How to include your Au Pair experience in your CV

In addition to being a great work experience in the childcare field, the Au Pair program gives you many other skills that can be really attractive for future employers. This is why it is important to include your experience as an Au Pair in your CV and showcase it in the right way. In this article we have gathered 5 different tips that will help you do that.

1) Understand what the aim of your experience is

Everyone has their own unique reasons to embark in the Au Pair adventure: some people use it as a way of improving their language skills, others to gain some experience in childcare, other people as a way to understand what they will like to do in the future. Whichever your reason might be, you should identify what your goals are and include them in your CV as well. For instance, if your goal was to find out more about the culture of your Host Country, then mention that in your resume: being able to work in a multicultural environment is something that many employers look for.

2) Be specific

Try to be as specific as possible about the details of your experience: list your duties and your responsibilities as an Au Pair, mention how many kids you were looking after and what their ages are, include also any courses you have attended during your experience (language courses, first aid, etc.). The more specific you are, the more skills you can show to your potential new employer.

3) List the skills you have earned

After being specific in what you have done, try and think in terms of skills you have earned from the Au Pair program: yes, you have worked and gained a lot of experience in childcare, but even if that is not what you want to do as a career, you can still include many other skills, such as your language skills, your problem-solving ability, your ability to work in a multicultural setting, your independence, reliability and flexibility, and also your social and personal skills.

4) Use the right words

Try and phrase what you want to say in a professional way, so that your employability skills will stand out! In addition to the ones we have mention in section 3, using other words, like “adapt”, “improve”, “make progress”, “organise”, “cooperate”, etc., when talking about working with your Host Kids will make you sound more professional and ready for a new job.

5) LinkedIn? Why not!

Many employers look for their employees online, on platforms like LinkedIn or Xing, where you can basically display your work experience. Having a LinkedIn profile will be your business card, so make sure that it is updated and the best it could be. Make also sure that you’re using the right keywords as well, as they will give you more visibility. Some relevant examples are words like: language skills, cultural skills, problem-solving skills, good time management, decision-making, cultural awareness, etc.

So, what are you waiting for? Create the best CV you can and good luck with your job hunt!
Free Registration as Candidate