Being Nanny of the Year™(NOTY™) can sound a little intimidating and overwhelming to apply for. I am here to let you know that it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. I won’t mislead you, it does take time to apply. I am here to help assist you and those that might nominate you to “tackle” the application process in 7 weeks.
The deadline to submit your Nanny of the Year Portfolios is December 31, 2013. Each week I will share with you steps on what you should be doing that week. If at any point you come to the nomination process with less time available, the 7 week application process breakdown should be able to give you a guide on completing the packet.
Remember if you are interested, we do have Nanny of the Year Mentors available. They are able to help answer your questions about the NOTY™ program and other items. If you would like to be matched up with a Mentor please contact INA Membership Services Office by phone at 888.878.1477 or by email at admin@nanny.org . Please include “NOTY™ Mentor” in the subject line of your email.
Week 1 of NOTY™ Portfolio Process
by Marcia Hall, 2011 INA NOTY™
Your first step is of course to find someone that is excited nominating you for NOTY™. The nominator could be a fellow nanny that has interacted with you in some way throughout your career, your employers, past or present, a nanny agency owner that you have worked with or a family member that has first-hand knowledge of your experience with children. The person that nominates you should really understand your strengths and experience in the in-home child care industry. Talk with this person about what it would mean to you to be Nanny of the Year and what specifically you are asking of him or her.
Next I suggest getting a folder for the NOTY™ process so that you can keep all your papers and notes together. You will also want to print out the 2014 Nanny of the Year Award Nomination Packet for reference during the coming weeks.
- Read through the 2014 Nanny of the Year Award Nomination Packet in its entirety.
- Verify your eligibility to be nominated for NOTY™.
- There will also be responsibilities as NOTY that will be occurring before, during and after the annual conference. These are on page 2-4 of the 2014 Nanny of the Year Award Nomination Packet. You should be able to fulfill these responsibilities with enthusiasm and professionalism. Some of these responsibilities include
1. Make a commitment to attend the INA conference in 2014 regardless if you receive
the honor or not.
2. Be available to answer questions about NOTY throughout the 2014-2015 year.
3. Be knowledgeable in all aspects and areas of INA.
4. Prepare and deliver a speech during the Nanny of the Year luncheon at the conference
Some nannies may be a little frightened or nervous of speaking in public, you are not alone as there have been NOTY’s that have not been comfortable with this aspect of the honor. The speech the new NOTY gives is however long (within reason) or short as the NOTY wants it to be. This is your chance to share your experience as a Professional Nanny, tell stories about your charges and share your expertise a little.
Every NOTY’s experience has been unique and different. The person that is chosen for NOTY brings to it who and what she (or he) is. Conference month (March 2014) and the following month (April 2014) are probably the most exciting and hectic times. The rest of the year generally is low key. Getting to share with people that you are NANNY OF THE YEAR can be lots of fun. Getting to explain what you do for a living and what the International Nanny Association is incredibly rewarding.
Finally this week you should begin gathering glowing reference letters. You may have reference letters that you use in your job interview portfolio but the letters for your NOTY portfolio should be slightly different. You want your NOTY reference letters to share with people why you already are the Nanny of the Year.
- Get 3-4 past employers to write a reference letter sharing why you are their “Nanny of the Year”.
- Make sure you give them a firm deadline. Remember fall is a busy time are so the sooner you ask and set the deadline, the less chaotic it will be later on you.
- You will need at least 2 weeks before the December 31st, 2013 deadline to put together your NOTY portfolio for submission. Roughly December 15th.
And that is your week. Seems like a lot but really it is just a lot of preparation.