Kate Weeger is a Recruiting Counselor (RC) on the Estate Staffing team. During her time at T+C, Kate has gained expertise on how to transition into your dream role. If you’re interested in successfully building a career as a House Manager or Personal Assistant, you’re not alone. It’s often a logical next step, as employers’ children grow and families have alternative needs.
Progressing Your Career As A House Manager: Tips & Tricks from Kate Weeger, T+C Recruiter
Communicate Your Aspirations
Share your interests and long-term goals to grow into a PA or HM. Discuss which duties you already feel proficient in and what areas you would like to develop. For example, if your employer is planning a party, let them know you’d like to assist in hiring the caterer, purchasing decorations and securing a venue.
A good time to sit down with your employer is during an annual review, but this type of growth shouldn’t be limited to a once a year window. If you’re not due for a review, ask to schedule a meeting when the children are occupied with an activity, already asleep or at school. This meeting will be essential to ensure everyone is on the same page. Be receptive to feedback and communicate areas in which you think your role can grow.
Take Initiative
Think about the responsibilities of the role you aspire to be in. Then, look for opportunities with your own role to showcase your capabilities that are applicable to House Managers or Personal Assistants. Here are a few examples:
- Forward Thinking: Is the family going on vacation? Look at the weather for their location, then wash, fold, and pack any necessary items for the children. Maybe your employer has already asked you to do this task before, but the key to showing initiative is doing it before being asked.
- Operations & Scheduling: Has the refrigerator been acting up? The faucet in the bathroom leaking? Ask your employer if you can schedule a repair person to fix any items looming on the family’s to-do list. Take it upon yourself to manage the repair of household items and be home when the vendors show up. Enter the appointment in a shared calendar so your employer knows you have it covered! Simple scheduling tasks are a great start to show your initiative. You can also ask your employer if she wants you to schedule any personal appointments over the weekend.
- Errands: Offer to take on additional errands beyond those involving the children. Tasks could include handling the dry cleaning; returning items to retail stores, mailing back online orders and shopping for household items.
- Organization & Project Management: Ask if you can organize the children’s drawers and closets. Set aside items that the child(ren) have outgrown. Ask your employer if they would like you to vacuum pack the clothing to save or donate to a local shelter. Ask if you can organize kitchen drawers, linen closets, or the laundry room. Make sure you label and document your process so they can replicate the system.
If you’re looking to build a career as a House Manager and officially make the switch from childcare focused jobs, try implementing some of these tips – show initiative and communicate with your employer.
Considerations from the Employers Perspective
Typically, employers would like to keep their Nannies long-term, but cannot justify the cost once their children are older and no longer need as much care. If you can make a case that your skills extend beyond childcare and benefit the whole family, especially the parent(s), they might be more inclined to keep you employed with their family.
If you need additional assistance or would like more advice, feel free to reach out to a Recruiter at T+C! We can give you personalized tips on how to grow into your current position.