Finally: your first Skype interview with a potential host family for your upcoming Au Pair stay is imminent. To make sure everything works smoothly, you ask the right questions and you are prepared for possible questions, this blog article provides helpful tips for your first Skype conversation:

Preparing for the Skype Interview

Prepare questions

Before your first Skype Interview with your host family, you already determine the opportunity to look at her profile or to write with them via e-mail. The family will probably have already introduced themselves a little.
Before the first interview with your host family, check the family profile again. This way you avoid asking questions that you already know the answer to. However, detailed inquiries are always welcome.

Clothing

The important thing is that you take care how you dress. Of course, it is not necessary to wear a blazer, but you should also not wear a pyjama. For example, I have always worn a simple black T-shirt during my Skype conversations.

Location and Internet connection

Choose a quiet place where you will be undisturbed to talk to your host family. Before talking to your host family, make sure your internet connection is stable, your laptop’s battery is charged, and the camera and microphone are working.

During the interview

Stay friendly, smile and try to stay calm (I know it’s not always that easy), then everything will be fine.

You don’t have to worry about your language skills, because the family doesn’t expect you to talk in perfect English. Every family knows that you will take part in an Au Pair stay, among other things, to improve your language skills. So don’t be afraid to ask if you have misunderstood something.

At first, it’s normal to be nervous, but as the conversation progresses, you’ll notice that you’re loosening up. You get used to the situation and you start to enjoy talking to the families.

What questions should you ask the family?

To get to know the family better, you should ask as many questions during the Skype Interview as possible, after all, you want to be part of the family for a longer period of time.

Here are a few questions you can ask your potential host family:

• What are the family’s hobby’s and how often a week do they do it?
• Did the Host Family already have an Au Pair and how did they get along with each other?
• What did the previous Au Pairs do with the children?
• Why did the family decide to host an Au Pair?
• Does the family/children have certain eating habits or allergies?
• Do the host parents work full-time?
• What does the family expect of you as an au pair?
• Are you also part of the family as an Au Pair?
• What does the family do on weekends?

Also, in order to find out what your working life in the family looks like as an Au Pair, it is important to ask many questions:

• What tasks and responsibilities do you have in your everyday life?
• How many hours a week will you work?
• What are your working hours and are you entitled to vacation?
• Are you required to drive a car? If so, are you allowed to use the car in your spare time?
• What chores are you going to have to do in the household?
• Is there a certain time when you have to be home (Curfew)?
• What would the daily routine look like for you as an Au Pair in the family?
• What does your Au Pair room look like?
• How will the first few days in the family look like for you?
• Do I have to work in the evening and how many evenings would that be per week/month?

It is especially important that you show interest in the children of the host family. After all, you will spend most of your time with them:

• How many children does the family have?
• How old are the children?
• What are the children’s interests and hobbies?
• What is the everyday life of the children like? Do they have any leisure activities you need to take them to?
• How do the kids get along with new people?
• Are the children going to school / in kindergarten? If so, how long are they going there?
• What is the children’s favourite food?

If the children of the family are even present during the conversation, try to show interest in them and ask them simple questions:

• How are you?
• What do you like to do in your free time?
• Do you go to school/kindergarten? And how do you like it there?
• How old are you?
• What is your favourite animal/food/colour/toy…?

Maybe you also have the opportunity to talk to the current Au Pair alone:

• How was your time as an Au Pair so far?
• How would you describe the familiy? Are you happy with the familiy?
• Does the familiy give you the feeling of being a member of the family?
• Is there anything you don`t like about the family?
• How where your first days? How did you feel? Did the family make any effort to make you feel welcome?
• How do you get along with the children and how would you describe your relationship with them?
• How was your relationship with the children in the first days?
• What do you usally do with the children?
• What was the biggest problem you had with the parents/children? Do you talk about problems with your host parents?
• Do you spent any of your free time with your host family?

Some questions, especially those about working hours, holidays or pocket money, can sometimes be very unpleasant. Still, it’s important to ask these questions to make sure the family doesn’t take advantage of you.

What questions should you prepare for?

Also, the host family wants to get to know you and will ask you questions. The important thing is that you answer the family’s questions calmly and honestly.

Typical questions of host families that you should be prepared for are:

• What experiences in childcare have you already gained?
• What are your hobbies?
• Why do you want become an Au Pair?
• What are your plans for the future? What are you planning after your Au Pair stay?
• Have you ever been abroad or separated from your family for an extended period of time?
• What do you expect from the family?
• Do you live with your parents and do you have siblings?
• How long do you want to stay and when do you want to arrive?
• What do you enjoy most about looking for children?

After the interview with the host family

Send the family an email or message after the interview saying thank you for the time and the nice conversation.

If you liked the family, show initiative and interest and ask the family for a second conversation. In the second Skype interview, you can also ask questions about pocket money, questions about the family’s home and the environment in which they live.

If you haven’t met the children yet, please arrange a meeting with them. If you have only spoken to one parent, you can also ask to meet the second parent as well.

It is also a good idea to ask for the contact details of previous au pairs to find out first-hand what life as an Au Pair is like in the family and whether the previous au pairs were satisfied with the family. Often you can then also ask questions that you might not even have the guts to ask the host family.