Hey guys, so I recently did the APIA Instagram takeover. I covered this topic on there, but I wanted to put these words in a document and blog because I’m sure it will get lost in the swarm of amazing photos that is on the Instagram. And this list is just WAY TO GOOD to get lost in the swarm of photos.
When host families are looking in the pool of au pairs, it can be a little over-whelming, or even dare I say it?.. Underwhelming. Lovely girls, boring profiles. Boring videos. When my second year was ending, I helped my host mom go through what seemed like hundreds of au pairs. I would favorite the ones that I liked and the ones I thought she would like. So, I got to see all the profiles from a host family point of view.
I’ve written up my online profile twice, written two letters, made two videos, and the list goes on. So I have a pretty good idea of how to stand out in the crowd.
So, here are my TEN tips to help you stand out in the crowd:
#1: PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION
… to the small details in your profile. Like grammar, punctuation etc. It goes a long way. Also, pay attention to your profile picture. That’s what they see on the pool of applicants. Make it fun & smile.
#2: MAKE SURE YOU MAKE A KICK ASS VIDEO
One that is engaging, fun & represents you! Don’t just sit there and talk to the camera. #boring. THE VIDEO IS THE FIRST THING MOST FAMILIES LOOK AT. If it’s boring they may move right along to the next au pair. It is a great way for families to get some insight into you. How is your English, what is your personality like, did you put effort into filming and making the video? Here is the link to my blog post about making a video.
#3: DO NOT READ FROM CUE CARDS
… for your video. It is soooo obvious. Just be natural. It’s fine to make a list of what you want to talk about to remind yourself, but do not read word for word.
#4:
THE MORE CHILDCARE EXPERIENCE YOU HAVE
… the stronger your profile. Both the amount of hours AND the variety of ages. Host families can search purely by hours of experience or ages of children worked with. So yes, the amount of hours and ages does count!
#5: BE AWARE OF WHAT YOU’RE POSTING ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Ok, but seriously, real talk for a second. What is your profile picture like? Is it appropriate? If you were a parent and looking for an au pair, and saw your pictures, would you hire you? What are you sharing? Like any job, host parents will search your entire social media and see what you ACTUALLY get up to. Inappropriate pictures won’t help your profile and will deter a lot of families. FACT!
#6: PUT SOME EFFORT INTO THE ‘ABOUT YOU’ SECTION OF YOUR AU PAIR PROFILE
Be detail-oriented. This section and the video is how they get to know more about you and your childcare experience. These paragraphs should be an expansion of your video. Expansion of who you are, where you come from, your family, hobbies, previous jobs, childcare experience etc.
#7: CHECK YOUR EMAIL
Many host families will contact you via email! If you’re not checking your email daily, twice daily, or more, you may be missing out on a family. All the families that contacted me were via email. Many of them won’t WhatsApp you as first contact. They probably want to say something longer than the length of a text, so check your email. If they don’t hear back from you, they may move right along to the next au pair. Especially if the family is looking for one quickly.
#8: BE ON TIME
… for your interviews and try to not reschedule. It doesn’t look good for you and makes you appear that you aren’t punctual and you’re not completely invested in this experience. If you can’t show up on time for an interview, how can they be sure you will show up on time to watch their children.
#9: MEMORIZE
… every family members NAME for your interviews. It shows you have read all their information, you’re prepared and interested in their family. Refer to them by their names when you are talking to them as well.
#10: BE PRESENTABLE
I remember, I would look from afar at some of my host moms interviews and girls would be wearing pajamas or even just really inappropriate clothing or some showing no effort at all. My host mom would comment on it, too. Treat the interviews like any other job interview. Put in some time and effort. Do your hair, put a little makeup on if that’s your thing. Put some actual clothes on. A little effort goes a long way.
