Reason #27 to Be Happy: Care.com

If you haven’t heard of Care.com it is about time you do! I have personally been using this site for years. I have had really wonderful experiences with it. I wouldn’t want anyone to miss out on having the same.

There are a lot of great services offered by Care. Those include: child care, pet care, senior care, housekeeping, and special needs help. I have personally used it for child care but suspect that the others are just as useful.

I am going to go over some of the benefits of using the site. These are all my personal opinions and taken from my own experiences.

Why it is great for Nannies and Babysitters (as well as other care takers):

It is the easiest place to find the most job opportunities for what you love doing. I love that I can log into my account and easily access jobs that are relevant to me. You have ways to narrow down what you are looking at so that you can find what you are looking for. I have narrowed down jobs by distance, post date, and start date.  This makes it simple to focus more on finding the perfect fit.

Why it is great for families:

Care makes it easy to find people to help that you can trust. Families can look at reviews, experience, call references, get background check information, view resumes, and other things. When a family needs help it is important to trust the person they hire. Care makes it very simple to know information about a person who will be close to your family.

I also want to share some tips with you. I of course don’t know everything about it. But, since I have been using the site for so long I do have experience to share.

Tips for Nannies, Babysitters, and other Care Givers:

1     1.       Have a resume on hand.

This can be a little overwhelming if you have never made one. But, there are lots of ways to create a quick and easy resume. Do not pay online to have someone create a resume for you. Word has resume templates that you can choose from and fill in with your own information for free. If you don’t have Word find someone who does. You can also find examples of resumes online so that you can get a fill for what yours should look like.

Once you have a resume don’t be afraid to share it. You have created it for a reason and that reason is to get a job that you will love. Even if a potential employer doesn’t ask for it you should give it them. I have never given someone a resume and regretted it. Also, if you take a resume with you to an interview the person interviewing will be very impressed! It shows that you care about the position and have thought about it enough to make a little extra effort.

2     2.       Have professional pictures.

When I say professional I don’t mean that you need to pay a lot of money. There is a difference between a selfie taken by yourself in a bathroom and one taken of you dressed in nice clothes and sitting in a respectable position. Pictures matter a lot. When someone looks at your profile or response to a job they will see your picture first. Your picture should make a great first impression.

3     3.       Have reviews and a background check.

If you have reviews people will love it! I have had people actually hire me based on great reviews. It doesn’t guarantee the job but all of the details count. It’s the small details that make up the big things (or in this case the hiring of a new job)!

A background check only costs around $10. If you spend the money it will show your potential employers that you care about the safety of their family. But, if you are a poor college student and don’t have the money then you might as well wait. A lot of people out there will pay for your background check. I have used the site for years and have only payed once at most.

If you do pay for a background check then share it! If you send it from the moment that you apply to a job it will be appreciated. It tells people that you are willing to share details about yourself with them and don’t have anything to hide.

4      4.       Let families know how you relate to them.

When you apply to a job there should be a reason behind it. It should be more than that you  just want money and need a way to get it. As for me, I absolutely love children. I make sure that people know that. Then I also share details about why I could be a good fit to them. One of those details could be that I have a lot of experience including working in a Montessori preschool (if they have children that age). I might also share that I have all brothers and grew up with boys (if they have all boys). Hopefully that sparks some ideas for you.

5     5.       Be yourself! J

If you are willing to be yourself people will love that. Well, they might not. But, the way I look at it is if they are a good fit they will love it.  If they aren’t a good fit then you don’t want to work for them anyway. I try to share as much as possible (while staying professional). I have even given people the site of my blog and my etsy shop address. While those things might not seem relevant they help to establish a relationship.

Tips for Families:

1.       Show your family.

I hesitate applying to jobs that don’t have a picture. Having a picture of yourself is nice but not really the best idea. The best thing to do is to have a picture of your entire family. Showing your family helps the people who are interested in applying more comfortable. If that makes you nervous just remember that your address is not shown. No one that sees the job post will know any more than you share with them. If it still makes you uncomfortable then that is your right.  Just remember that it might make the best child care givers more hesitant.

2.       Be as clear in your expectations as possible.

A lot of people post the same thing. If your family likes sports, games, or arts and crafts that is great. Try to word things a little differently though. That will help it to stick out. Also, try to say what makes your family different.

It is also very important to let people know what you need. If you need laundry help just say it. If you need help transporting the kids say that too. Whatever you need it is best if you put it out there to begin with. This is one of the most important things for finding the perfect fit.

3.        Contact references and know experience.

Anyone who applies to a job should have references for you to contact. There is no reason not to contact those references. This is one of the things that confuses me most. I have a lot of experience and excellent references. I don’t understand when people don’t call my references. For an employer it is just a way to know more about the person that will be around your family. It is another step to assuring your children’s safety.

4.       Take the time to get to know each other.

If you are interested in a person get to know them! I have met amazing people on Care. I have even met a family who I now consider second family. It is impossible to establish relationships without putting effort into them. Sometimes I have had dinner or dessert with a family. But, sometimes it’s not really practical. If it’s not practical then just really talk to your care taker. Be yourself with them so that they can be themselves with you.

5.       Contact those who stand out and let them know why.

If you find a person who you think would be a great fit let them know! There is no rule that you have to wait for them to apply to your job. They might somehow miss your posting so don’t take the chance. I have been contacted many times about jobs that I have not applied to. It has made me think about a job that I might not have. If it doesn’t work out it still makes the care giver feel great. It also gives you a chance to know someone who could be a back-up or could work in the future.

I hope this all helps! I know that you can have really wonderful experiences with Care. If you do join then please use this link: http://care.extole.com/a/clk/15v6K0