TIPS FOR REGISTRATION
Our registration service for candidates in the UK ONLY.
We accept online registrations from UK candidates wanting to travel to Europe and Australia.
You can also register if you are a European candidate already in the UK.
UK based candidates wishing to travel to the USA please e-mail us today on info@smartaupairs.com for more information.
All European candidates should register in their own country with a reputable au pair agency. E-mail us today on info@smartaupairs.com for our list of experts, clearly indicating in which country you live.
We provide you with tips for each part of the registration process.
Please note that program fees apply for our cultural exchange program overseas. Please see our Fees page.
SMART Tips for the best profile
Step 1 Facts about you
Step 2 More about you
Step 3 Picture of you
Step 4 References
Step 5 Telephone interview
Step 1 Facts about you
Where we ask the basic information about you, what you need/want and when you are available.
In this area, we need you to answer each question and we need you to be honest with yourself about your wants and needs. Consider all factors that will make you feel at home, or not. There are enough families looking and we want you to feel at home where you are going, this form will help us to help you!
The dates can make a big difference, if you can be flexible when you can start and how long you can stay, this will really increase your chances to find the right family quickly!
Step 2 More about you
Where we get to know you better and find out your preferences to find a family where you will feel at home
Write in ENGLISH! As a guide, write between 200 and 250 words
Write as much as possible, about:
• You: Yourself, your family, your friends, your pets, your hobbies and interests, likes/dislikes
• Your home: Where and with whom you live, your town, your region
• Your education: What sort of work/study you do/have done
• Childcare experience: Previous jobs / work experience with children
• Future plans: Career, goals
• Talent: Any special skill, passion or talent that you have. An au pair can be as much a coach as a carer, especially with older children, so your skills and talent are important.
If you prepare your profile as a ‘word document’ first, you can use word-count and spell-check if you like. Do NOT worry too much about spelling and grammar, just write! It helps to ask a friend or maybe even your English teacher to proof read your profile but you should not get someone else to write it for you.
Be friendly, honest and open, for your own benefit as you need to be able to ‘be yourself’ and feel at home when you join your host family. Families choose someone to come and look after their children AND live with them in their home. You need to show them they can trust you.
Show off – a little! Make sure you clearly state all your positive skills and the best features of your character. Your skills that are important to the family would include housekeeping, cooking, driving but also tennis, swimming, drawing, sewing or storytelling. The key strength of your personality may be that you are calm and remain patient at all times, on the other hand, you may be dynamic and full of energy and never too tired to play one more game or take on one more task.
Ask your friends and family, they may think of more than you do.
Step 3 Picture of you
For a family to see your very best smile!
Upload photos, a few nice photos to allow the family to see your very best smile. If possible, use photos of interaction with children. Maybe a photo of you ‘in action’ showing your favourite sport or hobby!
Please indicate a date (year) with each photo. You can send us photos if you do not have the possibility to upload, but unfortunately these photos cannot be returned.
Also, if you have a video camera, why not ask a friend to video a short introduction of yourself and send us the video clip by e-mail or send us a link to an online video.
Step 4 References
There are forms to help you in the registration area (references). Download them today.
Note: start with the references NOW as this takes time!
To complete your profile you will need
- Childcare and character references in English,
- a medical report
- a police check
1. Provide references
Show proof of your previous experience with references, for example if you wrote you have been babysitting and you use this as your main experience of childcare, ensure that you have a reference of at least one of the families where you have been babysitting.
References can be from teachers, mentors, tutors, sports club or youth club leaders, religious leaders (church), employers (including baby-sitting families) not from your own family.
Please ensure there are contact details on the reference; name, address and telephone number, as we verify each reference and the family may also wish to make contact with them.
You can use the form we supply for your referee to complete or use it to check that references you already have are suitable to use.
Smart Tip!
References need to be in English or translated into English. Wy not ask your (English) teacher to provide a reference?
2. Medical Reference
Smartaupairs provides you with a form to be completed by your doctor that can be found in the reference pack. It answers basic questions about your health to confirm that you are fit to work abroad as an au pair, with responsibility for children.
3. Police Report
A police report to indicate you have no criminal record, also called a 'statement of good conduct' in some countries. You can easily get this from your local police station, or sometimes it is provided by the town hall. There may be a small fee. Any person who wants to work with children; voluntary work, teaching or as an au pair, should be able to produce this as part of their references. Please use the link for more information about international CRB information in your country.
http://www.crb.gov.uk/Default.aspx?page=2243
As the police check may take longer, please send your references first, we can interview you without police check but you must have it before you travel and your contract with the family will be 'subject to police check'.
Step 5 Telephone interview
When the above is complete we contact you for a telephone interview.
Our au pair expert will contact you shortly after your profile is completed. Expect most of the conversation to be in English.
The au pair expert will
- explain the interview and selection process
- give details about being au pair
- discuss and confirm your profile
- make sure you are happy and know how to contact them if you have any further questions
Expect the telephone interview to take approximately 30 minutes.
We really look forward to talk to you!
We find your family!
As soon as your registration is complete, we will start our search. We will keep you informed and will send you a message by e-mail to let you know when you have been introduced to a potential host family. You will get a chance to read their profile and you can prepare some questions, we have some tips if you need them. If the family is interested in your profile they will contact you directly for your next telephone interview.
It is important that you check your e-mail daily and respond quickly, to ensure you will not miss out on any opportunities.
Once you are successful, the family will agree details with you and confirm the details in a contract. We will support you and your host family when needed, mostly in the weeks before you travel and during settling-in period.
By completing your profile, you agree to our terms. We will do everything we can to assist you to find a suitable family, award you with smartaupairs benefits and help you prepare and settle.
In exchange we ask for your support and honesty.
Don’t forget – registration is free* and our benefits are unique!
*Program fees apply to travel overseas as au pair.