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

[squiffy]

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.

Whereabouts in the country are you?

feel for you squiffy.... it really is a nightmare! and it takes hours as well, sorry correction days
fingers crossed someone great pops into your inbox today

oh squiffy, it hurts. lol, about 'I wanna ...'

If it is any consolation, I am about to start the process as well. And then it will be 2 weeks of intense courting and correspondence with nervewrecking silences, hopefully culminating in an offer and acceptance. My dh and children won't get a look in. Tenterhooks until the girl actually turns up on your doorstep (I will say to my dh, oh, she's changed her mind, she did not reply to my email within 24 hours). And then the fun really begins.

I get very well acquainted with the Delete and Not Interested button.

FourArms, I am in Kent, near Canterbury. You would think it were Outer Siberia when you speak to AP's Fortunately we are in a position where it doesn't really matter if we don't find an AP, but it just drives me crazy going through the process.

I do have interest from a couple of OK-sounding German girls, but have really been shocked at the attitudes of some of the other applications I have seen (I know this was mentioned recently on another thread too) - they seem to think that a couple of doses of babysitting gives them the right to be called nannies, demand huge salaries and refuse to put a dish in the dishwasher.... it was never this difficult last time I hired, I am sure of it.

blueshoes you have my sympathy, and Jura, I keep my fingers crossed for you.

My sister is looking for a summer job. I've name changed btw recently, so not a newbie. She's 18 (19 in December), and living nearish to you depending upon what side of Canterbury you are on. Can I CAT you for your advert details?

Yes, please do CAT. I am on the Faversham side of Canterbury (3 miles from Canterbury)....

Sent one. If you let me know your ap world or whatever details, I'll get her to email you. They're the other direction unfortunately. Near the airport.

Squiff, what are your requirements?

length of stay?
basic job desccription?
etc etc?

Is it just for summer hols or do you want to keep her for longer?

Little owl, I am fairly flexible on timings - I am looking for an AP primarily for the summer, but am happy to keep an AP on for up to a year (we never seem to run out of ironing...).

It is completely standard AP stuff - help round the house, help at tea/bath times, some ironing, some tidying, babysitting. All completely flexible as she will be there just to help me (and the nanny) rather than do any set sole care hours. 25 hours a week appx, at the standard rate (65-75 ish, depending on hours), with some weekend help required but not much and not every weekend ... someone who can drive is a huge bonus, but not an essential. Accomodation in the annex. No hayfever sufferers (you would be surprised....)

have you had a disastrous hayfever sufferer?

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

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

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?!

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.

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

This link may work better boy toy

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.

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

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

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

Or maybe they are less easily confused than you are.

(just kidding)

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

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.

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.

or 10 years old.