When it comes to nannying, both soft skills and hard skills are crucial for success and long-term employment. Parents look for a balance of both sets of skills when hiring a nanny and understanding the differences between these two types of skills can help you excel in your role.
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Hard Skills: The Foundation
Hard skills are the concrete tasks you learn through schooling, training, or previous experience.
These skills are easy to measure and can be proven through education, certificates, or degrees. They are essential because they demonstrate that you have the technical know-how to care for children properly. Here are some key hard skills for nannies:
- Educating Children: This includes teaching basic skills and assisting with homework.
- Sleep Training: Establishing and maintaining sleep routines for young children.
- Understanding Milestones: Knowing children’s developmental stages and what comes next.
- Nutrition: Preparing healthy, nutritious snacks and meals and being aware of allergies and age-appropriate foods.
These hard skills get you hired initially, showing parents you can provide the necessary care for their children.
Soft Skills: The Glue
Soft skills, on the other hand, are harder to develop and often come naturally. However, being aware of your soft skills allows you to work on and improve them.
Soft skills are crucial for building relationships and maintaining long-term employment. Some important soft skills for nannies include:
- Communication: Listening without interrupting, speaking positively, and paying attention to body language.
- Negotiation: Listening carefully, understanding others’ perspectives, knowing your worth, and proposing mutually beneficial solutions.
- Relationship Building: Helping others unconditionally, showing empathy, acknowledging feelings, and being supportive without judgment.
- Positive Attitude: Avoiding gossip, criticizing sparingly, and maintaining a positive outlook.
- Teamwork: Working with parents and families as a team, celebrating everyone’s wins, and adapting to different personalities.
- Emotional Intelligence: Understanding your feelings and the consequences of your actions and acting accordingly.
- Work Ethic: Taking responsibility for your work, delivering on time, keeping commitments, and not deflecting blame.
While hard skills may get you the job, soft skills make you indispensable. They help build trust with parents and foster positive, strong relationships.
Which is More Important?
Both hard skills and soft skills are necessary for a successful nanny career. Hard skills provide the foundation, while soft skills are the glue that holds everything together.
Parents seek nannies with a strong combination of both, ensuring their children are well cared for, and the family dynamic is positive and supportive.
Looking for a nanny job in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto or Ottawa? Apply with The Nanny Solution.