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Au Pair recruitment. Can you please bear with me while I just SCREEEEAAAAMMMMM

61 replies

squiffy · 24/06/2008 10:30

I had forgotten how soul destroying it all is. There I was, chatting to my fab live-out nanny about the upcoming holidays and like a fool I suggested that, if she wanted, I would get an AP in to give her a hand as she has a lot more work....

What was I thinking of?

I have tried all those fab recommendations that people have made on here for agencies (am too late of course) and am now trawling through those websites (we all know them - 400,000 AP's world-wide but none of them manage to achieve the holy trinity of right to work in UK, willingness to work outside of London, and the vaguest interest in actually doing an AP role for an AP salary).

I now have an inbox full of people who said they can drive, but can't; said they don't smoke, but do; who hope very much that I don't mind their (very tidy) boyfriend coming along, and who are definately definately keen but can they please arrive on 6th July and leave on 2nd August....

I have managed to hold it together until just now, when I opened another application and - for the third time this morning - came across that marvellous English phrase "I wanna..."

Straw. Back. Camel, I know, but aaaarggggghhhhh.

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MrsRecycle · 25/06/2008 14:55

..absolutely KC but dd1 would object as he is defnitely her type.

Kewcumber · 25/06/2008 14:54

or mummysitting...

Anna8888 · 25/06/2008 14:54

squiffy - I'd put hours in (if your German doesn't materialise) eg "proposed working hours are 3 to 6 pm daily, with two evenings babysitting, and Saturday mornings from 9am to 1pm" (times may be negotiated).

MrsRecycle · 25/06/2008 14:53

last night dh was saying that we might need an AP in October and I said NO WAY. A few weeks ago he said we should try a Male AP and I said NO WAY. After seeing AT's link, I've just rang dh up and told him I've changed my mind (a woman's perogative) off to CAT hunk and offer him mega bucks to become my next AP. KC - I can see if he is available for babysitting.

Kewcumber · 25/06/2008 14:48

have you thought of advertising locally for a mothers help?

imananny · 25/06/2008 14:46

oh i see

you want more a mothers help/ap then

or maybe someone to clean/iron

def DONT want to put nannies nose out of joint

good luck

Kewcumber · 25/06/2008 14:45

"Is there an advanced search function you use to find these hunks? " And how do I apply this search function to my life?

squiffy · 25/06/2008 14:41

Mind you, Athene, that chap would certainly look good in the jacuzzi.

Is there an advanced search function you use to find these hunks?

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cluttercup · 25/06/2008 14:38

I'll join you on the au pair hunt ..... as I am sick to the back teeth of "I have lots of experience" (babysat twice), "confident cook (microwave food) and I dont smoke (very much...). A big aaahhhhhhhhh from here too!

Crossed fingers we have found someone who wants to come to rural Essex (far more isolated than Canterbury and without a beautiful cathedral!)

Good luck everyone

squiffy · 25/06/2008 14:36

what I've been advertissing says the following:-

We would like our au-pair to work for 3 hours a day during the week, plus 1 or 2 nights baby-sitting per week. The main duty is to help in tidying the house (for example, loading the dishwasher, helping with laundry, ironing) and on some days to help our nanny with teas and baths and playtime. We have a weekly cleaner so there is no heavy housework required. We will want someone who is willing to to help out for a few hours at the weekend (but not every weekend of course - it will be flexible depending on what the AP's plans are). The total weekly hours will be around 25, and we can be flexible if for example our AP needs to study on certain days during the week.

Which sounds pretty clear to me. From what I can tell it couldn't be any more bog-standard in terms of an Au Pair?

I have had tons of interest, but they fade when they realise that I am living 10 minutes walk from a village, and the village itself is 15 minutes on a bus from anywhere.... this seems to be the killer.

imananny - students wouldn't work because there is already a nanny there for much of the time, so the students would definately not get the experience they are looking for, the nanny herself would have her nose put out of joint a little, and I would end up paying more for extra skills I don't need....

Saying that, I seem to be doing OK-ish in chats with a German girl at the moment..... wish me luck. She's the only one left....

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Kewcumber · 25/06/2008 14:28

good point. Maybe I should interview him though...

AtheneNoctua · 25/06/2008 14:22

or 10 years old.

Kewcumber · 25/06/2008 14:20

athene - having followed that link I'm suddenly reealising my urgent need for an au pair.

Bet he doens;t really look like that, its aphoto of his cousin.

Anna8888 · 25/06/2008 13:33

Just trying to find a rational explanation for squiffy's lack of takers

My sister has just employed a summer au pair and had to reconcile herself to fixed hours in advance - which was quite hard, since my sister doesn't yet know when she is going to really need the help.

imananny · 25/06/2008 13:25

squiffy - if you really only want an AP for summer to help with nanny, would you consider employing someone training to be a nanny, who wants some experince and a ref to help her find a job when out from college?

would cost a bit more, but might be passable, is there a canterrbury college, if not then there is west kent college in tonbridge/kent, as well as one in chatham/kent

AtheneNoctua · 25/06/2008 13:24

Or maybe they are less easily confused than you are.

(just kidding)

Anna8888 · 25/06/2008 13:22

OK... it was the "not every weekend" that was very confusing.

If I am confused, maybe squiffy's advertisement is confusing the au pairs.

AtheneNoctua · 25/06/2008 13:21

Anna, she means on call during the set 25 hours each week, not outside of them.

Anna8888 · 25/06/2008 13:17

squiffy - is the AP supposed to be permanently "on call" for her 25 hours? It sounds a bit like it from your post (though please forgive me and clarify if I am wrong about this).

If she were supposed to be "permanently on call" the job is awful for that pay/conditions.

AtheneNoctua · 25/06/2008 13:15

This link may work better boy toy

AtheneNoctua · 25/06/2008 13:13

Perhaps, Squiffy, you prefer a Romanian to the Turk. And of course this would have the added advantage of helping to get your nanny'smind off of her boyfried in Manchester.

Romanian hotty

catepilarr · 25/06/2008 13:07

well i do have hayfever and worked for country and farmer families and never had any extraordinary problems. depends what sort of pollen you are allergic to.

Kewcumber · 25/06/2008 12:31

oh dear Squiffy. Well be fair you do have an unreasonably long list of demands...

no smoking
no hay fever
driving if possible
passable english
availbale to the summer

Will the list never end, you slave driver?!

AtheneNoctua · 25/06/2008 12:21

Have asked my nanny if she knows anyone. She said she might and will let me know.

squiffy · 24/06/2008 16:04

Not yet, but the number of times I specifically ask about this and get a reply "well, yes, I do suffer from Hay fever, but I am sure I will be fine....". Umm, no. Not in a 200 acre farm, you won't

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