Beth (25 / Ms. ), English, Healthcare Assistant living in United Kingdom looking for Au Pair & Live-in Tutor job in New Zealand for 3-3 Months

I have 3 months experience as an Au Pair or Tutor I am confident I have the correct skills and capabilities to suit the roles perfectly.

Since 2013 I have been an active volunteer with Girl Guiding UK, volunteering on a weekly basis to assist in the running of a local Brownie unit. Brownies is open for all girls aged 7-10. During my first year at University I also volunteered with a rainbow unit (girls aged 5-7 years). This role has involved me leading weekly meetings - finding and planning age-appropriate fun activities for the girls and carrying these out in a safe manner. It also involves taking the girls on themed 'pack holidays' for weekends away where they learn more home economic style skills such as cooking or have an adventure skills weekends with activities such as canoeing or abseiling. I have massively enjoyed my time with the Girl Guides and have loved seeing the girls progress the longer they stay with our unit. I love getting to know all the girls individually and challenging them to push themselves out of their comfort zone in a safe environment.

With Girl Guiding UK, I have also been part of service teams for international camps and county one-off events. This has involved being on hand to get stuck into whatever is required which can range from cleaning toilets and showers to pitching tents. Being part of the service team has allowed me to meet with like-minded individuals across the county and help create something special for the girls. International camps run for girls 10-18 as girls younger than this are not allowed to camp under Girl Guiding UK rules, consequently, this role has given me the experience of working with the older age group too.

This role has often taken a tutor role as well as a pastoral role as guiding tries to teach girls key skills for the outside world. One example of this was teaching the girls how to tie their laces as part of a badge. Each leader had groups of 5 or 6 girls and spent time going through methods to tie their laces until they had all learned. Within my group, I had a member of our unit with autism and dyspraxia, due to her difficulties she found the task particularly challenging. While the allocated time for the activity had finished the individual hadn't quite got it but wanted to keep trying so we kept going through it throughout the evening before it was home time. The next week the girl's mother came in to thank me for giving her child the motivation and confidence to keep preserving and to let me know she could now tie laces! While it may seem a trivial skill, that memory sticks out to me as highlighting the importance of teaching at a child's pace and encouraging self-motivation for skills that take practice.

Alongside Girl Guiding UK, I volunteered with the charity Phab during my time at University. The charity Phab organizes fun day trips for children and young adults aged 10 to 21 with learning or behavioral difficulties. As a volunteer, you care for a child on a one to one basis and help them to enjoy the day by accommodating their needs. Through this, I have experience of looking after children with autism, ADHD and who may be non-verbal or have limited speech ability. From my time with the charity I understood how lack of communication can be a massive barrier for some children so I learned Makaton which is used by many children with limited verbal ability, completing levels 1-4 to date, in order to improve my ability to understand and communicate with them. I would not be phased by looking after or tutoring a child with additional needs.

I would like to continue being an Au Pair or tutor abroad to make a difference in a child's life and experience living with a European family. I wish to stretch myself and see more of the world but also draw on my previous experiences and skills to do this in a sustainable way, this is why being an au pair or tutor would be perfect for me.