Work As An Au Pair | Travel The World While Babysitting
What would be your dream way to spend a year after finishing school or as a break from your routine? If you said traveling the world then you’re definitely in the right place! Here we’ll tell you all about a way to travel the world while making money and actually living a country’s traditions. That’s right! If you work as an au pair you’ll be doing all that and so much more!
Find below the ultimate guide with everything you need to know to work as an au pair. Get ready to live an amazing life experience with a well-paying job and countless opportunities. You can study another language, maybe take a vocational course or get a college or master’s degree! But, first things first, let’s go step by step through the process to work as an au pair.
Work As An Au Pair | Travel The World Working As A Babysitter
Working as an Au Pair is much more than babysitting. It is about a person who is welcomed by a family to carry out this work. And, in addition to a salary, being an au pair gives you free room and board. Depending on the case, you may be asked to perform some household tasks related to the children.
But, that’s not all! The word au pair comes from French and means “at the same time.” For you, this means that you can do more things in the country while you work as an au pair. The education sector is of particular interest to those who decide to do this kind of work. Many au pairs start or further their studies in the sector to accumulate experience while they learn!
Conditions to Work as an Au Pair
Of course, this mostly depends on the destination you choose. There will be variations and you can negotiate directly with the host family. Normally, the workload ranges from 20 – 40 hours per week with two weeks of paid vacation per annual contract. It is worth mentioning that the maximum period of stay to work as an Au Pair is 12 months.
For example, working as an Au Pair in Australia has a remuneration of AUD 24. And, the workday cannot last for more than 10 hours. Furthermore, you’d get one day off per week. In proportion to the Australian cost of living, this is a well-paid job.
How to work as an au pair abroad?
Working abroad is not easy. But that’s no excuse to stop trying! Because once you finally do it, you’ll be eternally grateful for the experience. That said, let’s get to the meaty stuff. How can you get there? Well, the best way to work as an Au Pair is to take an Early Childhood course.
This is ideal for those who have a vocation for early childhood education and want to continue exploring this field. Furthermore, this allows you to get out of your comfort zone. All ideal traits of a creative teacher!
Studying Early Childhood to Work as an Au Pair
Maybe you’ve already done work as an Au Pair and discovered that your true vocation is working with children. Or you have the slight suspicion of the latter and what you want is to confirm it is for you. In either case, you’ll surely find various educational programs to become an Au Pair. But the most recommended is to study Early Childhood.
This is a VET (Vocational Education Training) course aimed at professionalizing the skills and abilities to work in this sector. So, you will be studying and getting practical experience at the same time. Of course, the boost to your career comes not only from studying abroad. But from the complete experience of cultural exchange, which brings with it a great deal of learning and rewards.
At GrowPro we can help you with this. We have an Early Childhood course in more than one destination! Check them out!
Requirements to Work as an Au Pair Abroad
Naturally, each country has its own peculiarities to work as an Au Pair. But there are certain requirements that you must meet if you are working with children. The main one is to have a work visa, of course. But let’s go part by part:
Be between 18 and 30 years old
We don’t want to seem obvious. But to be able to work as an Au Pair, or any other job abroad, you must be of legal age and the legal minimum age for this is 18 years.
Not having kids
The majority of those working as Au Pair abroad are young women. They are welcomed by a hostess to take care of her children. So bringing one more member to the home can complicate things. Take into account that not having kids is not necessarily a requisite. It will all depend on your host family and their personal and working conditions.
Get the right visa
The best visas are those that enable you to study and work as an au pair at the same time. So, the Student Visa and the Work and Holiday Visa are ideal. The first gives you a 40-hour biweekly shift, while the second allows you to work full time.
Have minimum knowledge of the country’s language
Being an Au Pair is quite popular in Canada, the United States, Europe, and Australia. So, for those places, English will suffice. But, suppose you’re thinking about working as an au pair in Spain. Well, then you would need some knowledge of Spanish to start. It would be hard to interact with the children if you cannot communicate with them.
But, don’t worry! By interacting with a language all day, every day, you’ll be fluent in no time. That’s quite an opportunity, isn’t it?
Have a proper work permit
Some countries, like Canada, do not yet have strong regulations for work as an Au Pair. But others are quite the opposite. For example, in Australia, you must obtain a Blue Card. This is a permit to work with minors granted by the government, not only for childcare. But also in education, health, sports, and other areas.
Experience and patience to work as an Au Pair
Patience is a given. When working with children, you already know that not everything is fun and games. Previous work experience is a plus that will always work in your favor. Furthermore, it will help you be ready for what will come next. That way, you’ll only have to adjust to a new life in an entirely different country. Easy breezy, right?
Driver’s license
It is not exactly a mandatory requirement to work as an Au Pair. But being able to move on your own will add points to your application. Many times the work is in urban areas far from the center where the car becomes a necessity. Of course, this applies to any other type of work.
Where to Look for Work as an Au Pair
There are several websites specialized internationally in recruiting for work as an Au Pair abroad. You can enter and find out much more information about the process. Here are some of the most outstanding:
Work as an Au Pair and Study Early Childhood with GrowPro
So, are you loving the idea or what? Better yet! Here at GrowPro, we’re here to help you make the big step! We have many years of working with young people who have dared to live new experiences. We can help you organize every detail of your trip. Besides, we are experts in taking care of the paperwork. So, you only have to worry about the country you want to live in!
Will it be Canada, Australia, New Zealand even? Make your choice and then continue your adventure with us. Upon arrival at the airport, we’ll pick you up and keep taking care of you. You’ll be invited to our events where you’ll meet other travelers like you. And, of course, if you have any questions during your stay, we’ll be there to help you out.
Choose your experience, fill out the form, and let one of our Student Advisors resolve all your concerns. Let the adventure begin!
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