Teacher benefits from career switch to maternity matron and nanny

I majored in Chinese language and literature for my undergraduate studies, and in Chinese teaching for graduate studies.

I imagined being a school teacher as a career for life, but I only worked as teacher for 18 months at a middle school in my hometown of Qingdao city, Shandong province.

School assessment for children was different from my values, and more important, the salary was quite low. I earned 4,000 yuan ($549) a month in 2013, and had almost nothing left after I paid the mortgage for my apartment.

I then learned about the profession of maternity matron, which is quite highly paid.

Newcomers to the job only need to visit maternity care centers to see how experienced workers take care of newborns. Unlike nannies, who have to be equipped with an entire set of skills to look after babies and toddlers, maternity matrons can quickly master the skills needed for the job.

In my first job as a maternity matron, I earned 8,000 yuan a month — less than the average salary for this work, as the client didn't need me to take care of the baby at night. However, the salary was still satisfactory and I no longer faced financial stress.

After working for different new parents for a year, I began to think about my career prospects. I decided to become a nanny, as the job centers on child psychology, child recognition, and different schools for early childhood education.

After working in the industry for years, I found that it still lacked systematic regulations and that the workers' standards varied, as many of them provided housekeeping services based on their own daily life experiences and habits. In 2021, I decided to become a trainer at Shine Services, a home service agency based in Shanghai.

Housekeeping is a special job, as it is closely connected to a client's personal and family life.

The training begins with ways to greet clients when first arriving at their homes, preparing food for a child, and how to share clients' times of joy and sorrow while keeping some distance from them to respect their privacy.

Clients respect us, as we provide specialized knowledge and skills in taking care of babies. However, some nannies feel uncomfortable staying at a client's home day and night. In addition to the physical fatigue, they feel mental stress, so we often tell them that the job requires a high emotional quotient and is similar to dealing with a close relationship.

Over the years, policies covering the industry have become more complete, and social recognition for the profession has risen as big companies take the lead in building up professional standards.

I have a strong recognition for my job, and look forward to working in the industry for a long time.