Finding a Job and working as an Au Pair

Custom Search

Au Pair positions are stagiaire positions which enable young people, after their apprenticeships, or in between high school and going to university to live in another country, with a family and learn about the host countries language and culture. Au Pair positions are not jobs for older people wanting to explore the country and culture!

They are also not cheap labor that replaces domestic cleaning personnel. In general, Au Pair positions are, as a general rule, only open to young females, aged between 17 to 30 years, though acceptable ages vary from country to country and are in some instance limited to 25 only. Some families will accept males as Au Pairs, but there are fewer available positions.

Working conditions for Au Pair can vary widely. But within the European Union (France, Britain, Spain and Germany etc) and some other countries, such as Switzerland, they tend to be fairly similar. Most EU countries have signed the EUROPEAN AGREEMENT ON AU PAIR PLACEMENT which states that the Au Pair shall:

SHORT SUMMARY OF THE EUROPEAN AGREEMENT ON AU PAIR PLACEMENT

	Receive full board & housing from the employing family and occupy a separate room.
	Be given adequate time to attend language courses.
	Have at least one full free day per week, of which not less than one such free day in every month has to be a Sunday. I addition an Au pair has to be give the opportunity to take part in organized religious observance.
	Receive a sum of money, as pocket money) (not a salary). The amount of and the intervals at which it is paid, is to be determined by the agreement signed by the family and the Au pair.*

In some European Countries this is strictly enforced. In others, the situation is more relaxed and accordingly, au pairs are more often exploited in these places. Especially, the hours and the amount of "pocket money" are often items of dispute.

WHAT THE AU PAIR IS EXPECTED TO DO IN RETURN:

	Work about 5 hours per day (maximum of 30 hours per week), looking after children and doing light housework. Au pairs are not salaried cleaning and house staff! It is important that details like working hours, days off, duties etc. are included in any agreement between the family and the Au pair.
	Babysit in the evening, but not more then twice a week.

*) 'Pocket money' rates are currently (Jan 2010) around £250/500Euro/700 SFR per month, though amounts may vary. Often the family also pays for the language school, but this is voluntary!

Obviously no such restrictions apply to Mother's Help or Nanny positions, since, unlike an Au Pair position in some countries, they are governed by standard employment legislation. Mother's Help and Nannies require in most countries to have formal training in this field. Accepting a Mother's help position is not a means of circumventing the age restrictions for au-pairs.

This Site offers Job Seekers the possibility to advertise. It is aimed at Au Pair's, Mother's Helpers and Nannies. In addition, families looking for Au Pairs, Mother's Helpers or Nannies can also put their classified advertisement on these pages.

Visas and Work Permits

Each country has its own Visa regulations. Though Britain, France, Spain and Germany accept Au Pairs from all EU (European Union) states, plus a range of other European countries, without a Visa. Some countries, such as Britain, will only accept Au Pairs from a limited number of countries**). Australia, Canada and the United States have special regulations about Au Pairs and it is essential, that a prospective applicant works either through a reputable Au Pair Agency, or obtains information from the respective Embassy.

If you are not from the EU, check with your au pair agency first, as you might need to apply for a special visa before leaving your country. Do not travel to a country in the hope of finding an Au Pair position on the spot. You risk being deported as an illegal immigrant!

**) Britain and a few other EU countries only accept Au pairs from a limited range of countries:

All other EU Countries and Andorra, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Greenland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland, The Faroes, Turkey, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand

Nationals of other countries can come to the United Kingdom as NANNIES or MOTHER'S HELPS. These posts involve standard working hours, more responsibilities and usually some formal childcare experience/training. If you are interested in these type of posts, advertise in these pages or apply directly to agencies.

How to find an Au Pair Position?

To find a position, you can advertise in these pages and/or contact one of the known specialist Au Pair agencies. For a few selected countries, some of them are listed in these pages. Click here for more information on Au Pair Agencies.

Alternatively, you can have your details listed against a small fee for 120 days in these pages. You do not have to list your address, an email address will be sufficient until you decide that an inquiry is genuine and that you want to reply to the person inquiring. To see details about our listings and the costs, please click here.

You can also have a listing on our pages and, in addition, have us list your details with a number of specialist Au Pair agencies. Please click here, for that option.

You should note that we will not obtain visas for Au pair positions and all agreements are solely between you and the person looking for an Au pair.

How to Find an Au Pair, Mother's Help or Nanny?

You can advertise in these pages to find a person to fulfill your requirements. The advertisement will remain for 120 days on these pages.The interested candidates will contact you directly. The operators of this site will not get involved with vetting the candidates, nor the actual hiring process or obtaining, where necessary, Visa's for the candidates. The only service this site provides is advertising space within the Terms of Use specified.

To select the advertising option, click here.

If you would like to have a pre selection process for candidates, you can choose the option of advertising on these pages and submission of your requirement to five specialist Au Pair Agencies, selected by us. Any fee's charged for a successful search by the agencies are to be agreed on and settled between you and the agency and will not involve the operators of this site. The payment to this site is solely for the advertisement on this site and the submission to five agencies. You will obviously be informed where your request has been submitted.

To select the advertising and submission option, click here.

ezemoney.net

The Home Business Page

The Page that shows you money making opportunities that are real and doable

Full and Part Time Positions making money from

Paid Surveys	Mystery Shopping
Free Cars	Government Auctions
Government Grants	Foreclosures
Starting your Internet Business for not so Quick Money	More Business Opportunities for not so Quick Money

It is always a good thing to know a little bit what to expect, before you enter into an adventure. Being an au pair, is for many people just that. It is often the first time they have been away from home and the first time being abroad alone. The requires some changes and adaptations from you, the job seeker, as well as from the host family, who might have had quite a lot of experience with other au pairs before you came along.

The books below should help you along, what can, normally, be a rewarding and nice experience.

About being an Au PairJob from amazon.com