Have you ever wondered if there’s a way to make a great salary teaching or tutoring whilst travelling? Perhaps you’ve seen nanny jobs with large salaries and wondered how to position yourself for a high-paying international childcare position?
Well, we’ve put together 6 steps to get you there. Read on!
1. Know your target market!
If you want to reach the coveted 6-figure bracket of English teaching, tutoring or nannying, you need to do some background research into where the best childcare, EFL & TEFL jobs are. You also need to know what the jobs entail.
The ‘what’ is pretty straightforward – the highest paying jobs are usually private roles; tutoring or nannying in a VIP family overseas. There are many families who don’t speak English as their first language but still want their kids to grow up speaking like a native. Families with high net worth who want this kind of experience for their kids often employ a native-level English tutor or nanny to take care of their kids, and make this language ‘immersion’ experience part of their upbringing.
So where to find the VIP clients?
As a general rule, the highest paying locations for teaching English and VIP nannying tend to be Russia (primarily Moscow and St Petersburg) the UAE (Dubai and Abu Dhabi) and the South of France (Monaco and surrounding areas). Of course, VIP clients are everywhere and other large, international cities like London, New York, Paris and pretty much any capital city will also have their fair share of high-paying positions. So make sure you’re ready to commit to an overseas contract and prepare yourself accordingly.
And how do I get in touch with these VIP clients?
Well, first of all you need to…
2. Get some relevant experience and qualifications
Remember to be realistic here – nobody is going to pay you $100,000 per year to work with their family if you have no experience or qualifications. So go and get some! You’ll need at least a couple of years’ experience under your belt in your relevant field. And some certifications wouldn’t hurt either.
If you are going the nanny route, you would ideally have a degree in Early Years, Childhood Education or similar. CACHE qualifications would also be a good bet. And then you’ll need a CRB background check and a year or two doing some sort of nannying role with an employer who can provide you with references.
For tutors – a couple of years’ tutoring your target age group combined with a TEFL, TOEFL or CELTA is often enough, provided you fit the bill on the rest of the points below.
Don’t forget that you’ll need to show some staying power on your resume – more than 6 months in a single, stable position should be enough to demonstrate to families or employers that you are reliable and committed, and that clients actually want to hire you long-term and not just get rid of you after a week!
As a general rule, the more qualifications and experience you have, the better chance you have of a VIP employer accepting your application.
3. Put together a badass CV
OK, so hopefully you’ve got somewhere with point 2 and you’ve got some qualifications and experience that you can use on your resume. If not – go and get some and then come back and read on!
Your CV needs to include some personal information (but keep it professional) and some background on any extra-curricular skills you might have. The nannies and tutors making the highest salaries often have side-skills they can demonstrate on top of their English ability and experience, such as musical or sporting ability or the ability to speak a second or third language.
When you put your CV together, remember to include a photo (if you are going to work in a family home or with the children, parents generally want to get a good look at you). Smile in the photo and put on the clothes you might wear for a first day at work – clean and professional.
Your CV should be 2 pages (no longer, cut out any information that isn’t strictly relevant) and can be packaged up together with some photos of you working with children, some references and a short cover letter presenting yourself for the role you are applying for.
And now…
4. Source a suitable role
Where oh where to find these jobs?
Now that you’ve got your qualifications, experience, photos and all that jazz in a smart little folder ready to email out – it’s time to get applying for the jobs.
As well as visiting Jobs in Childcare, it is also worth getting on Google and using search terms like VIP nanny jobs, or VIP tutoring positions. Look for job sites and individual agencies too. Send off your details to register with agencies, and apply for individual jobs too.
5. Do a great interview
If you’ve done everything right, the agency (or private employer) will invite you to interview with them as a next step.
This will either be in person or (more likely post-Corona) on Skype, Zoom or similar. You must absolutely be on time for your interview – no excuses. Don’t undo all your previous hard work by coming across as unprofessional.
This also extends to how well-dressed and prepared you need to be. Make sure you are on time. You should be professionally dressed (again – dress as you might for your first day at work).
If your interview is online, check that your WiFi connection is good and make sure nobody is likely to interrupt you. Have sensible lighting and keep a pen and paper nearby in case you need to make any notes. Think of questions you might want to ask in advance (interviewers generally like a question or two as it demonstrates a little genuine interest in the process).
Last thing – remember to smile!
6. Nail your trial as a VIP tutor or nanny
OK – so. You nailed your interview! Hopefully.
And this is the final step (dramatic music). You’ve been invited (if it’s local) or flown in (if it’s not) for a trial in your chosen role.
Do not be late! Being late for your first day is the absolute worst so aim to be there 15 minutes early and take a book to read outside if you think there’s any chance at all of this going wonky.
Again, dress well and appropriately for your nannying or tutoring position. Have clean hair and clothes. Make sure you smell neutral (don’t go overboard on perfume etc.) Be prepared and bring along any books or games you might need.
At the end of your first day, ask for feedback from your employer.
And if all of the above has gone according to plan, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll find yourself in a high salary, VIP nanny job at the end of the trial.
Good luck!
