Nannies
Career Overview
Career Description: Care for children in private households and provide support and expertise to parents in satisfying children's physical, emotional, intellectual, and social needs. Duties may include meal planning and preparation, laundry and clothing care, organization of play activities and outings, discipline, intellectual stimulation, language activities, and transportation.
Industry: Personal Care and Service
Other Job Titles for Nannies:
- Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service
- Office Machine Operators, Except Computer
- Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners
- Fabric Menders, Except Garment
- Prepress Technicians and Workers
- Printing Machine Operators
- Photographic Process Workers
- Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators
- Service Station Attendants
Personality Profile
- Realistic: Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
- Investigative: Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
- Artistic: Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
- Social: Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
- Enterprising: Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
- Conventional: Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
- First Interest High-Point: Primary-Rank Descriptiveness
- Second Interest High-Point: Secondary-Cutoff/Rank Descriptiveness
- Third Interest High-Point: Tertiary-Cutoff/Rank Descriptiveness
Common Work Tasks
- Perform first aid or CPR when required.
- Regulate children's rest periods and nap schedules.
- Meet regularly with parents to discuss children's activities and development.
- Help prepare and serve nutritionally balanced meals and snacks for children.
- Instruct children in safe behavior, such as seeking adult assistance when crossing the street and avoiding contact or play with unsafe objects.
- Organize and conduct age-appropriate recreational activities, such as games, arts and crafts, sports, walks, and play dates.
- Observe children's behavior for irregularities, take temperature, transport children to doctor, or administer medications, as directed, to maintain children's health.
- Model appropriate social behaviors and encourage concern for others to cultivate development of interpersonal relationships and communication skills.
- Work with parents to develop and implement discipline programs to promote desirable child behavior.
- Help develop and/or monitor family schedule.
- Supervise and assist with homework.
- Assign appropriate chores and praise targeted behaviors to encourage development of self-control, self-confidence, and responsibility.
- Transport children to schools, social outings, and medical appointments.
- Perform housekeeping and cleaning duties related to children's care.
- Instruct and assist children in the development of health and personal habits, such as eating, resting, and toilet behavior.
- Keep records of play, meal schedules, and bill payment.
- Teach and perform age-appropriate activities, such as lap play, reading, and arts and crafts to encourage intellectual development of children.
- Remove hazards and develop appropriate boundaries and rules to create a safe environment for children.
- Coordinate equipment operation with presentation of supplemental material, such as music, oral commentaries, or sound effects.
- Install and connect auxiliary equipment, such as microphones, amplifiers, disc playback machines, and lights.
- Prepare film inspection reports, attendance sheets, and log books.
- Provide or arrange for services such as clothes pressing, cleaning, and repair.
- Heat and serve prepared foods.
- Sell alcoholic beverages to passengers.
Emerging Tasks
- Shop for groceries, clothing, and other items needed for children's care.
- Perform regular maintenance tasks such as rotating or replacing xenon bulbs, cleaning projectors and lenses, lubricating machinery, and keeping electrical contacts clean and tight.
- Embalm, dress, cosmeticize, and casket the deceased.
- Manage funeral home finances, including receiving payments, making bank deposits, and performing general bookkeeping duties.
- Meet with family members to plan the funeral.
- Obtain doctors' signatures on death certificate and complete other paperwork such as insurance claims forms.
- Perform general maintenance tasks for funeral homes such as maintaining equipment and caring for funeral grounds.
- Perform various administrative tasks such as typing documents and answering telephone calls.
- Prepare obituaries for newspapers.
- Supervise funeral processions and assist with cemetery parking.
- Transport the deceased (e.g., from the hospital to the funeral home).
Work Activities
- Analyzing Data or Information: Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
- Assisting and Caring for Others: Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
- Coaching and Developing Others: Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
- Communicating with Persons Outside Organization: Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
- Controlling Machines and Processes: Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
- Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others: Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
- Developing and Building Teams: Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
- Developing Objectives and Strategies: Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
- Documenting/Recording Information: Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
- Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment: Providing documentation, detailed instructions, drawings, or specifications to tell others about how devices, parts, equipment, or structures are to be fabricated, constructed, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
- Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information: Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards: Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
- Getting Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
- Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates: Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
- Handling and Moving Objects: Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events: Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material: Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
- Interacting With Computers: Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
- Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others: Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
- Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People: Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems: Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
- Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings: Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
- Monitoring and Controlling Resources: Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.
- Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment: Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
- Performing Administrative Activities: Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
- Performing for or Working Directly with the Public: Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
- Performing General Physical Activities: Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
- Processing Information: Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
- Provide Consultation and Advice to Others: Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
- Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment: Servicing, repairing, calibrating, regulating, fine-tuning, or testing machines, devices, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of electrical or electronic (not mechanical) principles.
- Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment: Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.
- Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others: Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
- Scheduling Work and Activities: Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
- Selling or Influencing Others: Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
- Staffing Organizational Units: Recruiting, interviewing, selecting, hiring, and promoting employees in an organization.
- Thinking Creatively: Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
- Training and Teaching Others: Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge: Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Detailed Work Activities
- attend to or care for children
- change linen
- communicate student progress
- cook meals
- instruct participants in recreational activities
- lead recreational activities
- maintain records, reports, or files
- maintain safe environment for children
- monitor children to detect signs of ill health or emotional disturbance
- organize esteem building activities for children
- organize social behavior learning activities
- participate in recreational activities
- plan menus
- recognize childhood diseases
- serve food or beverages
- supervise student extra-curricular activities
- teach correct eating habits
- teach personal hygiene
- transport passengers or cargo
- use early childhood education techniques
- use first aid procedures
- use interpersonal communication techniques
- use personal care procedures
- use oral or written communication techniques
- use power mower
- resolve customer or public complaints
- resolve personnel problems or grievances
- schedule employee work hours
- schedule guest recreational activities
- use oral or written communication techniques
- verify ticket or pass
- use cash registers
- use knowledge of food handling rules
- use oral or written communication techniques
- verify ticket or pass
Tools & Technology Used on the Job
- Data entry software
- Desktop computers
- Dust mops
- Floor scrubbing machines
- IBM Lotus 1-2-3
- Industrial dryers
- Industrial vacuum cleaners
- IntelliTrack DMS Check In-Out
- Inventory tracking software
- Light commercial washing machines
- Microsoft Word
- Personal computers
- Pool vacuums
- SportSoft Equipment Manager
- Washer extractors
- Web browser software
- Wet mops
- First aid kits
- Flotation seat cushions
- Halon fire extinguishers
- Heaving life lines
- IBM Lotus LearningSpace
- Intravenous IV administration sets
- Lavatory smoke detectors
- Life preservers
- Megaphones
- Nitroglycerin tablets
- Notebook computers
- Ovens
- Personal digital assistants PDA
- Portable oxygen bottles
- Protective breathing equipment
- Refreshment carts
- Refrigeration units
- Satellite aircraft communication systems
- SBS International Maestro Suite
- Self-inflating manual resuscitation devices
- Slideraft packs
- Sliderafts
- Smoke goggles
- Sphygmomanometers
- Stethoscopes
- Storage compartments
- Supplemental oxygen systems
- Tourniquets
- ValtamTech Flight Crew Log
- Water system shutoff valves
- Window exit escape ropes
Education, Training & Experience
Overall Experience
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers.
Education
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. Some may require a bachelor's degree.
Examples
These occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include funeral directors, electricians, forest and conservation technicians, legal secretaries, interviewers, and insurance sales agents.
Salary & Wages
- n/a
Projected Employment Growth
- Projected growth (2006-2016): 17.85%
- Projected need (2006-2016): 247,779
- Employment (2006): 1,388,168
Related Occupations
- Fabric Menders, Except Garment
- Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators
- Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service
- Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners
- Office Machine Operators, Except Computer
- Photographic Process Workers
- Prepress Technicians and Workers
- Printing Machine Operators
- Waiters and Waitresses




