Question of the week (26 September 2011). Claire from Germany is always busy around the clock. She has a full-time job and three children. She has now decided to invite an au pair to assist her. She has many applicants whom she would like to get to know personally. As she cannot invite them all for a personal interview, she wonders whether there are any other alternatives.
Dear AuPairWorld Team,
I have recently joined your website to search for an au pair. At the time being, I am on maternity leave with my third child for two more months. Afterwards, I will get back to my full-time job. Therefore, we need an au pair. On your website, I have already found very nice au pairs. Due to the large scale of matching candidates, I find it rather difficult to make a choice. I would rather invite them all and get to know them personally. However, I am well aware that this is not feasible. Still, the communication through email and telephone is insufficient in order to get an overall impression. Are there any other alternatives?
Best wishes
Claire from Germany
Dear Claire,
We understand your worries. It would, of course, be great if you had the possibility to get to know each potential candidate personally. However, that would be quite a big deal - as you have already mentioned - logistically as well as financially. Especially if your favourite au pair comes from a far-away country.
According to our long-term experience, we can say that contact between host familes and au pairs usually takes place by email and phone calls. This usually works quite well. For some families and au pairs, Skype is also a highly appreciated tool to communicate. This Internet software does not only enable you to chat and make phone calls free of charge, but is also suitable for video calls. This means that if you and your au pair both have a webcam on your computer, you can also see each other while chatting. We believe that this a practical and, more importantly, an inexpensive alternative to a personal meeting. Simply try it out!
You can find more information on www.skype.com. Now, the personal introduction with mimic and gesture can begin. The whole family can be introduced as well. You can also show your au pair around your home.
We hope you enjoy your first meeting and that you will soon find a matching au pair for your family.
Best wishes
Your AuPairWorld Support Team