How to put babysitting on resume?

How to put babysitting on resume?

Babysitting is a good part-time job or side hustle. It entails providing care to children, preparing food, supervising homework, and keeping them entertained. Some babysitters assist parents while others take babysitting responsibilities when the mother or father is away. It offers great flexibility - you can work part-time or on an as-needed basis, and study while the child is sleeping.

Although seen as an entry-level position, a babysitting job can increase your employability. It will show the employer that you have the right work attitude and transferable skills. In this post, we will show how to add a babysitting position to your resume professionally.

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Should you list babysitting jobs on a resume?

The short answer is: it depends. If you're a student or graduate with nothing to put in your Work History section, you should absolutely list babysitting jobs. Babysitting is considered a less traditional job. Yet, it will show the employer that you are responsible, have organizational and interpersonal skills, can solve problems, and have tuition skills. All of these are transferable skills you will need in other jobs.

If you are a professional babysitter or want to work in education, child care, or similar fields, do include babysitting experience. It will show potential employers that you are great with kids, can ensure their safety, cook, keep them entertained, resolve conflicts, and help with school homework. Babysitting is a great career start if you want to work with kids.

However, if you have 5+ years of experience in marketing and had one or two babysitting jobs at the beginning of your career, you needn't list them. Employers are interested in your relevant experience, so your nanny job just takes the space. The only exception is if you are looking for a side hustle as a babysitter while unemployed.

Now, let's look at how to add one or more babysitting jobs to your resume.

How to add the babysitting job to your resume

Describe babysitting experience just like any other job on your resume. Add a job title, your responsibilities, achievements, and relevant skills.

Use a professional title for babysitting

You can use Babysitter as a job title. However, using a Childcare Provider title sounds more professional and makes a stronger impression on recruiters. There are also other options depending on what the role entailed:

• Nanny
• Au Pair
• Caregiver
• Day-care provider

Include the start-end dates of your job, city, and state. Mention that you were self-employed.

List your experience and accomplishments

For each position, list specific responsibilities you had. In addition to your daily duties, include results and accomplishments, if any. Adding achievements with numbers and percentages will help your resume stand out to employers.

Format your job description using bullet points, not paragraphs. Keep it concise - do not exceed 6-7 bullets per role. Start each bullet with a strong action verb that highlights your impact, i.e. organized, coordinated, supervised, and maintained.

Babysitting experience example

Childcare Provider

Self-Employed, Baltimore, MD 09/2022 - 04/2023

• Provided daily care and support to two children aged 5 and 8, ensuring their safety and well-being children during parental absences
• Engaged children in arts, and educational games, and coordinated play dates outdoors to promote physical and mental development
• Prepared and served nutritional meals and snacks following the guidelines from parents
• Assisted children with homework assignments and bedtime routines

Add babysitting courses, if any

If you have any training or certifications as a babysitter, make sure that your resume reflects it. Often parents prefer nannies and babysitters with relevant qualifications. If you want to work in a childcare setting, relevant certifications can also help you land the target job.

Here are examples of certifications you can add:

• CPR and First Aid Training
• Babysitting Basics
• Advanced Child Care certification

Tailor it to your target job

Sending a generic resume is a way to nowhere. You need to adapt the job descriptions, skills, and summary of qualifications for your target role. Otherwise, the employer might not see why you are a good fit for the role.

When applying for a job in a childcare setting, specify the age of the kids you worked with. Focus on your ability to organize age appropriate activities, coordinate the play, and potty training, and mention if you worked with children with special needs.

If you plan to apply for a teaching position, focus on providing academic assistance, helping children with homework, and organizing their schedules. You may also include your experience in resolving conflicts and using strategies for child development.

What if your target job has nothing to do with babysitting and childcare? Focus on soft skills you've acquired while working with children. Professionals with organizational, time management, effective communication, empathy, and troubleshooting skills are valued in many industries.

Locate your babysitting experience smart

Where to put your experience as a babysitter depends on your target job and years of experience. If you are looking for a job as a babysitter or childcare professional, put the Experience section above Education. Thus, the employer will instantly notice your relevant experience.

If you are a graduate in Human Resources for whom babysitting is a side hustle, put relevant education above your babysitting jobs.

Key skills for your babysitter resume

Babysitting experience provides you with a lot of transferable skills. Make sure to add them to the respective Skills section in your resume. Resume skills work as keywords, helping you to pass the automated resume screening and increasing your chances for an interview.

Here are the top babysitting skills to add:

• Child development
• Homework assistance
• Problem-solving
• Conflict resolution
• Household management
• Organizational skills
• Parent communication
• Responsibility

With these tips in mind, you'll effectively describe your experience as a babysitter and showcase your soft skills for the target job.

Common resume mistakes to avoid

When putting your resume together, avoid these common pitfalls that can cost you the interview:

Writing a too-short (or too-long) resume

If your resume takes half of the page or four pages, recruiters can reject it. The optimal resume length is one page for entry-level professionals and two pages for experienced workers and managers. Wrong length can communicate that you struggle to prioritize information and convey your value.

To shorten your resume, remove jobs you had years ago, irrelevant skills and projects that do not relate to your dream job. If the situation is the opposite and your resume is too short, add volunteering projects, part-time jobs, and academic achievements.

Spelling and grammar mistakes

Over half of recruiters are willing to reject resumes with typos and grammatical errors. Minor mistakes in your resume show sloppiness and lack of attention to detail.

After you've completed your resume, take the time to review it and check for mistakes. Show it to a trusted friend or use spell-checking software. Submitting an error-free resume will help you make a great first impression.

Not including results

A resume that reads like an endless list of responsibilities can hardly impress the hiring manager. Whether you want to get hired as a babysitter or are looking for a different job, highlight the results of your work. Do not just list your daily tasks - emphasize what you have achieved. As a babysitter, you can mention positive feedback from parents, repeat booking, and increased academic results of a child you have tutored.

Missing information

Double-check that you have included all the essential details in your resume. Your contact details should include a correct phone number and email. Your resume should feature your professional experience, education, skills, and other sections of your choice. If you forget to include some important information, your resume can be tossed.

Including irrelevant experience

What to include in your Work Experience section depends on your target job. If you plan to get hired as a babysitter, tutor, or teacher, expand on your babysitting jobs and add your achievements in detail. Yet, if your target role is different, list your babysitting experience concisely, focusing mostly on the soft skills you gained and how they relate to your target career.

If you want to land a job other than babysitting and you have plenty of relevant experience, you can skip childcare experience whatsoever.

Poor formatting

Your resume formatting can make or break the first impression. A clean, well-organized document encourages the recruiter to study your resume more carefully. A cluttered document can be difficult to read so it might get tossed.

Use consistent formatting with an easy-to-read font and clear structure. Do not include too much color, graphics, images, or charts - not all ATS systems read visuals correctly. It is best to keep the formatting plain.

Not including keywords

Since most companies use ATS systems, including keywords is a must. The system can reject a resume with no keywords before the recruiter reads it. Read the target job posting carefully and include the skills, qualifications, and credentials mentioned in it. Add keywords naturally in all sections in your resume.

Not attaching a cover letter

According to the statistics, 60% of employers believe that a cover letter is a must. Although not all employers actually read them, attaching a letter can increase your chances for an interview. The fact that you have attached a letter shows you are interested. Plus, a cover letter gives you the opportunity to talk about your fit for the position, your relevant background and show your cultural fit.

Get professional help with your babysitting resume

Composing an interview-winning resume can be tricky, especially if you don't have much relevant experience. If your resume doesn't bring many interviews, consider hiring a professional resume writer.

Our expert can update and polish your old resume, correcting any mistakes that can turn off the recruiters. Or, we can completely rewrite your resume for the target position, focusing on your relevant strengths. Contact us on chat to discuss how we can help :)