2017 INA Nanny of the Year Candida Vajana_

Recently I had a chance to connect with Candi Vajana, INA’s 2017 Nanny of the Year. Here’s a bit of the advice she had to share. – Michelle

What advice do you have for people trying to enter into the nanny world and get their first nanny job?
Be humble. listen to other nannies and nanny agencies. Try to find a mentor. Entering the nanny world may appear easy, anyone can call themselves a nanny, but being a professional nanny requires a lot of skills, patience and a lot of love. If you don’t love children, and I really mean LOVE children, being a nanny is not for you. If you aren’t fun, don’t have a great sense of humor then nannying is not for you. If you really want to be a professional nanny, invest in yourself, attend classes, go to trainings, attend conferences, read, shadow other nannies.

What does being NOTY mean to you?
Being Nanny of the Year means being the spokesperson for my profession. It means being at the top of my game and it means being an industry leader. To me, being the Nanny of the Year means being an advocate for my colleagues and my profession, it means being able to make an impact in the way the nanny profession is perceived.

What do you think defines a professional nanny?
What defines a professional nanny is the training, the experience, the personality, the education, the languages and many other sills the nanny brings to the table, Professionalism is the same for all industries, Merriam Webster defines Professionalism as ” the conduct, aims or qualities that characterize or mark a profession or a professional person”.

What is your best bit of advice for nannies starting out? For experienced nannies?
My best advice for nannies starting out, I will go back to what I said earlier, be humble, learn, learn, learn, be respectful and true to yourself. My best advice for experienced nannies, learn, there is always something new to learn and share your knowledge, mentor less experienced nannies, attend conferences as speakers, be respectful and true to yourself.

To learn more about Candi and view her acceptance speech, click here.

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