Au Pair Job

Do you enjoy working with children? Are you a caring, loving and responsible person? Are you between the ages of 18 and 26? Do you know some English? Are you looking for a way to finance your educational pursuits? Do you currently live in a foreign country or live in the United States but would like to work in another country? If you've answered yes to these questions then, you should consider working as an au-pair.

An au pair is a young lady that leaves her own country and travels to another country in order to work as a nanny, housekeeper and/or babysitter. She typically works for about a year and in return for her services, she is given a place to live and provided with educational stipend. After her contract is over, she returns home to their home country. In some instances, their host family can extend their stay for 6, 9, or 12 months. The greatest thing about being an au pair is that you have complete flexibility. You are not allowed to work more than 10 hours a day/45 hours a week. In addition, if you are placed with a family with small children (under 2 years of age), you are expected to have at least 200 hours of child care experience.

Responsibilities Au pairs typically work 6-8 hours a day and are primarily responsible for getting children ready for school in the morning, picking them up, helping with their homework, caring for a sick child, running errands, light housekeeping and cooking meals.

Restrictions Now that you understand what an au pair is, we'll discuss important restrictions on au pairs that you should consider if you plan on becoming an au-pair:

1. Although au-pairs are encouraged to work with children, if they are placed with an infant who is under 3 months of age then another adult must be home and fully responsible for the infant at all times. 2. Au pairs are not allowed to care for children with special needs unless they have verifiable experience, training, skill and capabilities. 3. Au pairs must have a high school diploma and be proficient in spoken English.

Benefits In return for their services, an au pair is treated like a member of the family and not as hired help. They are entitled to a private bedroom, meals, a weekly salary and appropriate raises, 1.5 days off every week and one weekend every month, two weeks of paid vacation, and $500 toward the costs of their educational pursuits. In addition, au pairs are also given their own set of keys and area allowed to receive personal phone calls.

How to find an au pair opportunity

There are numerous au pair opportunities that are currently available. If you're currently seeking a position as an au pair, you should contact the Au Pair Association and ask for assistance. There are also thousands of placement agencies that place qualified au pairs. In addition, some agencies also offer matching services and only collect fees when a successful match occurs. In addition, you can search online for au pair jobs or even check the classified section. Before you enlist any organization's assistance, make sure they have a sound reputation for quality and provide you with a written contract for services. In addition, never provide personal information to any classified ad. Evaluate the situation first and be careful.

In conclusion, au pairs provide excellent opportunities for females who love working with children and are looking for a way to subsidize their educational costs and travel the world. Becoming an au pair is a great opportunity and if you're interested, then you'll find it an emotionally rewarding, profitable and fun experience!

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