This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Nadya Grisczenkow, a 25-year-old nanny based in Boston. It’s been edited for length and clarity.
Everyone says you go to college, work hard, and you’ll get a good job, and that just wasn’t happening for me.
I started applying to jobs, mostly social media and creative roles, during my senior year at Monclair State University in the spring of 2024. I felt defeated as graduation approached, and I didn’t have any job offers from traditional applications or the PR firm I was interning at. I remember thinking, “I feel like I’m doing all the right things.”
My favorite quote of all time is “what you’re not changing, you’re choosing,” so I decided to pivot for the summer. I moved back in with my parents and siblings, hopped on a website for care providers and people searching for care to find a part-time nanny job, and became dead set on finding a full-time 9-to-5 by the fall.
That summer changed the trajectory of my life. Now I’m a full-time nanny, and I don’t see myself going back. I made up to $1,600 weekly with the first family that hired me.
I felt a lot of pressure to find a traditional job and use my college degree
I got hired as a part-time nanny for an amazing family, a husband, a very pregnant wife, and their toddler, but I saw it as an in-between before finding a corporate job.
As a new grad, navigating the job market was so overwhelming — there was a constant struggle to get my name to the top of the pile of applications. I kept getting my hopes up only to be let down, and the rejections took a toll on me. It got to a point where I really didn’t know what I was doing wrong, but I felt like finding a traditional job was the only option.
It felt like everyone, even my sisters, we’re saying things like “Well, you can’t just nanny,” and it made me feel invalidated. As the oldest of five siblings, I felt a lot of internal pressure to set a good example for them.
I was conflicted when I got a full-time nannying offer
A few months later, my nanny family offered me a lucrative, full-time nanny position for their second child. I hadn’t received any other job offers, and this position allowed me to work with a family I loved and spend more time with my sisters.
There was no reason to even think about turning it down, but I kept telling myself I needed to get out of nannying to feel fulfilled or make the people in my life proud. I feel like so many people don’t see nannying as a legitimate position.
It also felt like I’d be disappointing myself because I had put so much pressure on myself to find a 9-to-5 job in the field I graduated in. We’re ingrained to believe we should pursue a typical corporate job, but I had a gut feeling that wasn’t the path for me.
I realized this is my life, and I enjoy nannying, so I took the job.
My fears went away when I started working and got my first full-time paycheck
After accepting the full-time offer, I worried I might get “stuck” nannying or that I’d feel like the odd one out among my friends because I’m changing diapers all day instead of having meetings. When I started working with a wonderful family and making $30 an hour, those fears melted away.
I really lucked out with my nanny family, because the mom, Hannah, and I became a true dynamic duo. We would take the kids everywhere together while her husband worked from home. She is now my best friend.
There were times I felt burned out from being around kids all day — it’s certainly not for the weak — but I was so happy and enjoyed supporting their family. I’m now living in Boston, working for a new family with three kids, and travel-nannying on the side.
Being a nanny makes me feel useful
I feel like when we’re thinking about our careers, we’re taught to figure out our natural skillset and how we can use it to get to the next level. As the oldest sibling, I’ve always been the nurturing, type A person who’s used to managing chaotic energy. I enjoy feeling helpful and supportive.
I thought back to my PR internship and realized that I sat at my cubicle and never felt truly useful. I was an intern, so of course I was doing bottom-of-the-barrel admin tasks, but I didn’t feel like I was being used to the best of my abilities.
As a nanny, I feel so validated, seen, and fulfilled when I’m able to use my skillset to support my nanny family. Not everyone will understand nannying as a career choice, but I feel like I’m finally using my skills in the best way possible.
I don’t see myself quitting nannying
I feel like I always put so much pressure on myself to have my next steps figured out, but I don’t see any reason to shift out of nannying for a traditional 9-to-5. This version of my life makes me feel happy.
Once I learned to free myself from expectation, I realized that no matter what path I choose, I’ll be successful if I feel fulfilled.
My current version of success means working a lot, maintaining a balanced life, supporting an amazing family, and making a lot of money. I shifted from wanting to be a successful corporate worker to feeling really confident in my choice as a nanny.
Do you have a story to share about taking an unconventional career path? If so, please reach out to the reporter at tmartinelli@businessinsider.com.
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