Bring - Bring your portfolio that contains your resume, letters of reference, immunization records, CPR certification, certificates of training, diplomas, Trustline Registry letter, copy of identification, driving record and anything else that supports your qualifications for the job.

3) How to Get To the Interview - Use Google maps - the most reliable source to find the location, print out directions and know exactly where you are going. Get the traffic report in the area so you know if there is anything that might delay you. There is no excuse for getting lost.  When you make the interview, ask if there are any special instructions.

4) When to Arrive - ON TIME - not early, not late, but exactly at the minute you are supposed to be there. If you arrive early, then wait outside in the car until it is your exact time for the interview.

5) How to Greet - Introduce yourself by saying, "Hello, my name is Marta Perrone, and I am here (from the Domestic Connections Agency) to interview for the nanny position."  If you come on your own, without agency representation, then of course simply indicate the manner in which you both connected.  If the prospective employer puts out a hand to shake yours, then extend your hand and give a firm grip. If not, then just wait to be asked inside the home. If you meet at a restaurant, wait for the employer to sit down and then sit where indicated. Put your portfolio on your lap or on a table, set your purse aside and sit up tall, shoulders down and relaxed, facing the employer directly.

6) How to Start - Usually the employer will begin. If the question comes up, "did you have any trouble finding it...?" or "is this far from your house?", be sure to always answer in a positive manner, never giving the impression that the distance, traffic or ability to get there was a problem. You may be asked if you want anything to drink. Unless you are dying of thirst, I would suggest not having a prospective employer be bothered with serving you. (Take water in the car and drink some before entering the house/location).

7) Be a good Listener - The employer will most likely begin talking about the job and telling you many details. Listen carefully, and do not interrupt. There is not need to make lots of remarks unless they are relevant.  It is best to wait until the employer either asks you a question directly or finishes talking.

8) What to Ask - Ask questions about the family, what the children like to do, where they go to school, preferences for food, activities, etc. If there is a baby, then the questions should all be directed on the mother's philosophies on how she wants her child handled from every perspective. 

9) What NOT to Ask - Never ask about money or benefits until a job offer is made. If coming from an agency, you should have a general idea of what the salary and benefits will be for this position if hired.  There is no need to discuss this until the employer has made a decision. You have more negotiating power once they are settled on hiring you. Also, the focus of the interview should be whether you and the employer are a good match first.

10) Attitude - Be friendly and energetic during an interview, and remain calm. Nervous energy is not comforting to any mother or father. The best way to exude confidence is to be relaxed as you discuss your qualifications, past jobs, references and constructively interact with the family members.

11) Meet the Children - If the children are present, you might ask if you can meet them. If there is a baby, the mother may or may not want to let you hold the baby. If she suggest that you do so, immediately wash your hands first and then proceed to hold the baby. How you do this makes a first impression of your abilities. The baby may need something while holding him/her, and your response will reinforce your abilities. The idea is give the mother confidence that you are qualified.

12) Be Positive - Never speak ill of former jobs or employers. You may have had a recent problem in a job; however, it is best not to discuss this in a negative manner. If it has to be discussed because the employer is insisting on knowing the reason why you are unemployed, then speak about the situation in the most diplomatic way possible. Try to use phrases such as: "we came to the conclusion that it would be best if we parted ways" or "our philosophies on child rearing were not a good match" or "I simply wasn't comfortable working for this family any longer".

13) Leaving the Interview - Tell the employer that you are reachable for any further information (or to please contact the agency). Suggest a second interview once she has narrowed down her choices. Make yourself available for a trial day so that you can spend more time together. Comment on your interest to work there and thank her for her time and the opportunity to interview.

14) Follow-up - If you do not work with an agency, you can certainly follow-up by email (If you don't have an email address for them, send a thank you note by mail) reiterating your interest in the job and looking forward to her response.  If you are working with an agency, call them immediately to discuss the interview and your interest. Be clear on when the prospective employer will be making a decision and stay in close touch with the agency or employer. If you don't have an email address for them, send a thank you note by mail.

15) Hired or Not Hired -Everyone knows the saying "it was or wasn't meant to be" - If not hired, be confident that you will find another opportunity suitable for you. If hired, then congratulations....you have successfully passed "The Interview Test"!

Executive Housekeepers are hired under the premise of having experience working in sophisticated homes and knowing how to use products and proper methods to clean a home diligently.  If you chose to work in a home that requires “Full Charge Service”, this means more than just completing your cleaning tasks.  There are more levels of responsibility that must be implemented when taking on this kind of position.  For Example:

Management Skills – needing to understand how to run and manage a home so that the principals are never frustrated because a workman was allowed to run freely in the house without any supervision, or because the refrigerators were not stocked properly, or because precise instructions were given pertaining to closet management, and not followed by every staff member on any given day.   It is necessary that you look at your position as a managing position. You are managing a home, not just cleaning it. It also means that you need to think ahead. If you know that something needs to be done, and it doesn’t necessarily fall under your task list, by doing it, shows that you have initiative and good sense of management.

Organizational Skills – to work efficiently in any large environment, you must organize your day so that you finish every chore on a timely basis.  This means doing things in a specific order so that you are not going back and doing things over and over because you forgot to finish a task.  As an example, if you see something that needs stocking, do it immediately or make a note of it on paper so that you can return to it.  If you start in one room, be sure that you know the flow & routine of your principal so that you don’t have to wait for them to leave that area to complete your job.  Organize your schedule for laundry so that by the end of the day, all laundry is completed before your time to leave.  It takes some planning to become organized. This may mean sitting down 15 minutes before you start your day and analyzing what you are going to accomplish that day and how you will begin.  Look over your task sheets and organize time accordingly.

Administrative Skills – to be full charge, requires you to step up and perform at a higher level than an average housekeeper. You will need to observe, perform and report back to your principals what is happening in the home.  If you see that something needs repair, you need to inform your principal and perhaps call the workman. If the workman comes to fix the problem, you need to understand what is being done, the level of workmanship, and if there are any further problems, and report back properly to the principal.  We call this “Follow-Through”, which can be communicated verbally or through notes/email to the principal, but never forgetting to stay on top of everything until the problem is solved and the job is done.

Communication Skills & Attitude – if you don’t like your job, then clearly you will perform at a sub-level and it will be very obvious to your principals. However, if you take your job seriously and have a natural desire to do the best you can in everything you do, you then begin to work with an energy and excitement that everyone can notice. The more you care about your work, the better you will be at it.  This is not something that can be injected inside you. It comes from within. It comes from a desire to please your superiors. Approval, praise and rewards are what you will have from those on the receiving end when you put yourself completely into your work.

Many people in this world do very mundane things for a weekly paycheck.  They do as they are asked, but never go that extra yard to show their employers their true value.  If you are one of these people, then this type of employment is not for you.  To be a full charge housekeeper is like being a household manager. Your principals want a staff that is genuinely interested in keeping a home well maintained while creating a luxury environment for them.

Feel empowered by this role! Do the best you can every day and always think about how you can improve upon your skills and be respected as a fine and well-respected Private Service Professional!

                                                           

   http://www.MartaPerrone                                                        

The Supreme Court’s liberal and conservative sides are evenly split over the question of whether the “individual mandate” requiring every American to carry health insurance or pay a fine is constitutional.

Immediately I begin to think about those individuals who work in the private service industry as a Housekeeper, Nanny, Cook, Companion, Mother’s Helper, Butler, just to name a few. In this line of work, very few hired individuals are offered health insurance.  It appears that only the higher paid professionals such as household and estate managers are most often provided this benefit. The others, who are making an income of only $20,000-$36,000 per year, need this benefit the most.  There is no mandate forcing families to provide health insurance to hired private service professionals. (In most states, these same domestic workers do not receive any other benefits such as vacation, sick days or holidays, unless the family chooses to do so.)  When domestic workers are represented by agencies, the likelihood is that they will receive most of these benefits because they are educating their clients and suggesting that they provide such benefits to stay in line with what is typical in the industry.  However, they are hard-pressed to force clients to offer health insurance. Hence, most domestic workers do not receive this benefit.

Everyone, including myself, likes the idea that “everyone should have health insurance”, but if they cannot afford it and an employer is not offering this benefit, how do they afford it?  Furthermore, the concept of charging a penalty on top is seriously like throwing salt into a wound. It may heal the problem, but it also will throw someone further into debt.

There are organizations like Domestic Worker’s Alliance who are fighting across the nation to overcome this battle through legislation so that domestic workers obtain benefits and better working conditions. Many domestic agencies do not think what they are doing is useful and worry that forcing these conditions on their clients will steer them underground. Agency owners will clearly tell you that they are there to help their applicants get a good working agreement that includes all these protections.  Yet, not everyone goes to an agency for employment nor finds available working opportunities through agencies.  The bottom line is that if a family doesn’t want to or can’t afford to offer health insurance, the “housekeeper” is simply not going to have it. 

It is not easy to come up with a solution to this health care problem. However, the health care industry as a whole must be revamped. It is ridiculously expensive to have any procedure and forget about it if you happen to need an operation. Five minutes in an emergency ward to make sure you are OK could cost you $3,500. Health insurance companies gauge people making it impossible to pay their plans and refuse you if you have a previous condition that makes you highly unaffordable from their perspective. Perhaps if it wouldn’t cost so much, everyone could find a way to afford health insurance as well as provide it to their employees.

http://www.martaperrone.com

*Los Angeles — The National Domestic Workers Alliance congratulates actress Octavia Spencer on winning the Oscar for best supporting actress for her performance as Minny, a domestic worker, in “The Help.”

At a special Oscar viewing party in Los Angeles, domestic workers erupted in applause at Ms. Spencer’s win, chanting, “We are the Help!”  According to Carmen Lima, the daughter of a domestic worker attending the party, “All domestic won because Octavia won.”

In response to Ms. Spencer’s victory, NDWA co-founder and executive director Ai-jen Poo made the following statement:

“Ms. Spencer’s win is a profound victory for a talented artist and for domestic workers everywhere. We thank her for lifting up the stories of domestic workers and the dignity of the work.  But the biggest win happened before the event tonight started.  A movie with a powerful message and a cast of strong women characters including some of the most invisible women in society – domestic workers – was seen by millions of people around the world.  When women’s voices and stories are heard, anything is possible.”

About the National Domestic Workers Alliance
Co-founded in 2007 by award-winning social entrepreneur Ai-jen Poo (“The Nannies’ Norma Rae” –New York Times), the National Domestic Workers Alliance has 35 local, membership-based affiliate organizations of nannies, housekeepers and caregivers for the elderly located in 19 cities and 11 states around the country.

Online:
http://www.domesticworkers.org/

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Provided by Breedlove & Associates

UNDERSTANDING UNEMPLOYMENT

Unemployment insurance is a government program designed to provide financial assistance to employees who have been "let go" from their job due to no fault of their own. The state unemployment office provides unemployed (as well as under-employed) workers with benefits of up to 50% of their recent compensation for up to 6 months while they look for new employment (some workers may qualify for extended benefits).

Benefits are generally not awarded to employees who are terminated with "good cause" (i.e. they are unable or unwilling to perform duties to the employer's satisfaction) and those who voluntarily quit.  But it is a vital protection for those workers who've been laid off due to no fault of their own.

When a worker makes an unemployment claim, the state unemployment office conducts a formal review in order to determine benefits.  The review will include notices to the former employer(s) in order to verify the facts of the case, such as cause of termination, dates of employment, wages paid, etc.

Once the review is completed, the former employer IS NOT responsible for paying the worker's benefits.  The benefits are paid from the state and federal unemployment pool, which is funded by unemployment taxes assessed to all employers.

Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA) is 0.6% on the first $7,000 of gross wages (caps at $42 per year per employee).  State Unemployment Tax (SUTA) rates vary by state.

Http://www.MartaPerrone.com

Provided by Kathy Web of Homework Solutions - Nanny Tax Expert

If you employ a nanny, chances are strong at some point you will need to let the nanny go. There are myriad reasons a family fires a nanny. The children grow up and your beloved family nanny is no longer needed. Perhaps the nanny has horrible work habits - always late or a frequent 'no show.' Your family and the nanny simply may not 'click.' The nanny who was a wonderful nurturer of your infant does not have the energy to deal with your demanding toddler. Whatever the reason, firing a nanny can be an uncomfortable experience for both family and nanny.

Below are some tips and best practices when letting the nanny go.

1. Be compassionate: It is best to break the news at the end of a work day and away from the children.
2. Don't draw out the conversation: Short and simple are the best way to deliver the news.
3. Notice: : If you have a written work agreement, you will most likely have a notice provision already agreed to. Adhere to it. If you require x weeks of notice from the nanny, be sure you return the courtesy, or provide pay in lieu of the notice.
4. Letter of Recommendation: Letter of Reference When you are separating on amicable terms, please consider writing a letter of recommendation, and making yourself reasonably available for telephoned reference checks.
5. Taxes: Your nanny may be eligible for unemployment compensation from your state fund. This is true even if you were not properly reporting her wages to the state!
   
6. What if you were paying under the table? The state unemployment agency will look back at the last one - two years of the nanny's employment. If you did not report/pay your unemployment taxes, you will be subject to administrative action, including reporting to the IRS, and may be charged with the entirety of the nanny's unemployment benefits. Unemployment insurance (tax) for the full time nanny averages $300- 500 a year - when paid on time. A nanny's benefits may be $200 - 400 per week for up to 99 weeks. That could be $20,000- 40,000 directly charged to you for failure to pay the requisite employment taxes.
7. Security & Family Property: Request that nanny at the time of separation return all house and car keys, as well as any remote devices.

http://www.MartaPerrone.com

If you are reading this it is because you are one of three people:

• Nanny - concerned about getting fired
• Agency - concerned that their candidate will need to be replaced
• Family - concerned that due to their nanny's conduct, they will need to hire again

It never ceases to amaze me at how people manage to make some very important mistakes causing them to get fired. Mistakes that could have been rectified with a little common sense and professional training.

LATE, LATE, LATE - Yes, 3 times or more is simply going to get you fired. America does not run on the "mañana" mentality and if you work for a family who depends on you getting to your job on time, then PLEASE arrive ON TIME. Traffic is simply going to be worse around the holidays, so leave earlier to make sure you get there on time. AND, don't think because your boss works from home that you can get there late. She/He is on a schedule and depends on you to arrive in order to start the work day.

CURIOUS GEORGE - If you are a Nanny you know about how Curious George would ask a lot of questions, but he is a monkey and not a nanny.  Nannies often ask the wrong questions and find themselves losing an interview. You can ask about the household and the children and everything that pertains to the job, but DO NOT ASK personal questions....especially when interviewing or doing a trial with a celebrity.  (They are the most offended by this action.)

IMPOSING OPINIONS - We all have opinions about almost everything, and it is difficult to not share them. However, if your opinions are political, religious or simply personal thoughts on how to raise a child, and these happen to NOT COINCIDE with your employer's opinions, you are going to find yourself in a pickle. A nanny is there to follow the instructions that a parent gives on raising and caring for "their" child.  The operative word is "their".

TAKING ADVANTAGE - If you are working for someone who is paying you for every hour on the job, then it is your responsibility to perform to the best of your ability every minute on the job. This would mean avoiding, checking your phone and emails constantly, calling your friends, reading a magazine or watching TV instead of caring for the child in a productive manner, going on personal errands on the boss's clock, doing sloppy housework, ignoring a child's needs and professional care.  Reserve your breaks for personal activities.

ATTITUDE - As a parent, I can only say that when any of my children show me "attitude", it seriously upsets me. There have been employees in my office that showed a bit of attitude and quickly found themselves out the door. No one wants someone around them with a sense of "entitlement" or an "unpleasant mood". It gets worse when you have someone in your home that is your sanctuary with a BAD ATTITUDE.  So if you can't come to work with a pleasant smile and a good attitude, then perhaps you need to find another type of employment...but actually, I can't think of any job that doesn't require a good attitude.

NEGLIGENCE & FORGETFULNESS - At the ripe age of 55, I certainly understand what it means to forget things from time to time (that is why I take LOTS whatever that vitamin is called). As a nanny or housekeeper, you have a tremendous responsibility on your hands with a home and child or children. Being negligent and forgetful can cost your job but also someone's home and child.  Example, not locking doors, opening doors for strangers who happen to be criminals, forgetting to pick up a child from school or an activity, leaving a child alone and unattended, forgetting to put the seat belts on a child, driving unsafely....and the list goes on and on. If you have trouble remembering things, put them into your household manual, refer to your daily list of assignments and keep your mind on the job!

Finding a job today is not easy, so when you find it, do everything possible to KEEP IT!!

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