When searching for nanny jobs or child care jobs, one of the most important tools is your child care resume or CV. The resume is what you will give to potential employers before they ever meet you. This document lists your skills, experience, and education and explains why you are qualified to care for young children. Creating a resume is fairly simple and an excellent resume can lead to excellent child care employment. Be sure to include the following information on your resume:

Personal Information: The personal information on your resume should include your name, address, home and mobile telephone numbers, and email address.

Objective: Here, you will briefly list the type of job or experience you are looking for. For example, “Seeking a challenging and rewarding position as a preschool teacher’s aide that will provide the opportunity for me to utilize my experience, training, and creativity to foster growth in young children”.

Summary of Skills: List the skills that make you a qualified and unique daycare provider. Some examples include having a strong background in early childhood education, your ability to develop age-appropriate curriculum and activities, or your nurturing and mentoring capabilities. List 3 to 4 of your strongest skills in this section.

Experience: Here, you will list the previous daycare jobs you have held. Include the name of the daycare, organization or family you worked for, the location (city and state) and your job title. You will also include the dates that you held the position. For each daycare job you will create a short bulleted list of the duties and responsibilities that you performed for the job. For example you may list, “Organized field trips for 20 preschoolers to education venues such as the library, the aquarium, and the petting zoo” or “Developed daily lesson plans” or “Observed and assessed the development of children ages 2-4”. Be specific and succinct.

Education: Be sure to list your high school and college experience. List any degrees you have earned. Also mention any child care certificates or early childhood education units earned from workshops and seminars.

Special Skills: You may want to include a section that lists your unique proficiencies or qualifications that would make you stand out from others. For example, if you have experience working with special education children, if you are Infant CPR and First Aid certified, or if you have special creative talents, be sure to list them in this section.

At the bottom of the resume, include a statement that says “References: Available on Request”. Then, on a separate piece of paper you will create a reference list. The reference list is a list of former employers or families that you have worked for that can attest to your skills and education and work ethic. List the reference’s name or name of the business, phone number, and email address. An employer will request your reference list if they are interested in gathering more background information about you.

Most importantly, keep your resume short and simple. If a resume is too confusing or too wordy it can easily end up in the round file before the employer ever gets to meet you. Let your resume let child care centers know that you will be a valuable asset.

For More Info: How to start a daycare service