we need an au pair to start at end March or early April - any suggestions?

[MizZan]

Our current lovely AP is leaving at the end of March (as planned), and we are really struggling to recruit a replacement. I guess that is not a popular time of year to start. We'd be looking for someone to stay 6 or 9 months. Any takers? Any suggestions - other than AP World, where I seem to spend hours composing emails to girls who have either already found another family, or can't get a visa (Ukrainians can't come as APs - is that right?). We are a nice family, 2 kids, 30 hrs a week, right in the heart of Cambridge, if anyone knows of candidates by any chance. thanks.

have you tried gumtree?

That's where we get ours usually

Hi Mizzan - We have talked before, I live south of Cambridge. Last au pair has just left us (as planned - got new one now) but she did mention that one of her friends had been 'let go' due to host parents cutting back on expenses and others were looking for new host families..I can email her and see if any of her friends are interested (might take a while to get a reply though since she is taking exams at the moment).

Hi Millarkie (waves) - hope it's all going ok - I saw your other thread about issues with the new au pair :-( Sure, any feelers you could put out would be very welcome. I'm really struggling to find someone this time, nothing like recruiting in the summer. Have had a few respondents to a gumtree ad I placed, but most of them sound a bit dodgy, unfortunately. We need an AP because I work, so there won't be any letting someone go to cut back on expenses (unless I get let go myself, but I have no reason to think that's likely at the moment, fortunately).

Let me know what details you need - for us the main ones are, person needs to be able to start around end of March/early April, preferably willing to stay 6-9 months (can't face going through this again 2 months from now...), needs to be able to provide some references, of some kind (our current one had them from a family she babysat for, and her English teacher at home).

thank you!

Hi, I was wondering if you could email me the name of your last AP, or just confirm it began with J didn't it?? It will be helpful cos then I can say to my ex-AP that J's host family is looking for someone (kind of a host family reference) rather than 'someone I know via the internet'

Mizz

Having looked at the whole visa thing in detail recently. You can employ au apirs from: the EU, EEA (European Economic Area - basically all of Western Europe that is not in the EU, but not Ukraine), these all have an automatic right to enter and work in the UK; Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Japan under the Youth Mobility Scheme visa.

BTW I think our APs may know each other (I am to the NW of Camrbridge) was yours out clubbing at the Regal late Saturday night/Sunday morning?

Hi Millarkie - yes, it's a J (Judith). Thanks very much indeed.

DIOM - thanks for the visa info. Could be they know each other, yes. Was yours perhaps the AP staying over at ours on Sat. night (also a J), who wasn't well? Or another one from the gang? Ours was definitely out till the wee hours on Sat. night, however I must confess I didn't get the details of exactly where :-)

Mine came back, (relatively quietly) and sober (apparently one from the gang lost her licence before Christmas for being over the limit!), though was a little tired on Sunday.

How badly not well, bad enough putting up with your own APs behaviour, having to put up with somebody elses!!

MizZan, have you thought of advertising for a male AP? I was overwhelmed with applications from males when I changed my AP world ad, and they were all really keen.

I had only had females before but I now have a Spanish chap and he is the very best AP I have ever had - relaxed and confident and not forever mooning around dreaming of appearing on X Factor/Next Top Model. AP never takes the hump if you have to tell him he has done something wrong, and seems to have tons of energy. Only downsides are that the ironing is not quite as top notch and I have taken to going commando as I have a phobia of him finding my smalls* in the wash.

Squiffy, lol, about the smalls! Will remember the tip about the male aupair though I just asked dh and he is not keen.

MizZan, you mentioned Cambridge - I just saw this profile of a Slovak aupair on aupairworld. It struck me because she said she wants to be in Cambridge.

I don't know if this link works but otherwise her account number is 700952.

link

anyway, back to the point of the thread....

My AP came home from language class and asked if I knew anyone needing an AP (female) - one of his classmates is going to be leaving her family at the end of Feb and is looking for another role. I think she would prefer somewhere near here (Canterbury) but she will struggle to find something probably, and my AP says she is expecting to have to move elsewhere else and is desperate not to have to go home.

I know nothing about her (not even where she is from) but if you cat me I can put you in touch with her.

Hi Squiffy - I'd be very happy to hear from your AP's friend but only if she'd seriously consider (a) coming to Cambridge and (b) starting late Mar/early April and not before, and (c) staying 6 mos. If that ticks all the boxes, then she could email me at amrehak at yahoo dot com. thanks for thinking of it!

OK - my AP will be seeing her tomorrow in language class, so I will pass on your details - she will mention in the email that she heard about the job from Lisa.

Judging by the level of language class they both go to, I would put her language skills as 'middling' and not fluent - my AP and I understand each other fine but sometimes I have to go-slow/repeat/redraft phrases, that kind of level. Anyway, let me know if she suits.