How to Au Pair

The Penniless Grad Takes Europe

(Or Why True Wanderlust Won’t Cost You a Cent)

Like every institute of higher education in the free world, the halls and walls of my alma mater, the University of Central Florida, were plastered brick to brick with the allure of study abroad. 

See the world! it promised, careful not to mention, you’ll only need to sell your kidneys to afford it!

Without a Daddy Deep-Pockets to fund my expedition, the closest I’d be getting to Paris that summer would be driving past Epcot Center on my way to work.  Thrilling.

It would’ve been easy enough to write off the possibility of ever living the dream and taking a year to explore the globe, but I knew deep down the adventure that awaited me.

It wasn’t until the semester prior to finishing my degree that the possibility of actually working my way around Europe occurred to me.  Now that was something I could do!  For the price of a plane ticket and the willingness to devote hunks of my days in the cities of the world earning my keep, I could travel to my little heart’s content.

Getting Hired Legally in the European Union

(Or Climbing Metaphorical Mount Everest)

And so, my research began!  Now, being that I’m not an easily discouraged creature, I persevered longer than I imagine the average Euro-travelling hopeful would.

I discovered that getting a real job in Europe was about as likely as waking up to a unicorn pooping pancakes at the foot of my bed.  It was after hours of intensive reading that I discovered the possibility of living with a host family on a seasonal basis as an Au Pair.

Oh, the possibilities!

Let me Save you Weeks of Tiresome Research and the Pain of Trial and Error

Au Pairing isn’t a difficult gig to secure, but the ins and outs of the process can be tedious.  Without the knowledge of what to look for, what you’re entitled to, and how to wrap it all up into a tasty little package of worldly adventure, it’s easy to make a misstep or end up in a situation you may not have bargained for.

Three months after graduating from UCF, I boarded a flight to London with $2,000 in the bank, one suitcase, and enough of a plan to carry me through homes, jobs, and all manner of life-changing experiences over the coming year and a half while I took in England, Spain, France, Malta, Italy, Holland, and one unforgettable weekend in the Riviera. 

All this before flying back home with approximately $2,000 in the bank and three international jobs to stamp onto my entry-level resume. 

Everything I learned about the world of au pairing, how to leverage the best possible pay and the highest quality family, and what you should expect has been packed into this easy-to-read eBook. 

Just in case my experience lacked anything important, I also interviewed au pairs from different backgrounds who travelled to a multitude of destinations and included their stories, tips, and thoughts.

Start Planning Your International Adventure in Just 20 Minutes

How to Au Pair – the eBook will guide you step-by-step through the process of building the ideal au pair experience, from composing a compelling profile for attracting great host families to diffusing arguments between siblings when you’re there.

The e-Book includes the “20 Minutes to Adventure” Worksheet – a quick brainstorming exercise to get your mind in the right place and help you pick the qualities of your ideal destination.

How to Leverage Lessons, Days Off, Free Travel, and More …

While the vast majority of host families are not out to cheat their au pairs, it’s easy to get taken advantage of the first time you go to work as a live-in employee.

The eBook will break down for you everything you should expect in your employment agreement with your host family and a suggestion list of things that are commonly negotiated as perks to the job.  You will find out what your salary expectations should be and how much your host family should ask of you.

Concerns and tips involving working with children and the balance between being both an employee and an honorary member of the family will be explained in detail with easy-to-understand guidelines and tips, so you are fully prepared for the task ahead of you.

You’ve Always Wanted to See Paris (and Madrid and Rome and London …)

The older we get, the harder it is to drop everything and take off and see the world.  We acquire careers, homes, and maybe a couple of goldfish.  Those things require us to keep our roots down and make spontaneous, long-term travel less and less of a realistic possibility.

While it might seem sensible to wait until you’ve established your career and can afford to go gallivanting around the world, there’s a reason that “I’ve Never Seen Paris” is such a cliché.  The longer you wait, the less likely you are to go.

Get started now, today – au pairing is a responsible way to keep yourself out of debt while truly immersing yourself in the culture of a foreign country.

Become an International

Imagine yourself a year or two in the future, sitting in the interview for your dream job.  The interviewer looks at you over her glasses and says, “I see here that you spent five months living in Tuscany …”

What do you think is rushing through your mind at that moment?  Is it, “God, what a mistake THAT was. Should’ve stayed at home and flipped burgers that summer,” or is it, “Hell yes, I did.  Any of the other applicants live in Italy?  No?  I didn’t think so.” 

Whether you take away language skills or simply the cultural well-roundedness carried by international people, living abroad is going to instill in you something your competitors won’t be able to hold a candle to.  You will forever have a home away from home in your dream country and a second family to go home to.

This could be called an investment in your future, but investments rarely pay you up front and cost nothing but (maybe!) the price of an airline ticket.

Buy Now – and Board Your Flight Fully Prepared

 When the time comes for you to step onto the plane that’s about to deliver you to the experience of a lifetime, you will not be jittery or panicked.  You will not worry that you forgot to pack socks (because we have a checklist for that) or that you have possibly made a horrible decision (because you’ve thoroughly vetted your host family).

For less than you’ll make back in a couple hours on the job in destinations exotic and unknown, you’ve purchased an all-in-one guide to maximizing your future in a way you will benefit from for the rest of your life and saved yourself thousands in trip fees and mistakes.

This eBook prepared you for everything from foreign banking to making friends to feeding picky eaters.  You know exactly what you are walking into and you’ve created the ideal situation well ahead of time with your handy guide to the world of au pairing. 

Bon Voyage – you’re going to have an amazing trip.

What You Get:

            •           How to Au Pair – the eBook

What’s an Au Pair

 Red Tape & Visas

Resources & Websites

How to Choose Your Host Family

Much, much more …

            •           20 Minutes to Adventure – Worksheet

            •           Crafting your Profile – Worksheet

            •           Pre-Departure Checklist

            •           30-Day Complete Guarantee (if for any reason at all, the product doesn’t match up to your expectations)

$12.50