What is an Au Pair

It can be quite confusing hearing about a job that you have really no idea about and then try and find some information about it so that you can potentially apply for it. That's probably what you are thinking when you hear about an Au Pair. The name itself doesn't really define what the job is, and unless you specifically know what the job is then you will struggle to get any form of definition at all from the job title. The term itself is French and roughly translated it means "on par" or "equal to". This is a perfect description when you think about it as it all but defines the person's role as an Au Pair as being on equal footing as the family in which they stay with. But are you still confused and don’t know what an Au Pair actually is? We will now present to you 5 points about what an Au Pair is as well as some basic benefits and jobs that you will find yourself doing as an Au Pair. Read through these and then make your own mind up so that you can really gauge if you want to apply to become an Au Pair!

• the easiest definition when it comes to defining an Au Pair is essentially a live in nanny who will come from another country to help out around the house. They are generally young women, although they can sometimes be young men, and they will be put up in their host family's home to help them look after their children and take general care of the house and home and ensure that it is constantly tidy and clean and well maintained. People will usually apply for the position of an Au Pair from all around the world, and you can find some people have seen many different countries, simply from becoming an Au Pair!
• one of the best things about being an Au Pair is the fact that you get free accommodation during your stay with your host family. It is a fantastic way to see the world and get yourself free accommodation at the same time, so all you really need to do is pay for your air ticket and you will find yourself overseas and living there for free! You will also find that you will have all your meals paid for, and you sometimes even will get given a small amount of 'pocket money' so that you can go out and explore the area in which you are living in. This will of course depend on the family you stay with, and you will usually have to pay for your own transport such as buses and trains.
• the duties of an Au Pair will usually vary from family to family, but the basic tasks you will find yourself doing will be mainly to look after the children of the family, do some general household chores such as cleaning, looking after the families pets if they have any and even doing things such as gardening to do some extra work. It can be quite a task depending on who you stay with, but you will generally find it's all fairly simple and once you get to know the family better it will get even easier as time goes along.
• the average working day for an Au Pair can last around 5-6 hours, but again this will all depend on what the family requires from you. Sometimes there won't be as much work to do while other times there will be even more work to do. It all depends on what they actually ask from you. If you finish early you should always ask if they have any other jobs that need doing because you are there to work, not have fun! A simple few questions to the host family to clear up any extra work that might need doing is pretty easy if you think about it.
• the amount of time you will live with the family really depends on how much they need doing over a certain amount of time. Some Au Pair's can live with their host family for over a year, while others are only there for a few months, you will basically just have to check with the family when you apply for the position. You may find yourself soon becoming quite addicted to the prospect of being an Au Pair and you may find yourself doing many different Au Pair jobs all around the world. It is a fantastic way to see all different parts of the world so once you get the hang of it you can move on to your next Au Pair job and maybe even stay longer than you did before!

These are some basic facts about what an Au Pair is and what an Au Pair does, so if you are thinking about becoming an Au Pair then why not start looking around for positions that are available now and give it a go? It is a fantastic career on so many levels and you really do have the chance to see so many parts of the world, all the while staying in these places for free! And there aren't too many jobs around that will offer that to you are there? So apply now and see the world!