At one time a plum job for the daughter of a middle class family, especially one with connections in the right places, was to become a governess to an even more affluent family. This would generally involve the day to day care of a family’s offspring, teaching them how to read and write, basic geography and history. Sometimes a foreign language could also be expected. In Jane Austin’s Mansfield Park, there are a few references to the daughters in the main family having a particularly efficient governess. She was able to teach her wards all the history of the Roman Empire and they could both recite every king and queen of Great Britain and her dominions by the time they were ten years old. That does stretch the imaginatin rather. Today there are still very plum jobs to be had with top families in London and other areas of the UK and across the globe.
For the most serious of candidates who know early on that they want to be part of a family, taking charge of the babies and young folk from the word ‘go’, then investing in an internationally recognised college can be the most rewarding path. They have rigorous training schemes, not a case of just prancing around with the latest design of pram or pushchair. There is the small matter of knowing what to do with the baby once they are out of the peramublator! The fees to attend these establishments are very high but the possible payback can be easily as good in a short time. A good qualification from the the right Nanny college will almost guarantee a placement anywhere in the world. In fact there are rarely enough qualified nannies coming on to the market each summer to satisfy the demands of the aspirational families. Looking at the advertisements in the recruiting pages of the top society magazines reveals that salaries can be eye watering. Of course, the higher the salary, the more responsibility the nanny is expected to take on. But to get in with the right family can offer a fantastic life ahead.
