Find Your Own Mary Poppins

The phone interview can be an effective and efficient screening process. As a good first step, clarify the specifics of the job before you even begin to get into the heart of the interview. Then, follow a list of written questions, compiled in advance, so you're sure not to forget to ask anything important. The questions you ask will be specific to your individual needs, but in general you will want to know:

• The skills she will bring to the job
  
• Why she has chosen "nannying" as her profession
  
• Her attitude about discipline
  
• What her ideal job would be