Parent Responsiveness to Job Applications
This topic has come up time and time again here on the blog, so it’s time to address it once and for all. Many sitters have been feeling frustrated that parents do not take the time to reply to the sitter’s job application. Let’s take a look at why.
Reason 1: Replying to every application is very time-consuming.
Parents can receive hundreds of job applications in response to one job posting, and that’s not an exaggeration. It’s very time-consuming to reply to each and every post, and parents are often too busy and stretched too thin to spend time replying to everyone.
Reason 2: The sitter is not a right match for the job.
Along the same lines as reason 1, many parents simply choose to contact the sitters that they feel would be a good match because it saves a lot more time than contacting everyone. This doesn’t mean you are a bad sitter, it just means that the parent believes there is a better match for the family’s needs.
Reason 3: The job application is not done with care.
Copying and pasting your resume into the cover letter part of your job application is frustrating for parents. It shows them that you did not take the time to craft something personal and explain why you’re a good fit for THEIR family. While you might think this is an efficient way of applying to jobs, parents can see it as a way of cutting corners. If you can’t take the time to apply personally, they may wonder what other corners you’ll cut on the job and may not see much reason to take the time to reply back.
Reason 4: The parent’s needs have changed.
When a parent at first seems interested in your sitting services, but seems to quickly change his/her mind for no reason, know that there IS often a reason. It may be that the job has already been filled, that the parent no longer needs a caregiver at all or that the job details have to be changed so much that it warrants a new job post altogether.
That being said, is it common courtesy for parents to quickly reply to sitter applications? Absolutely.
Is it always feasible? Unfortunately not.
This is not an unusual situation, by any means. In fact, this happens all the time in the corporate world when people send job applications to HR departments and hiring managers: not everyone gets a response. It’s an understood frustration of applying for jobs, but savvy applicants move on to the next great job post with a fresh cover letter and a positive outlook.
So, let’s open this up for discussion — a POLITE discussion. This is a very hot-button topic on our site, but we want to keep this dialogue calm and helpful so both sides can explain themselves clearly.
Parents, what other reasons are there for why you don’t respond to job applications? Do you appreciate it if a sitter follows up with you after, say, a week?
Sitters, would you prefer to get a canned (copied and pasted) response from a parent rather than none at all?
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January 20th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
I would definitely prefer to get a copied and pasted response then none at all. I often have applied for jobs and never gotten any response. But the most frustrating is when I clear my schedule and turn down other jobs to work for a family and then they suddenly decide that they don’t need me anymore. And alot of times they never give me a reason. So then I’m back to square one looking for a job. I realize the parents have reasons for not answering, but it can be very frustrating for someone like me who has been looking for a job for a long time.
January 20th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
I always make a point of responding to parents who contact me to let them know if I am/am not interested in learning more about their childcare needs. It’s a respectful thing to do and I would appreciate the same. I don’t expect parents to sit down and write an essay on why you are not the right candidate for their position but they should acknowledge that they did in fact get your e-mail/application. Many other sites have a spot that you can simply click a “yes, I am..” or “no, I’m not..” reply to families. Perhaps you should add this for both sitters and parents. Sure it’s not the most personal way but it is a HUGE move in the right direction. I feel that this site is often one-sided and favors the parents. There are many blogs that are insulting…”Tips on how to get a job” with the most obvious things listed. Also the words “polite” and “canned” are insulting and harsh. Parents may be the “employers” but let’s face it without the sitters/nannies this site would not be able to function. Perhaps there should be more of a focus on the childcare providers. I enjoy the blog sections in the sense that you can give your input and communicate with other members but there are other aspects of the site that don’t seem necessary i.e. “sittercity.com perks” at home depot and other places?!? I have watched this site bloom/explode over the last 2 years and truthfully I enjoyed it a lot better in the beginning. Sometimes less is more. I feel that if there are less topics to focus on maybe more will come from it. I have realized that sittercity.com is a successful business (which is important) but I am also realizing that in the process of becoming a business it is failing as a site for childcare providers. A suggesstion would be to go back to basics; why was this company founded? Was it to attempt to have all the bells and whistles of all the childcare sites out there or was it to provide an environment for parents in search of help and childcare providers to come together?
January 20th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
After just rereading this blog I still find it insulting. Why was there a need to break down “reasons why you aren’t getting a response from parents”?? I especially enjoy this part:
“This is not an unusual situation, by any means. In fact, this happens all the time in the corporate world when people send job applications to HR departments and hiring managers: not everyone gets a response. It’s an understood frustration of applying for jobs, but savvy applicants move on to the next great job post with a fresh cover letter and a positive outlook.”
Is this to say that we should feel empathy for parents that don’t respond to you because in their “corporate world” they may never hear back after submitting a job application? Is this suggesting that people who provide childcare have never worked for a corporation before and are ignorant to the job searching process?
The childcare professional world is a lot more personal then that of the corporate professional world. I am considering taking my savvy self, and crudentials to another childcare site all together.
Overall I am thankful that I am able to get work based on word of mouth/outstanding references!
January 20th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
As a sitter who has been at this for many years now, I am NEVER offended if I don’t hear back. I just hope that they have found someone wonderful who meets that needs of their family and situation.
I don’t think parents should feel obligated to respond to every application given to them. Taking that kind of time would steal time from actually interviewing the people they feel would be a good match. I wouldn’t want a parent wasting their time talking or sending emails out to dozens of other applicants instead of spending that time talking with the candidates they feel most confident in.
January 20th, 2009 at 5:31 pm
I agree with you Tiffany. I also agree with the idea that JAS2912 mentioned, the yes or no auto response. I think that would be a great way for the parents to save time responding and for the sitters to save time waiting.
I do understand that parents don’t always have the time to respond to every email. Goodness knows that I wouldn’t if I had a few kids. What is bothersome is when a parent contacts me and I answer and they don’t respond. If they have the time to contact me then they ought to have the time to let me know if they want to continue or not. Again, maybe having some kind of yes/no auto response system would be useful. And maybe being able to go through a bunch of emails, select however many and then have the response choice, much like when you delete emails.
Just a thought. Otherwise I love working with the parents on the site. Keep up the good work!
January 20th, 2009 at 6:34 pm
It’s frustrating to not hear back. Especially when my roommate hears back more often than I do, and the only reason I can come up with for that is that I am much older than she is.
I also expect not to hear back. It’s true that when hundreds of people apply for a job - not just in the corporate world - but even at an independent record store, you cannot contact everyone to tell them you did not pick them… there isn’t time.
January 20th, 2009 at 7:35 pm
I really agree with lotsakids. It is very frustrating to go so far with a family and then just not hear from them. I have been to interviews before waiting weeks for a response, meanwhile also clearing my schedule and holding off other applications for other families. It just is really hard waiting for something and just having to “Figure out” that you haven’t been hired. At least an email saying “Thanks, but we don’t need you.” would let me know what’s going on. I waste too much time waiting without another job.
January 20th, 2009 at 7:38 pm
I have been extremely lucky in that almost every parent I have contacted has written me back. Maybe 25% of the time I don’t hear anything back at all. I also agree that having a simple yes or no click response button would be very nice for both sitters and parents. Another webpage I work threw offers this.
I also agree that it’s a bit annoying how sittercity write blogs to sitters and nannies. Parents pay for this service and want to have a lot of options. So maybe it’s a good idea to treat the sitters better. Maybe there should also be blogs on how to get a sitter, not just on how we can get a job. I’m also a little disappointed that sittercity has ignored my request on posting blogs about parents not showing up to interviews, parents offering to pay well below minimum wage, and how much we should be charging based on out experience and location.
January 20th, 2009 at 8:54 pm
Okay… I am on the fence about the subject. I am a parent and a child care provider. In my busy world of school, work, and being a mother, if I had tons and tons of responses to reply to, I might find it overwhelming. But I would make it known in my posting that I apologize ahead of time for not responding to all and qualified candidates will be contacted within 1-2 weeks of the posting, for example. HOWEVER, I understand the life of an ordinary person trying to find a job it is EXTREMELY frustrating. I would like to know if the person needs me or not or even if they would like to schedule an interview. But if not, I understand. It’d just be an extra, you know? It just helps me not apply to many jobs that may require the same hours of work and both parents respond at the same time 2-3 WEEKS LATER! How am I suppose to choose between the two? Then, I feel that I’m an inconvenience to the parent because now they are back to point 1: looking for another sitter/nanny.
Another issue is when a parent responds but doesn’t follow up saying they would love to meet with you and then you don’t hear from them until weeks later and you’ve already taken another job. Then the parent gets mad or is disappointed with you. Some parents (not ALL) do not take our jobs seriously, like we are suppose to put our lives on hold an wait for them. I’m sorry if I sound mean, but I’ve ran into people like this.
As a parent, I would make sure to continuously follow up with the sitter(s) that I am considering for a job and not leave them hanging waiting for my response. As a sitter, I don’t get upset when a parent doesn’t repsond to my initial response to their posting (even though it would be great if they did–but life is demanding), but I do get angry when they respond and don’t follow up until weeks and weeks later.
January 20th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
Reason 4: The parent’s needs have changed.
When a parent at first seems interested in your sitting services, but seems to quickly change his/her mind for no reason, know that there IS often a reason. It may be that the job has already been filled, that the parent no longer needs a caregiver at all or that the job details have to be changed so much that it warrants a new job post altogether.
I’m sorry but this is just RUDE! If a parent hires me for a job and then just bails, that’s absurd. Why can’t the parent just contact the sitter and explain that their needs have been met and not just ignore the sitter altogether? If a sitter did this to a parent, they would be ready to put a bad comment on their page saying they were irreliable and not dependable or are fincky sticking to a family.
I mean, response 4 was defending why parents don’t alway contact, right? Ha! Crazy…
January 20th, 2009 at 11:12 pm
JAS2912: I’m sorry you were insulted by this blog. The words “polite” and “canned” were not meant to have any connotation behind them, much less a negative one. The part about job responsiveness in the corporate world is not said so you will have empathy for parents, it is said so you will see the parallels between a child care job and those corporate ones, because both are professional processes. While you’re right that child care is more personal, the hiring process isn’t always.
TiffanyAcuff: Thank you for your thoughtful comments!
Dreamofmusic7147: You read my mind. This is being discussed, so I’ll be sure to bring your comments into the conversation here at Sittercity.
lganser: I’m sorry you’re not hearing back as much. Your profile looks great, actually. If I had to guess, I would say that it’s possible that parents unfairly judge based on the tattoos, even though they have nothing to do with your child care skills. Maybe that’s another blog posting we could do — asking parents how they feel about visible tattoos or piercings. Has a parent ever said anything to you about it or am I way off base?
hlcahill: Yes, quite frustrating.
Next time you have an interview and you haven’t heard back in a few days, send the parent a follow-up email to check back in. If they still don’t respond in a few days, you’re not under any obligation to wait, so apply to other jobs to keep your options open. Good luck!
Mandybluma: There have been several blogs written to parents about their treatment of sitters. We’ve discussed them paying for transportation, never being late and respecting the sitter’s time, what gifts they should give sitters around the holidays, what to pay for raises and bonuses, etc. We write blogs to sitters not to insult them but to help them, whether it’s to improve communication, help them land more jobs or give them tips to be better sitters. If you already know all of these things and find it insulting for us to run through them, then you’re welcome to continue sending in blog ideas. And, yes, we have heard you. You just submitted your ideas last week. We plan on getting to them all (one is actually scheduled for this week), so we’re just asking for patience.
AngelAdelina7: Interesting idea for parents to make a note about job responsiveness in their job posting. And if a parent gets mad at you for accepting another job after they haven’t responded to you in weeks, there’s absolutely nothing you can do about that. Sounds like you do everything right, and that’s really all you can do. As for point number 4, that wasn’t meant for a sitter who has already been hired. It’s meant for a sitter who has applied to a job and then never hears back at that early stage. I would certainly hope parents wouldn’t hire a sitter and then completely bail! (Though I’m sure there are some sitters out there with that unfortunate situation.)
As always, thanks for your thoughts, everyone.
January 21st, 2009 at 10:13 am
I wonder at what the possibility would be to have a separate blog for parents and caregivers. Things that are relevant to parents are not always relevant to the nannies. It is also a rare thing to see parents respond to the blogs. This is probably why they need a sitter. There aren’t enough hours in their days!
This has been interesting to read. As a professional, I expect to be treated as such. If I initiate contact, then it is up to them to respond back. Once they do respond, however, it is my job to correspond back and maintain a line of communication until I know that they have found another sitter or would like to hire me.
I didn’t find this article degrading or insulting at all. It was insightful and lots of you had great ideas. I think if you want a professional job that pays a professional wage, then you need to be ready to be treated like corporate America, because that is the world in which most of the families live.
January 21st, 2009 at 12:12 pm
I would really love getting a response back yes or no. this isn’t my main source of income so a job has to be perfect for my schedule for me to apply for it, so i’ve only applied for 5/6 jobs over the past couple of years. however i’ve only gotten a response back from one of those parents. i got the job and still babysit for them weekly, but the fact is i would of liked to hear from the other parents just so i would know.
January 21st, 2009 at 3:46 pm
I would love to see a blog about parents and tattoos or not. I clearly state in my profile that I do in fact, have a few (Christian-based”) tattoos, but would have no problem covering them up in wanted/needed. I think honestly, the e-mails from parents wanted me have slowed down a ton since I have put that up there- but I just don’t want to waste my time going to an interview if you know you’re not going to hire me. Should I leave the warning on my profile, or should I take it off and hope parents like me enough to overlook them?
January 21st, 2009 at 4:19 pm
I have a reason that a response is not given (although the reasons at the top of the article are incredibly accurate).
Sometimes, us parents simply haven’t decided yet. We may like the profile, but have already interviewed and backgroud checked someone else and are waiting to see if that candidate will work out first. I wouldn’t want to send an e-mail that says “I may interview and consider you, but first, I’m interviewing and considering someone else; so you may get the job and you may not”, although that is the truth.
As for calling, we will call you. Please be patient with us parents! We get lots of applications and have limited time to review them and schedule & perform interviews.
At first, I tried responded to everyone, but it was sooo time consuming that it became impractical. And also, I couldn’t send a definate “yes” or “no” to anyone until I had interviewed everyone.
Adding a “yes” “no” or “in consideration” option would be nice for everyone. The applicants get a better picture of where they stand and the parents don’t have to spend lots of time constructing e-mails.
January 21st, 2009 at 4:41 pm
I also like the idea of a simple “yes”, “no” response button for parents in particular and sitters as well. I only apply for jobs that I am really interested in and if I apply for more than one position and interview for more than one it would really help to get a quick response. One position may be more desired due to hours, location, etc and may be my 1st choice but the other position would be ok. It would really help us if we could get quick responses.
This may be off topic but a suggestion for parents would be to really think about the hourly rate they are offering. If a parent has 4 children and is offering $8-10 per hour they may have a problem finding a childcare provider. Also, many parents tend to want their childcare person to do laundry, housekeeping, let the dog out etc while caring for 2,3, or 4 children and only want to pay them $10 per hr. Something for them to think about.
January 21st, 2009 at 5:03 pm
I agree with hersee 100%. I really think that sittercity needs to do a bog on pay, I have also e-mailed them asking to do this. Some of the pay I have seen is just shocking! I have also seen parents only want to you to come over for 45 minutes to an hour and want to pay you $10. It’s not really worth the drive to come to your house for an hour. Most of that money would be used up in gas alone. Also, if your child has a medical disability such at autism or ADHD expect to pay more. Also a reminder to sitters, just because a parent is offering a lower pay then you are willing to work for, contact them anyway! 2 parents in particular had an add offering to pay less then I charge and they ended up hiring me anyway (I have set fees).
JenyThom13- I don’t think it’s necessary to state that you have a few tattoos. At least 90% of the people I know have 2-3 tattoos. In my circle of friends I am actually the only one that has none. It’s a sticky subject, but it goes along the lines of parents telling their over 21 year old nanny she can not drink on her own time.
Nannies and sitters almost live a double life. One is this very sweet gentle 110% pure person that never raisers her voice and sings lullabies. But then we have the other naturally human side. We go to events, concerts, listen to secular music, and don’t only watch rated G movies. Sometimes parents forget we are humans too.
And again I also agree that having a “yes” “no” “maybe” button would be helpful for both sitters and parents to use. Obviously they would say more then yes or not. Maybe something like “Thank you for contacting us. At this time we have chosen another sitter” “Thank you for contacting us, we are in the process of choosing a sitter and will get back to you soon.” If it’s a yes I don’t think you need a button though! Since they will need to give info like number and address and interview time
January 21st, 2009 at 6:03 pm
I prefer to get a response back then nomne at all because then I just feel that my time was wasted in writing a personal response. I write each person I apply for a personal response. I also apply for lots of jhobs but it is just common courtesy to at least drop a line to the sitter and say the position has been filled. That at least shows they read your response.
January 21st, 2009 at 7:00 pm
I’m also curious to know what the sitter parent ratio is.
Since parents are getting so many responses, 50+ maybe there are too many sitters and not enough parents.
Right now sittercity gives parents 2 options for membership.
#1 Month to month $9.99 + $39.99 sign up fee.
#2 Annual membership $95.88
Maybe sittercity needs to lower their prices so more parents’ join, especially with the way the economy is. One parent I know canceled their membership as soon as she compiled a list of sitters.
January 21st, 2009 at 11:48 pm
I have to say I began blogging regarding the “no response” matter several months ago and each time I was delighted at getting an actual phone call back from a SitterCity representative but was always shocked at the response. “Mrs. Lamb we cannot “force” a paying client to respond to sitters” and my response each time, which I believe was 3 total was “we are not asking that you force anyone to do anything but kindly “hint” at the process of just being courteous to all of us that apply and pour our heart and souls into our applications. Boy was I thrilled when SitterCity finally decided to address this taboo topic in a recent blog where we could submit anything and it would be addressed and to log on and see this headline, hopefully in our favor for once, I could not wait to respond. As I stated before, at least in the corporate world or any small business world you have the option of calling the actual company you just applied to and get in touch with someone to get the status of your application. Where in the world can you not do that except for here? My whole point to begin with is these parents are just shooting themselves in the foot by being “too busy and overwhelmed” to not respond. I have seen ads posted on many occasions and applied for them as many have. After not hearing a word back, these same parents are showing up again several weeks later needing a sitter again and some are asking out of desperation and I just laugh as many of these sitters probably do and go on to the next ad. It also shows that some of these sitters they are choosing right off the bat are just not working out. I have enough good fortune with my current families both through my agency that I am registered with as well as a couple of sites that I do not feel the need to swallow my pride and “beg” for a second chance. It is sad really. Of course you hope that these families find just what they are looking for, but they need to learn that there are very few of us who will give them a second chance when they did not have the courtesy to respond to us to begin with. I have actually called several moms out on this through this site by mentioning that I had wanted to apply to their latest ad but I remember their name and I had applied before and never heard even a “this job has been filled but thanks for applying.” The responses ranged from “I am truly sorry, I just got overwhelmed, as stated above, to absolute rage that I would call them out on something like this. I was simply trying to get across the point that our time is valuable too and courtesy works both ways. One actual site I am registered with but rarely use has a clause where the sitters must respond to parents within a certain number of days or they will be terminated, huh? They took the same approach as SitterCity, which was to tip-toe around the paying clients but make sure that you fill the sitters in on every possible topic so that we can land these jobs. I have just noticed the number of decent paying clients diminishing very quickly. I claim to come from the land of single unwed moms here in little ole’ Jefferson Georgia because our moms are offering up to 5.00 per hour to care for infant twins 40 hours per week. The sitter service I have been with here in Atlanta for 8 years and has been in business over 20 years, sets our rates at 11.00 per hour for one child and goes up from there for more children, parents hanging around the home, sick children, infants, transporting them and on and on. That seems to be the going rate at least around Atlanta and probably more in other cities. This site seems to have more and more parents asking for someone to come in and “help them out”. In other words, for those of you not trying to make a living and have any kind of life of your own, would you just be willing to come in and watch their children because they are on a budget and the husband is serving in Iraq and they need someone to just help out. I have printed out more than one ad on this site as well as others and carried them into the church nursery where I sit with some of my fellow agency nannies and passed them around while saying “none of you apply to these because these are mine!” It is just a way to get a good laugh. Do these parents not look down and see that others are offering twice what they are per hour and they think all highly qualified nannies will be applying for theirs instead? I have just about given up on SitterCity for finding anthing in the future although I have connected with a few wonderful families that continue to use my services time and time again. It once got so disappointing when I really was needing to connect that I thought of changing my hourly expected rate to 5.00 per hour just to see what responses I would get. Now, if I do apply, I mention I am very interested, I would love to be considered and, SHOULD I HEAR ANYTHING BACK FROM THEM, I will be more than thrilled to submit any background information, references and answer any questions they may have. I would never start listing my references to land a job, have these moms phone all of my wonderful families and still not hear anything back. I would never put my families through that and I hope you all do not either. This has almost become like the credit companies, can’t you just imagine how it makes their day to sit and pilfer through all of your personal credit information and still decide they may not approve you? I can’t help but think how enlightening it is to the moms/dads to have all of your information in front of them and not approve of you but still know all about you in the end. Less is more, then if they are interested we all meet in the middle, right?
January 22nd, 2009 at 12:37 am
I am also curious to the parent to sitter ratio. We/the childcare providers seem to be out numbering the parents by a landslide!
January 22nd, 2009 at 9:05 am
This is a great topic. I too have experienced frustration from applying and not getting any type of response. I am careful about who I apply to and also try to give a personal response. My thought is if they have time to read your profile and decide you’re not a match, then they have time to give you a quick pasted response telling you so. It doesn’t take that much effort if they are already looking at your profile. I once got a response from an application and it had the wrong name on it. I replied back that I was still interested in the position but wanted to verify they meant to contact me since someone else’s name was in the message but never heard back. That was definitely weird. One last thing…to sitters who don’t spell check and grammar check, this could be why you don’t get a response. Multiple errors make you seem uneducated or sloppy. Reading through the posts I saw tons of spelling and grammar errors. Just a little something that parents might look at. Parents need to be able to quickly figure out what you are trying to say.
January 22nd, 2009 at 1:54 pm
I agree with susanlamb! It is often laughable what happens on this site. In a lot of cases parents do not take a childcare provider as a priority in regards to pay, respect, and responsiveness. I wonder if they would try to bargain with their hairdresser on how much they were going to pay for a hair cut?
I too have seen plenty of parents repost jobs; I often chuckle. As an example I worked for a family that I found on sittercity for three weeks. Yes three weeks; it was THAT bad. I waited out my first week to see if I could make it work. It was not happening so I gave my notice and under contract I stayed my agreed upon time of an extra two weeks. This happened almost 3 years ago. I can honestly tell you this person reposts her open nanny position atleast once every 2-3 months (to this day it is still active)!!!! There is a reason.
I am also amazed at my ability of being able to read a posting from someone wanting childcare on various nanny/sitter/sites and be able to guess (accurately without names or e-mail address listed) before even reading the entire posting the parent who wrote it.
I take A LOT of time in my job searches on purpose and I don’t just apply to every job that comes my way. The corporate work world and the nanny work world are not the same. You need to REALLY REALLY love your job in childcare to be able to stay. I don’t just mean as in “I love children.” You need to find a family that you work well and that you share morals and values with because you are behind the scenes in their home. You see people on a whole other level; the good the bad and the ugly! The easiest going children can have a nightmare of parents and so forth.
I can’t seem to accept the fact that parents have no time to respond to your application. Do you think that childcare providers have time to waste? What makes us any less important then anyone else? Is our time not as valuable as the hiring familiy’s time is? Why does this blog state not to write a copied and pasted letter to a parent as a job application to “cut corners” why is that not acceptable? Why are we not allowed to save time on our end? To be honest that is something I would not do but even still why state this? I feel like some of these reasons for parents not to respond are just lame excuses. I also feel that a ton of “tips” for providers are straight out of Captian Obvious’ mouth.
Please note: I don’t expect an answer to my above questions. They are just something for you think about.
On the contrary, I have been very happily employed by my current (5) weekly families. I have been working for two of them for over 2 years. We have mutual respect for each other and my “job” rarely feels like one. I realize that I am very fortunate but I also have realized when a job is worth it and when it isn’t.
Bottom line would probably be:
Experienced childcare providers know what to look for in their job search. Parents send red flags when they don’t respond in anyway to your application or e-mail. They send an even bigger red flag when they re-post their jobs constantly. If you think about it childcare providers that have been seasoned in the field have more hiring/interview/experience in general then some families do. If you add up the years/ hours that some of the sitters/nannies on this site have cared for children of all ages it somtimes greatly surpasses that of the experience of a parent. Perhaps it is time to take a few tips from the sitters themselves. And put a note out to parents that we are perhaps more on top of our “game” then they would think.
January 22nd, 2009 at 1:57 pm
thanks mandybluma. but this is where it gets iffy. i have 2-3 visible tattoos, but about 10 overall. the ones that can be seen are on my wrist, my foot, and my ankle. but if i decide to take the kids swimming, or something of that nature, you’re bound to see a few more.
i just don’t want to try to please people, and MAYBE get a response, and then drive about a half hour to have someone be like, “Oh, you’re inked” then THE END.
it’s just not worth it. gas was, (and still is) pretty high, and i charge “trip” fees when i nanny. hourly fee plus an extra 10-20bucks for making a 30-45minute, etc trip. but it really sucks when i’m looking for another family to work for, and i’m driving to peoples houses for them to be like, No Thanks the minute I walk in the door. It’s frustrating.
People say its my fault. M fault for loving the art of tattooing and children at one time? I don’t get it. I think its our fault if you cant see that i’ll love your children more than anyone else can- and yes, i have tattoos!
January 22nd, 2009 at 2:14 pm
JennyThom13-
I imagine that it would be frustrating if I were in your position. However I say don’t give up. I work as a free-lance artist as well as a childcare provider. I can appreciate the creativeness. I do not have any ink more of less because I have not been inspired enough to have something permanent on me at this point. However I have great admiration for the artistic ability of Kat Von D. and I have designed images for various friends and family. I am completely open minded. Unfortunately (depending on where you live) I would imagine that most families immediately see it as a red flag. I think that is awful to think that way. Way to judge a book by it’s cover. After all don’t you want your children to be open minded; why not teach them how? I always believe that if there is a will there is a way. If you truly feel that being a childcare provider is the thing for you keep at your search. Also I have found that word of mouth is the BEST way for me to land jobs. It may be old fashioned in the computer based age but I have had GREAT success in landing jobs with very kind and respectful families that way! Best of luck to you!
January 22nd, 2009 at 4:32 pm
im extremly sick of applying for jobs right down the street from me, and parents needing someone asap, and just posting profile, and i apply and never hear from them. PARENTS CAN ATLEAST UPDATE PROFILE SAYING “THANKS EVERYONE WHO APPLIED, WE HAVE FOUND A SITTER THAT WORKS FOR OUR FAMILY” if they dont have time to reply to everyone, its very annoying.
January 22nd, 2009 at 11:48 pm
[CORRECTIONS MADE] When I first began with Sittercity, I used to receive so many replies, that I myself was unable to respond back, much less interview with them personally. After a year on the site, I have noticed that many individuals aren’t responding at all. I find it strange actually. Most of the work I receive is by word of mouth, and it’s been great overall. I do agree COMPLETELY with Chall1011, in that the parents should mention that they have found a sitter to fill the position. Lately, if I have gotten any responses at all, it is to say the position has been filled, but their profiles are still posting a position, and they HAVEN’T removed it. P.S. I wish they had kept my background check online. I mean, what is the difference if someone does it for us, or if we get it ourselves. I think that if we already had one, we should be able to keep it.
January 23rd, 2009 at 12:23 am
Wow, this is a touchy subject indeed but I think everyone needs to stop worrying and think if they were the family. Think about it. There are lots of caregivers on this site and that means a whole lotta responses. It may be rude but it is their time. As for not getting a response because of age, it sucks, I know…but its the world. Its not in the parents minds to make you or not make you feel offended, it is to find the perfect match for their family. Maybe there are just going off of pics and bio’s. I’m not sure because I cannot speak on behalf of them. It is annoying, I can assure you that. I have applied to more than 50 jobs in a two week time frame and only got a whopping 3 responses back saying no. Its okay….Its hard but if it wasn’t, why would you want to be in this line of work? If I had children, I’d want the best which I was comfortable with and like…even if it meant just looking at bios and pics. So my final thought. It sucks but don’t take it personally. Nothing is wrong with you, the poster/caregiver. They probably got busy and just selected a certain person, this does not mean you are less of an outstanding care giver. That being said, keep your head up and keep doing what you love
Peace out everyone and get some sleep if you’re from the East coast 
*Lacy
January 23rd, 2009 at 4:10 pm
Wow, this is a hot button issue for sure! I understand parents are busy, but aren’t we all? The idea of an automatic response would definitely help. If a parent were to fill a position, they could just go through and choose to respond to all. Or if they could just remove the job posting, that would definitely help. Also, another suggestion: perhaps sittercity could add a function like some email servers, if a parent reads your application, it could be marked as read. At least that way you aren’t hounding families with emails trying to help them out… I have applied to families who said they had a urgent need and needed someone immediately, but then never hear back? If you are no longer in need of my services, please don’t ignore my attempts.
But like I said, I am not offended if I don’t get a response, I just move on to the next listing
I think it would be interesting to know how families felt about tattoos. I have two. I work for a pastor’s family and he doesn’t mind, but I have also met very many closed-minded families as well.
January 24th, 2009 at 9:25 am
LacyMarie531, stop worrying and not take it personally? What? It has become such these days that no matter who’s complaining, there is always someone to come along and try to “pad” the situation as if we are all over-reacting. I knew as well as my name is Susan that once SitterCity finally decided to address this issue it would create a firestorm, as I mentioned to them in my many requests for the chance to blog about it and look what has happened. The vast majority of these sitters I am reading from seem to be intelligent, worthy, and well-respected nannies/sitters and I do not think we are taking it personally. I have never had to apply to 50 positions in one week, thank goodness, because I established myself as a competent nanny ages ago and have been able to find all of my families through other means. This is not to bash you, but to wake you up to the fact that we have enough sense to know that these families are not personally ruling us out, but are just not following any courtesy protocol when it comes to responding. That my friend, is more than aggravating, and it is only fair that we have an outlet to say “wake up” and realize how this may affect you in the long run. I am not quite sure that they get it. There are so many forums out there for us to voice our thoughts and this is just one of them. I chose to use my full name as my username on this blog and have no problems with it because the majority of my families know just how I feel on this matter and if it reduces the number of future responses I get, so be it! Although at this point, I am not sure it could diminish much more than it already has. Take care.
January 24th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
Here’s an idea of the sitter parent ratio. Within 10 miles of me there are 81 parents and 390 sitters. That’s 4.8 sitters for every 1 parent. And within 50 miles there are 3608 sitters and 922 parents. That’s 3.9 sitters for every one parent. So the sitter parent ratio is between 4:1 and 5:1. Yikes! To figure out your sitter parent ratio just so a search for parents, and then one for sitters. I also did a job search within 50 miles. There are 87 open jobs. So the job sitter ratio is 41:1. That’s 41 sitters for every job!
January 24th, 2009 at 11:31 pm
I do not get upset if a parent does not e-mail me back after i apply to a job. It would be nice to know but I mean if I don’t hear back from them for a few days I assume they are not going to call me and I forget about it. It’s not like I am wondering for months if I am going to get called back. A lot of the parents on this site are full time working parents. I’m sure they would rather spend the precious time it would take to write replies to 100+ (!!!) people they don’t want to hire with their kids. Plus it’s not as though you have to wait to hear back from them before applying to other jobs. Apply to all the jobs you can. If you hear back from more than one, great! Now you have options.
January 25th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
Mandyblue the one thing that isn’t factored into your ratio is the sitters that aren’t active on sittercity. I have a lot of friends that have joined sittercity but then never go on. and those people do still come up on searchs.But I do agree that the sitter to parent ratio is higher than it should be.
Personally,I would prefer a copy pasted message than nothing. I don’t get upset but it does slightly get under my skin.I agree with erinj though.. I apply to as many as I can then wait and see who you hear from. Someone is bound to respond back eventually
January 25th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
You don’t think that there are also parents that are inactive and still listed? I used to work at a gym that would deduct out of members checking account each month. There were hundreds of people that were still paying each month but had not used the gym in years.
January 25th, 2009 at 9:48 pm
The not hearing back is one thing, its just when you expect to start babysitting, meet the family, practically get a house key and they end up not needing anything. It’s so frustrating and you can’t help but take it personal.
January 25th, 2009 at 10:24 pm
I have not had time to read every post but I thought I’d put in my two cents as a parent:
Having read this, I will try to to acknowledge every email that actually responds to the job we’ve posted (not to responses which say ‘available evenings’ when we have posted a daytime job). I am a little leery of nannies who are posting from 25 miles away because I don’t know how they would make the job work even in terms of gas money.
I can’t speak about people who are trying to pay low rates or messing with people because I wouldn’t do that. I don’t know how you’d keep someone with any self-respect that way, plus it stinks.
That said, I am very sandwiched between caring for elderly parents and my kids and their activities and my full time job and I am checking this website in between everything (plus this website is blocked at my job). So I let the ball drop sometimes and don’t get back to people. Not meaning to be inconsiderate!
January 26th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
When I found jobs through the paper and word-of-mouth years ago up north, I never had any trouble finding child care positions. Now, over ten years later, I am using this site and one other, and have not found ONE POSITION. Not one. Not even one one-time job, and I am signed up even as a tutor and housekeeper, though housekeeping is not my specialty. Either there are way too many sitters signed up for the families to sift through, or the families are not following through, because I have applied for literally hundreds of jobs. 99 % never respond! As a former English major, I know it is not my application or my qualifications, so what gives? I have wrote to Sittercity to explain my dilemma, and I do feel that this needs to be addressed further. Why should I spend 3 to 4 hours per week working on my profile, reviewing and responding to new jobs, only to hear silence? Definitely something wrong here. Perhaps we should start charging the sitters a one-time fee to screen out the sitters that are not serious, who are only in it because the economy is bad and can’t find other work? Sounds harsh, but as you can see I am putting the blame on sitters and not just families. By the same token, the families should be held accountable, and if they don’t have the courtesy of at least a “canned response” of a copy and pasted yes or no to our applications, I think they shouldn’t even sign up to be on here. I definitely agree with the above commenter who said that this is not the corporate world, this is personal, this is children and families and we should expect more courtesy than just silence or rudeness! Come on, Sittercity…back your sitters up, as we are your bread and butter.
January 26th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
if it weren’t for the sitters this website wouldn’t exist….time to help us out here, especially the ones that are extremely qualified.
January 26th, 2009 at 2:59 pm
Aside from listening to your experiences, one way we like to help sitters is to empower you and arm you with the tools, tips and resources you need to land more jobs and keep competitive in this industry. And, yes, it is extremely competitive on this site. You guys are the best caregivers in the country and we know that. We will continue to write blogs that address the issues, we will continue to write articles with tips for families and caregivers, we will continue to ask for your feedback, and we will continue to work on the site to optimize it for our members. This is by no means a one-sided endeavor, nor has it ever been, nor will it ever be.
January 26th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
I disagree with charging sitters to join. If there was a fee I would have never signed up, plus we already have to pay $10 for a background check. Sitters with background checks are obviously more serious. When searching for a sitter, sittercity should make that one of the options to filter searches; only sitters with a background check on file.
January 26th, 2009 at 5:23 pm
I also must say that I am against a fee. We are the reason that this site functions and if anything we should have the upper hand. I do know that on other sites that I network through they have a feature that if you don’t sign in to your childcare provider profile within a few weeks they will deactivate your profile. They send you an e-mail to warn you that you have not been active on their site before they do so. I think that would be a better direction to go in rather then charge the sitters. I know that I wouldn’t pay a fee to be on a website either and I don’t know if money would really change if parents/sitters would be more active on this site.
January 26th, 2009 at 8:34 pm
What about lowering the price for parents? Even just a little? I know this site isn’t as much as other competitors but I know many families that just can’t afford to give out that extra money right now, even if its $50. If the prices were lowered, sittercity may get more parents, thus, revenue may equal out over a few months. Just a thought.
February 24th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
I know I am late to respond, but I want to point something out as a parent. I respond to every application I get. However, I am getting really agitated at the amount of ‘cut and paste’ applications that are coming my way. Sitters, please take the time to read the applications before you just reply to everything. I am now on my fifth ‘I am confused by your application’ response because it is very obvious that people are responding to my ad without bothering to take 30 seconds to read it.
February 24th, 2009 at 11:09 pm
@AlabamaNanny
Is you profile 100% complete? Do u have pics & a background check? Do u have references & do your reference reccommend you highly?
Perhaps your Alabama location is why you dont get many job. This site is big in major cities: Chicago, DC,NYC, Floridian cities, California, etc.
If your local paper gets you more jobs then continue to use it. Dont slam this website bc in the past 3 yrs I’ve been hired by7 families from SITTERCITY!
February 27th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
Hi,
I’m quite new here. I have received several responses to my job posting since Tuesday and i have not sent a reply to all them. Only the two I’ve been interested in. After reading the article, I realize that if I were a sitter, I would appreciate a reply as well. So, I will now try to reply to all the applications.
One insight from a parents perspective that may be helpful to the sitter community regards the picture that one chooses to represent yourself.
“A picture is worth a thousand words” - I have no idea who wrote this originally
But whoever did was very insightful. I have overlooked several applications either due to the lack of a picture or the tell tale signs of character and judgement revealed in the picture the person uses.
This is just an honest view of what goes on in my head as I scroll down the lists; the picture is the first impression:
No Smile or Stone Face:
Not a very happy person. Would this person be happy and loving with my child?
Sexy Picture (meaning in a tank top, cleavage exposed, tons of make-up like your going out with friends, etc.):
Absolutely not, I skip those immediately. Would a serious job hunter go to an interview dressed this way? I know there are many young women that are great babysitters but to me this is a sign of immaturity.
Sloppy Picture:
Again would a serious job hunter go to an interview dressed sloppily with hair uncombed and such? Also did this person put effort into choosing a quality photo that does not have a bunch of background activity going on? If they are sloppy with this will they be sloppy with the care of my child?
The Puppy or Children in Photo:
I have a picture of me and my son on my profile. I included my son because he is the one who will be cared for, however, I’m thinking of changing this. But the sitter with the cute dog or cute kid, to me, not necessary and kind of cheesy. But maybe that’s just me. I’m hiring the person not the dog or kid. Standing in a photo with a dog or baby does not tell me a thing about the persons abilities. Now in the other photos apart from the profile pic. interaction with cute dogs and children are fine.
No picture:
A) the person does not have access to the technology to post a pic.
B) they do not know how to use the technology they have
C) they do not want to take the time to go through the trouble to post a picture
In the event there is no picture, I look at the rest of the profile and see how complete the rest of the profile is. This is not one I automatically push aside but I have not replied to one yet.
A picture that shows warmth, maturity, and strong character:
Bingo, sure it’s just a picture and they could be faking, but that’s why there are phone interviews, in-person interviews, and such.
I’m sure that there are some great sitters that I may have passed up because of the photo they picked but those are truly the things that go through my head.
Some of the apps that I have not replied to yet have been because of the photo the person choose or lack there of.
As for the morality of this: I don’t think it is wrong to not reply to all of them. It is true that in applying for any job everyone is not likely to get a response and should not be taken personally. Most of the time the job seeker is the one who has to show the initiative to follow up and in some cases this can lead to a second look at that candidate in a positive light.
I do, however, think it is a nice thing to do for the job applicants and therefore will henceforth practice this.
Good luck to all.
Angelica
March 9th, 2009 at 10:19 pm
While I do respond to all apps, I think that if the child care providers want to be treated as a professional as such in a corporate world , then don’t worry about not getting a response. If you want to find out the status of your app. send an email or call if there is a number just like you would if you were working in the corporate world.
I just read a comment that says if you add up the years/hours a caregiver has vs. that of a parent, it may greatly surpass the parent. I am sorry but I disagree. First, a parent is with the child seven days a week, (not one or two or even 5 days a week) since the child’s birth minus a couple days for whatever reason or minus the time if the parent has a pt or ft job. Not only that we as parents are responsible for when they are sick, we are the ones that get up in the middle of the night if there is a problem and from my experience to some of the ones that have worked for me who claimed to have so much experience, I later found out that they did not measure up at all and were not worth it to begin with. Thank God I am a stay at home mom anyway.
Also, if a parent reposts an ad, did you ever think that the childcare provider they hired may have worked out for a while but then maybe if the parent hires mostly college girls that one may have graduated or their school schedule changed so it no longer works out for the parent or the caregiver they hired in the beginning just wasn’t really what they were looking for (inexperienced caregiver) when said they were or whatever. Consider other options but don’t hold it against a parent as a red flag if the position is reposted every few months (a semester only lasts a few months).
April 15th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
Everyone is allowed thier own oppinion. I for one could care less what my sitter looks like as long as they are good with my kids. My husband and I currently have a 20yr old male babysitting all 5 of my children. He isn’t great to look at and he dresses funny. THE BOTTOM LINE IS HE IS GREAT WITH MY KIDS!!!!
As for sitter jobs…..the economy will set us all back in the child care field. I am currently caring for 2 children and only charge them $7 per hr. Another family I charge $6 per hour. It depends on a loto f things when we set prices. If a parent doesn’t reply to my applying to a job, I will wait a week and then send another e-mail stating if you still need a sitter or need one in the future to let me know. I know it is really hard to write to everyone and such. Remember they do have children so it can be hard to respond right away or even remove posts imediatly.
If I offend anyone I am sorry but, this my oppinion on this matter.
May 11th, 2009 at 11:38 am
I think its crazy that on my statistics it says that 777 have viewed my profile since I’ve been on sitter city. I have only gotten maybe 10 jobs since then. What is up with that?
May 19th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
I think parents could at least write on their profile. FOUND A SITTER ALREADY. when they don’t need one anymore, because then we’re sitting here applying for non-existent jobs, wasting our times.
June 14th, 2009 at 8:18 pm
Hi Fernanda I agree with you. Have you had luck in your search for a job? I think for me I respond and it seems like it takes forever for the parents to respond. I am getting a bit frustrated. I think it would be great to know how many applicants have applied to a postion, so we know whether we should apply or not. Any advice on this subject?
Thanks