This is how you find an au pair family in Sydney
As you may know by now, I traveled through Australia. During my trip, I parked myself for four months in Sydney to work there. You can go in many different directions in Australia, also in terms of jobs. Some start working as a construction worker (about the best-paid job), barista, or choose, like me, the life of an au pair. In the Netherlands, only the elite take in a refined maid, in Sydney it seems that an au pair is part of the package.
You earn well, are welcomed into a family, and have a home. But be critical, because your ‘host family’ is quite determining for the atmosphere. The demand is greater than the supply, so be selective. And the Dutch have a great reputation down under. Make sure to Skype a few times and agree in advance on salary, working hours, and overtime.
Okay, these are the three ways you can get in touch with your au pair family:
1. Through connections
That's how I found my family. Before I flew to Australia, I randomly reached out to Dutch girls I saw on Instagram who were in Sydney. I would DM them to see if they wanted to enjoy a mango ice cream together at Bondi Beach. One of those girls asked me at some point if I was still looking for work. And that's how my au pair ball started rolling.
2. Aupairworld.com
This is where 90 percent of au pairs find a ‘host family’. Supply and demand come together here. You create an account for free and post a request on the site. So one more time: set requirements, be clear, and be critical. In this case, the age-old cliché applies: for them, ten others. Really.
3. Facebook
There are also Facebook groups like ‘Au pair in Sydney/Australia’. Same story as Aupairworld actually.
Then an answer to another frequently asked question: do you need a lot of experience with children? As far as I'm concerned, no. In the sense that you don't need a diploma. You have to really enjoy being with kids, have a considerable amount of patience, and possess a dose of common sense. Then it will definitely be awesome, mate.
