What Au Pairing Means And Why It Will Change Your Life

“What is an Au Pair?” you ask.  Juggle Street is here to clear up all of these sorts of questions for you. Working closely with both carers and host families, we have put this article together to help describe what Au Pairing means and how it has the potential to change your life.

An Au Pair is a young adult, usually between the ages of 18 and 30, who lives with a host family while taking care of their children. This arrangement varies depending on the individual circumstances, but is usually in exchange for accommodation, meals and a weekly allowance.

The Juggle Street network is a one-stop shop that allows both new and experienced carers to set up a profile, to connect with families, to search for jobs, and, ultimately, to become an Au Pair.

However, searching for these jobs can sometimes be a costly exercise. Which is why Juggle Street is free for carers to use. Unlike an Au Pair agency, we do not charge exorbitant fees or have any nasty hidden costs that you need to be worried about.

As a new Au Pair, we want you to be armed with all of the knowledge that you will need, before you dive into your potential new position. So, we have compiled the following list with this in mind – to give you an idea of how this sort of job could help to change your life.

1. You can experience a new country and way of life

One of the greatest benefits of working as an Au Pair overseas is that you get to travel to a new country and experience all that this place has to offer. Au Pair Australia experiences are particularly unique, offering a chance to explore everything from the beautiful (and world famous) beaches, to the rugged outback landscapes that this incredible country has to offer. In this way, Au Pairing is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

2. It is a chance for cultural exchange

First and foremost, a job as an Au Pair nanny can offer you a really unique chance for cultural exchange. This is an opportunity to not only share your own culture and language with your host family, but also to immerse yourself in their culture, while you are all living under the same roof. By taking an interest in learning about their history and taking part in any of their favourite customs from time to time, you can gain a lot culturally from your time abroad.

3. You can develop lifelong friendships

Au Pairs often return from their time working overseas with many lifelong friendships that they have gained along the way. Your host family, for example, could prove to become great friends for life. And this time abroad may also mean the opportunity to meet other young people that you can then stay in touch with digitally, even after you return home.

4. Au Pairing offers wonderful flexibility

Au Pair jobs offer unique flexibility. They are unlike any other position – especially 9-5 office jobs, or weekend hospitality jobs. Working in this kind of role allows you to hone your ability to be adaptable and it also allows you to schedule in some time for things like day trips to surrounding areas, or long weekends away during your time off.

5. You can learn new skills

Your new role will help to arm you with many new skills that will undoubtedly serve you well, both in life and in other future jobs down the line. You might develop great leadership skills, for instance, or realise that you thrive when working with children. You will likely become adept at problem solving and will also hone your ability to work well with others. All of which are invaluable skills for the future.

6. It is an opportunity to brush up on another language

If English is not your first language, then your time working as an Au Pair overseas will present you with a great opportunity to brush up on your language skills – and even to become fluent in another language. Not only will you gain practical experience speaking English with your host children and family on a day to day basis, but you could also offer them some language lessons in return. This time abroad may prove to be a great chance to share your own language with other people.

7. You get to work while you travel

Travelling overseas can cause some people to worry about the costs that are involved and the risks of running out of money along the way. Working as an Au Pair overseas, however,means that you get to work (and receive an allowance, along with meals and board) while you travel. In other words, it is one of the more affordable ways to see the world and also means that you won’t have to worry about running out of money during your travels.

8. Au Pairing lays a great foundation for your global resume

What is an Au Pair if not an international citizen? If you dream of working abroad in the future and wish to make yourself attractive to overseas companies and employers, then getting a job as an Au Pair is a great place to start. This offers the perfect foundational stepping stone, for beginning to build your global resume. It proves that you are adaptable enough to live and work in a foreign country, that you have an international mindset, and that you are not afraid of a challenge. All of which will make you a very promising candidate for future employers all over the world.

Still wondering ‘what is an Au Pair?’ Then visit the Juggle Street website. You can learn more about the process and what is actually involved. Then, when you are ready, you can search for Au Pair jobs Australia through the Juggle Street network.