Hello and welcome to my blog! I am assuming you are reading this because you are thinking about the idea of being an Au Pair or are already in the process of finding your Au Pair job. Whichever it is, I hope this blog post helps you with adjusting to this new and exciting journey! This post is specifically about the process of finding an Au Pair job and some things to consider about your search. I will be writing another post about the job itself later, so keep an eye out for that as well.
I will first start by talking about my experience so that you know my advice is valid đ I have Au Paired on two separate occasions, but with the same family, in Italy. 
Each time I stayed with them I stayed for 3 months. My first stay was in the winter and my second stay was in the summer. I had a wonderful experience and I believe that anyone who loves children and is looking for a way to travel and work at the same time should try it. The reason I am writing this post is because I wish i had done a little more research on what it meant to be an Au Pair before I actually decided to do it. I think blogs are the best way to decide whether this job is for you because you can read a first hand experience from someone who has done it before. So, here are a few tips for the process of becoming an Au Pair.
- Know what you want! I went into my Au Pair experience blindly because I didn’t really know what I wanted or what I was doing. I didn’t have any boundaries for myself and I was willing to go anywhere with any family because I was just so excited to start my journey. While I believe it is important to be flexible, I also believe you should have some kind of idea on what you want. Some things to think about are the area you want to be in, how long you want to be gone, how many children and what ages you are comfortable looking after, how many hours you want to work, if you require your own bedroom and bathroom, and what type of family you want to work with (active, easy-going, travelers, busy). Not only are these all very important in finding the perfect job for you, but it will also help you narrow down your search.
- Know what you are getting in to. Many young people think that Au Pairing is the perfect way to live abroad for free and party all the time. While I agree it is a very fun experience, it is also important to remember that this is your job! It is not appropriate to go wild and come home completely wasted every night. Of course during your free time you should be free to do what you want. Go out and have fun. Just remember you are coming home to a family with young children. Be respectful to the people who are providing you with this amazing experience. They are sacrificing a lot (their money and their privacy) to welcome you in to their home. Treat this time like any normal job and you are more likely to have a better experience and relationship with the family. I also would like to make you aware that this job is not always easy. When you travel to a different country there are many cultural differences that are hard to adjust to. Children can also be very hard to handle at times. They are not always sweet and funny. Once you actually live with children you will see their evil side as well đ Despite the hard times, you will experience plenty of amazing times to make up for them.
- Don’t make a commitment to one family right away. I made the error in only talking to a few families before I committed to one family. I loved the family I ended up with, but I just wish that I would have given myself more options so I could have known what else was out there. Talk to as many families as you can! Make sure your profile is very detailed and you have some pictures to show off your personality. This will attract families and you will get more applications. Don’t rely on only they people that apply for you. Apply for some families yourself. If they say no then its not a a big. At least you gave it a try. Talking to as many families as you can will help give you a feel of what you want and what you don’t want in a family. Some families pay more than others, some families will require more work than others, and some families just simply seem more fun than others. Give yourself many options to choose from.
- Ask a lot of questions. When you are messaging back and forth with the families, don’t forget to ask them questions. This helps you get to know who exactly you are talking to and what to expect from them. Here are some examples: What would an average work day for me look like? Am I required to do any work other than taking care of the children? What language do you prefer me speaking when I am around the family? What would my hours and pay be? Will I have my own private bedroom and bathroom? How many days a week do I have off? What do you expect from me (babysitter or English language teacher)? How long do you expect me to be your Au Pair? There are many more questions you can ask. Once you figure out what you want you will have more of an idea of what you want to ask your families. Don’t be afraid to ask some questions that may seem a little more selfish. You can ask them about what there is to do on your free time and if you get vacation time. Although you may not want to start out with those questions because you don’t want them getting the wrong idea about your intentions there.
- Narrow down your options and do some interviews. Cut down your options to about 2 or 3 families that you really like. You should Skype with each of these families so you can see them face to face and get to know their personality a little better. I would suggest Skyping each family a couple times before you choose which one you like the best. Also, make sure you meet each member of the family through Skype so you can get to know who you are potentially going to be living with. Once you make your decision then you can politely let the other families know that while you appreciate their consideration, you have chosen to go with a different family.
- Choose a family and stay in contact with them until your arrival date. You have your family! Now comes the exciting part. Talk with your family about when you are going to arrive. Depending on where you are coming from, where you are going, and how long you are staying, you may need a visa. I didn’t need one because as an American I can stay in the European Union for 90 days without a visa. Use your family as a resource and they may be able to help you with some documents if you do need a visa. Make sure you stay in contact every once in a while up until you arrive so that everything is comfortable once you do get there.
So there you have it! Hopefully you are now ready to begin your process as an Au Pair. I hope this information wasn’t too overwhelming and on the other hand I hope it wasn’t too much of what you already read before. Comment and let me know if this was helpful for you and/or if you have any other questions about being an Au Pair. Also, like I said before make sure you keep checking back on other blog posts about my experience as an Au Pair! (:
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