Reference letters are a key part of your search portfolio. They give your portfolio a personal feel and provide emotional appeal. Parents rely heavily on the opinions of those that know you so include as many reference letters as you have. You can include letters from…
- past and present employers
- past and present coworkers in childcare positions (e.g. daycares, preschools)
- friends and relatives of past and present employers
- neighbors, play date companions, and nanny friends that have seen you interact with children
- relatives whose career or volunteer work make them respected members of their community (e.g. your aunt who is a principal at a local high school, your cousin who is head of the local Red Cross chapter)
- volunteer peers or supervisors
- leadership of local support group
- teachers, professors, guidance counselors
- priest, pastor
If at all possible, you should have a reference letter from each childcare position. If a letter isn’t possible, try to include a performance review or a letter from someone that has firsthand knowledge of your performance in the position (e.g. mom or caregiver in your regular playgroup, neighbor who often sees you outside, coworker).
Also, contact others (e.g. pastors, teachers, volunteer supervisors) that hold you in high esteem. Their opinions of you as a person, even if they’ve never seen you work as a caregiver, are important and help round out the picture you present to parents.
And don’t forget colleagues (e.g. nanny friends, co-teachers) and family members. Most job seekers don’t include letters from friends and family. Since this type of reference is so obviously biased, they feel the letter will carry little if any weight. However, the right kind of friend or family member (e.g. a nanny support group leader, an aunt that taught for 30 years) can have a huge impact on a potential employer.
How far back should your reference letters go? That depends upon how many total letters you have. If you have so many reference letters that it makes your portfolio too long (good for you!), include the most recent letters then create a “What References Are Saying About YOUR NAME” page that features the best quotes from the older letters. Make sure to have those letter available in your supporting documentation file.
Remember to check out our Nanny Training Library for more job search resources.
Posted by Judi Merlin on March 22, 2011 at 9:12 am
Hi Lori,
I generally agree with your opinions and value your point of view, but as an agency, I am going to respectfully disagree with your advise on letters of reference. While they make your portfolio look great, A Friend of the Family does not consider them as a primary source of information. We consider them valid only if we can document the source ourselves, so providing the contact information of the writer of the letter of reference would be essential.
As an agency, we feel it is our responsibility to verify everything, especially in light of the fact that anyone can put anything they want on an application or on an internet job listing site. The phrase “Trust but verify” comes to mind. We also do not accept any close friend or relative as a business reference as an agency. I hope this different point of view may be helpful to your readers.
Respectfully,
Judi Merlin
President
A Friend of the Family
Posted by Lora Brawley on March 22, 2011 at 10:35 am
Judi,
Actually we completely agree with each other! I was referring to putting together a search portfolio, a selling tool for getting to the interview and setting the stage for landing the job. Screening is a completely different matter.
When it comes to screening, I would be appalled if an agency (or family for that matter) would accept a reference letter as “the reference”. Every reference should be contacted directly and give a comprehensive review of the nanny. All agencies and families should have minimum requirements for nannies including a minimum number of years of non-relative childcare experience.
The idea behind the search portfolio is to go above and beyond the minimum requirements and shine in your own way. In that vein, I do believe that reference letters from high impact friends and family can have a positive impact. Again, I’m talking about friends and family members that have a built in trust or expertise factor (e.g. an aunt is a well respected principal at the local high school, a friend who won Volunteer of the Year). I’m not suggesting you include letters from your mom or best friend.
I really appreciate your comments. It’s a great way to open up the discussion and learn from each other.
Lora