The highs and lows of being an Au Pair Nanny

Why Au Pair?

If you are very young and very broke this may well be the most viable option for you!
As an au pair/nanny you can go to a new country and not have to worry about finding a place to live, figuring out bills and dealing with local bureaucracy. You simply move in and begin your new life. It is the easiest way to relocate for sure and definitely the least expensive. Your only cost should be transportation to the family, and sometimes the family will pay this for you, too!

What does this work involve?

The world over busy parents need a "big sister" figure to do all the bits and pieces around their home while they are getting on with work and their social lives. An Au pair's role involves looking after the kids, perhaps dropping them to and from school and activities, making food for them and doing a few bits and pieces around the house (like emptying the dishwasher, ironing etc). The work is normally pretty easy and the hours are minimal, around 20 hours a week. Of course all of this depends on the family in question but if you are working anymore you can expect to get a higher salary.

Au Pair work is relatively easy to come buy and usually doesn't require any qualifications. It is probably best to do this kinds of work in your late teens and early twenties. The salary is normally quite minimal (around 100 euros a week in Europe and $200 in the US/Canada), although working for a wealthier family or having some relevant skills or experience can result in a much higher salary (I was on 400 euros a week). The family normally provides you with bed and board on top of this. So you will not have to worry about paying for accommodation, bills or food.

Where can I do it?

The most common locations to do this kind of work are in Western countries such as in Europe, the US , Canada and Australasia. You can, however, find positions in almost every country in the world if you look hard enough and it is worth noting that expat families living in exotic locations often choose to hire an Au Pair to help with their children's language development.

Why do this job over another?

It is one of the most authentic ways to experience the culture of the country you are in. How better to gain an understanding than by living with the people from there!? You will learn the language and about the food and culture quickly from your host family. Many host families will arrange it so that you are free to attend a language course in your free time if you choose, so if you are hoping to learn a foreign language, this is the most effective job for doing it. Again, some families may even cover the cost of this course.

I am a guy, can I get a nanny job?

In previous decades this kind of work was strictly for girls and women. However up to 10% of au pairs nowdays are guys. Quite often single mothers (normally with sons) want their child to have a male influence in their life and so hire a male nanny/au pair to hang out with and play with their son. So don't rule it out as a cushy way to see the world just yet!

And the negatives?

Of course, this all makes being an Au Pair sound amazing, doesn't it!? Obviously there are down sides. It can be hard living in someone elses house, you can get caught you in family rows sometimes and the children may not be able to see that when you are not working you should be left alone. But you will have your own room to spend time in and if you are lucky may have your own floor or even apartment.

It can be lonely when you first arrive and are trying to make friends. Thanks to facebook though many cities have Au Pair groups that organize social events and put you in touch with other Au pairs in the are. If you make the effort in the first one or two months you will make friends.

This is not really the kind of job where you can hope to save money. What your family gives you will probably cover your social life, sightseeing and shopping, but not be enough for you to save aside from this.

And of course, you may be stuck looking after some serious little turds!

How to find this kind of work?

Many people get Au Pair jobs through family friends, so ask your parents and friends parents if they know of anyone needing a nanny. There are several online agencies that place Au Pairs, you usually create a profile so that families may view you and assess your suitability. Think carefully about what kind of family you want to attract. If you want to work for a professional family, mention that you are a student etc. Mention your dietary requirements in the application, for example, vegetarian families will prefer a vegetarian au pair. I went with Greataupair.com on a few occasion and found them good, though the site is a bit antiquated and slow to use.
Obviously with a job like this, working for a wealthier family can give you a lot of advantages like a nicer living space, possible a higher salary and more glamorous lifestyle, if you are in the UK magazines like "the Lady" often list au pair jobs for well off families so you should look there.

There are of course strange people out on the web and some creepy men might contact you via the site. Ignore these people and be sure you have plenty of communication with a family before agreeing to do a job.

I think it is a wonderful, insightful and fairly easy way to move to a new country however and would recommend it to anyone who has a thirst for exploration, is easy to get along with and likes kids.