The 5 Most Valued Qualities in an Au pair
A difficult decision for host families
Finding the right girl is a difficult decision for host families and they often take various precautions about who they will choose as the future Au Pair who will take care of their children. That is why we share some of the most important points that are taken into account so that you are prepared during your interview stage.
Be trustworthy and honest : All families value these qualities in a future Au Pair. One of the main ways to demonstrate your reliability will be your punctuality. Be punctual at the agreed time for your interview via Skype, prepare your connection in advance and make sure you have a backup (another phone, computer and an extra stable internet connection) to reconnect if something goes wrong. The second thing will be to keep calm and act in the most natural way possible, just as you are, but always with respect.
Show that you love children: During the interview with your future host family they will ask you about your experience in childcare, your way of describing the situation will give them a very close idea of how you will be with their children, at the same time, Most likely, your children (your future children) will be present to have a first approach and can evaluate the chemistry that exists between you and them. Focus on the children.
Be cheerful and optimistic: They may seem insignificant, but they represent the most important values, not to say that they become the main factor in your being chosen. Why? Being true to the truth, spending enough hours a day with the same people becomes difficult. Add in that your future children break some paint inside the house, dirty their clothes with tomato immediately after they have been changed while jumping and screaming non-stop. Trust us, we tell you from experience.
Childcare Experience Type: You might think that showing the most hours will help you with your future host family, but no. For your future family, the type of experience will be more important to find the greatest affinity with their children. It is not the same to have taken care of two children occasionally during a year than to spend a full summer in charge of 4. Explain in detail your type of experience and the tasks that you are able to carry out to recognize if you are suitable according to the profile of your future family and Avoid getting into a situation that exceeds your capabilities.
Be creative: Whether you master a language extra to that of your future country as an Au Pair, practice a musical instrument, learn painting techniques or some other particularity, to show that you have skills or ways to entertain and amuse the little ones. It will be essential in your evaluation.
Do you have them? If your answer is no, don’t worry, now you know them, pay special attention to your weaknesses and get ready to become the Au Pair that your future family is looking for.