ADVICE & TIPS TO PREPARE YOU
Are You a Risk to Us?
During the two screening interviews, (yes, you read that right, it is in the plural) we try to determine whether you, who wants to become an au pair, pose a risk to us. The first interview is conducted by the agent you registered with, and the second one by any of the other agents. We do this specifically to make sure that two people have at least an idea of whether the person in front of us is au pair material. This also makes the screening process more objective.
When do you pose a risk to us?
- If you are on anti-depressants. Host families do not normally choose someone who is on these pills, not even if your GP writes a letter to confirm that you are doing well.
- If you have any serious chronic medical condition that poses a danger to you and the children you have to look after, for example epileptic seizures, heart conditions, back problems (you will have to climb a lot of stairs, ride a bicycle), etc.
- If you weigh more than 90kg, you may not be chosen, because after all, you have to run after the children all day, be ahead of them in every area, and extra weight can hinder you.
- If you smoke or mention that you smoked. No one wants an au pair who smokes, and no one believes her when she says she has quit. The sad thing is that no one believes you that you have really quit. Probably because everyone who said it lied about it and was caught out by the family.
- If you can’t ride a bike. It’s the au pair’s main means of transportation, and being able to ride a bike is more important that having a driver’s license. And these days you also have to be able to prove that you can ride a bike, by taking a short video of yourself riding and then sending it to Annelies.
- If you are a candidate who has just finished matric, or is in the process of doing so, your average must be a minimum of 60%. Being an au pair is not something that just anyone can do, because you need to be able to take initiative, think ahead, take responsibility for certain situations and think on your feet without asking your parents for advice, etc.
- If you just plainly show in the interview that you do not have the necessary “know how”, and therefore do not have the necessary experience (minimum of 50 hours) and knowledge.
- That you will not be a role model for the children, because you have your body tattooed, you are covered in every possible spot. Your hair is pink today and blue tomorrow and you are starting to look like a chameleon!
- If you have a criminal record – it’s understandable that no one will be interested in you, no matter how “innocent” you are. In fact, I don’t even think that you will be allowed to leave the country.
- If you are very mother-bound, it definitely poses a risk for us, because you will just miss home and want to come back! And especially if Mom would then say: “Oh my child, come home.”
- If we find out that you want to use the au pair program to get out of the country, get away from your parents, and especially “to find myself!” If you can’t find yourself in South Africa, under familiar circumstances, how are you going to manage it in the Netherlands?
It is important that you are prepared for both interviews. Even though interviews are nolonger always done in person, but with Whats App video call, it is very important for the interviewer how you present yourself on the video call: do you look decent, or do you constantly struggle with hair hanging in front of your eyes, your bra strap keeps slipping off your shoulder, are sitting up properly. Are you wearing your pajamas, and so on. These things create a poor impression.
What creates an even worse impression is if you can’t tell me anything about the country you want to go to as an au pair! Can you find on a map? The interviewers are amazed at the answers that come out of this section. It is annoying for the interviewer if you keep looking around the room, to the person who is also in the room with you, and clearly ask for answers. Either the person is sitting next to you, or you are alone, but the one that is somewhere in the background is no longer tolerated. If your mother would like to sit in, she is welcome to sit next to you, but not to answer the questions.
Every interviewer asks at the end of the interview if you have any questions, and it really creates a bad impression if you don’t have any questions to ask.
All of the above things, any one of points 1 to 11 can directly cause your application to fail and the other things can be a major contributing factor to the failure of the application.
So, if you are selected, it does not mean that everything is now hunky dory for the rest of the process, because if you do not stick to the deadlines and do not read the necessary documentation that is sent to you, the selection can be reversed and you will be rejected.
Each interviewer tries to create a comfortable atmosphere in which the interview will take place, so it will also depend a lot on you, how you will respond to it.
We have a certain standard to maintain and we believe in quality rather than quantity.
