you've decided to become an au pair.... now what?
The first step to becoming an au pair is creating a catchy profile. Remember that this is the first thing that potential host families will see and it will give them their first impression of you. If they don’t like what they see or read in your profile, they won’t contact you. So how should you start? I’m going to walk you through each step of creating a profile on aupairworld.com
My main advice for anyone starting out with their profiles is to be honest and give as much detailed information as possible.
step 1
The very first thing you will have to do is register yourself on aupairworld.com.
The screen will look like this:
Click on the “register as an au pair” button, and simply follow the instructions.
There is a note that says “only Premium families” will see your full name and this means that families who haven’t paid for a membership on AuPairWorld won’t be able to see this information. This is something I like because it means that only families who are serious enough to pay for a membership can see your more personal details. Also, no families will be able to see your actual birthdate (not Premium and not the unpaid version). They can only see your calculated age based on the birthdate you enter in your registration.
Further down the page you will have to select the country you are living in and your nationality. This is important because maybe you are German but you’re currently living in the United States, for example.
Then there are 4 options that you need to answer “yes” or “no” to. Answer honestly.
Do you have childcare experience: Answer “yes” if you have cared for children on your own, been a camp counsellor, or worked in a daycare or kindergarten, etc. Answer “no” if you have no experience caring for children at all. *Don’t worry if you haven’t got any childcare experience. Some families don’t mind at all.*
Do you have a valid driving licence: Answer this question based on if you have a driving licence in your country of residence. If you need to drive in your host country, you and your host family can figure out if you need to convert it later.
Do you smoke: be honest because the family could have allergies or asthma or something.
Are you vegetarian or vegan: Answer yes or no in this space and you can explain your choices more in detail in the sections that come in the next part of the registration.
The next section is where you have to describe your language skills. It is ok if you put the same language as your mother tongue and languages you speak very well. We have had au pairs that put a high level in English and as soon as you start talking during the interview, it is evident that they don’t have a high level, so please, just be honest about your language level.
The final step in this section is to create a password and secret question in case you forget your password and you need to reset it. Then you have to accept the terms of agreement to use the website and you will be ready to move on to the next step.
step 2
Next you will be asked to answer a series of basic questions about your intentions as an au pair and when you can start and how long you want to stay. The answers to these questions will show in your quick bio for families to see, and it will also be used to help match you to families based on your dates and desired destination.
The first thing you will be asked is where you would like to be an au pair. Some people know exactly where they want to go and others aren’t sure. Don’t worry, you can select up to seven countries. Only the first question is required and the other two are optional if you know more specifically where you would like to live.
In the next section, the first question is about if you are willing to do housework. Keep in mind that this doesn’t mean that you will be the family’s maid or housekeeper. It usually means doing some simple tasks like tidying the kid’s room or helping with daily tasks like doing dishes.
You can find a more complete explanation of what an au pair can and cannot be asked to help with here.
The next four questions are about when you want to start your au pair stay and how long you would like it to last. If you aren’t exactly sure how long you want to stay, don’t worry. Put the dates that you would like to start, and you can always talk to the potential host families about the exact duration of your stay when you get in contact with them.
step 3
This is the most time consuming part of creating your profile, but also possibly the most important part. This is where you get to show potential host families, with pictures and words, who you are.
Choosing the right pictures is very important. Don’t make a profile without including at least 3 photos. Try to choose pictures that show your personality, your interests and a little bit of your life. Also, add a short description to the picture. You could include pictures of you with your family or with you and your friends or your pet. If you choose to share pictures with your friends, make sure they are appropriate, not a party picture from 2am, for example. If you play sports, play an instrument or have a special hobby, try to include a picture of you doing it. If you have a picture of you gaining childcare experience, you could include it as well, but don’t worry if you don’t have one. Don’t simply upload selfies of yourself. It won’t show the potential host family anything other than your selfie skills.
Here are some examples of the types of pictures you might choose to include…
Next comes the individual sections where you have to write some things about yourself. As I said before, try to give as much detail in each section as possible. Don’t just copy and paste from your main introduction text into the rest of the sections.
My personality
Say something here about how you would describe yourself, how your friends and how your family would describe you. Maybe you are really shy at first but once you get to know someone, you really open up and have a lot of fun. Maybe you have a serious character and you are very detail oriented. You might be the kind of person who likes to make plans and have things very organized or you might be really spontaneous and like to go with the flow. Try to give the potential host families an idea of what you might be like to live with you and how you would be with the kids. The idea here is that the host family gets to know you a little bit to see if you would fit in well with the family.
my family and friends
Here you can talk about things like if you still live with your parents, if you have any brothers or sisters, what types of activities you like to do or don’t normally do with your family. You could share a little bit about your friends and what you like to do together. You could say if you are the kind of person who has a small intimate friend group or if you have lots of different friends who you do different things with depending on the occasion.
my education
Here you should share things that are relevant to being an au pair. The future host family probably isn’t interested in what mark you got on your final biology exam, but would definitely be interested if you have taken any courses in babysitting or children’s CPR. You can also say what you have or plan to study in university or what your educational goals are for the future if they relate to childcare, etc.
what I do in my free time
Here is where you can talk about your hobbies and things that you enjoy doing. Make sure to highlight things that might be relevant to your work as an au pair. For example, if you are creative, maybe you could highlight that you would love to do crafts with the kids. Or, maybe you like cooking and/or baking and you would like to show the family some traditional food from your country. Make sure you put something in this space that isn’t just, “I like to spend time with my friends during my free time.” It’s great if you like to spend time with your friends as it shows that you are a social person, but say something about what you do. Maybe you like exploring new towns or trying new restaurants or something.
my experience with kids
Here is where you need to share anything you have done that is related to childcare. Have you done babysitting, have you helped coach a kids sports team, have you done some volunteer work in a childcare center, have you helped out with summer camps, etc.
If you don’t have any relevant childcare experience, say why you think you would be good with kids and why you are interested in working with them now as an au pair.
My language skills
Here is where you can share what languages you know and you can also share what languages you might be interested in learning or improving. There is no reason to be dishonest about how much of a language you know because your potential host families will discover quickly during the interview if you can or cannot speak the languages.
my motivation
Everyone has a unique reason for wanting to be an au pair and here is where you can tell potential host families what your goals are. If you want to learn more about the culture and be part of the family, say it here. Maybe you want to be an au pair because you want to travel around your host country and being an au pair gives you the opportunity to do that.
My expectations
Some au pairs want complete, 100% integration into the host family’s everyday lives, others want some integration, but also some personal time and others want to put in their time with the kids and then have complete independence from the family. Whatever your desire is, share it so that the host family has a clear idea of your expectations as an au pair.
other important information
This is where you should tell host families if you have any allergies or special dietary needs or any other important details about yourself that are relevant to your au pair stay.
After your have finished your au pair profile, DO NOT forget to confirm your email address. If you don’t do this within three days of creating your account, you will lose everything you have worked so hard to create.
This site certainly has all the info I wanted about this subject and didn’t know
who to ask.