Is the Au Pair stay useful for your resume?

Some of you have probably wondered if it is actually useful for the future to work as an Au Pair, especially in those cases where people want to stay for 6 months or longer. Becoming an Au Pair means for many to start the university later or even skip it for one year. Obviously, this is a very important decision to be made and it will surely affect your future. For this reason, we are going to talk you about the great advantages that an Au Pair stay on your resume will have.

Language

No doubt, this is the main reason the Au Pair program was created for, and because of this, it is crucial for your resume. In a globalized world being able to speak other languages is essential and most jobs will require that you can speak, at least, two languages (some jobs even more). Therefore learning the language of the host country should become vital for you.

Experience Abroad

You’re probably wondering, is it that important? Yes! A lot of companies think that having experience abroad is a very positive thing, as not everybody is able to adapt to different ambiances or get out of the comfort zone. The fact that you have lived in another country will open your mind to other cultures, and you will be able to understand better or adapt yourself to people who come from another cultural background. Besides, experience abroad means for the company that you are can work independently, you can fend for yourself and can solve complicated situations. Nowadays, having experience abroad is being more and more demanded by companies.

Responsibility

You have looked after an “unknown” family’s children for several months and you have been responsible for them. After this experience, you will be able to prove to your employer that you can work under pressure and stress (a baby crying for more than 10 minutes demands a lot of patience). Therefore being able to keep calm in stressful environments is a very positive trait. It also means that you know how to deal with pressure, which in companies like start-ups happens a lot in the beginning.

Discipline

Becoming a person responsible for the children of your host family during your Au Pair stay means that you have to be very disciplined, which is a quality that is highly demanded by recruiters. Given that you have to get up early every day at the same time, help the children to have their breakfast and take them to school, your level of self-discipline and organization must be high. These qualities show the company that you have organizational skills and it also proofs that you are able to solve problems and finish tasks on time.

Knowledge of the country

For positions in the field of Marketing or Sales, knowledge about the culture of the country where you worked as an Au Pair is of great importance. Maybe your language command is not as good as the other candidates’. Do not worry, what really matters for the company in these cases is that you know the country, its culture and way of living so that business relations can be successful. For example, in some countries people could feel uncomfortable if you look directly in their eyes or if you get too close when you speak. Knowing other country's culture is a great advantage over other candidates, especially if you want to work in an international company.

Establish Contacts

One of the most beautiful things about the Au Pair program is the opportunity of meeting people from a different country and making new friends. Although this is one of the main goals of the program, and having friends in other countries is the perfect excuse to travel to other countries, it can be also very positive for your future job. This is because you can find new job opportunities through them (they know other people, their company is currently hiring …). Besides they can help you with the bureaucracy of the country. Even your Host Family could help you in this regard,  especially if you built a good relationship with them during your stay. Having friends from other parts of the globe is always an advantage by all means.

This post is also available in: German