Jill D. Chassé - The Babysitters Survival Guide: Fun Games, Cool Crafts, Safety Tips, and More!

IS BABYSITTING RIGHT FOR ME?

I like kids. I need money. I want to babysit! How do I find jobs?

Babysitting, like any other job, takes some work to find. It is important to market yourself for the type of babysitting position that you want.

First, decide if you have the skills needed to be a babysitter. A babysitter must be mature, responsible, able to react effectively in case of an emergency, and aware of young childrens needs.

If you feel you meet these requirements, determine what age of children you want to work with. Do you like infants, preschoolers, or eight-year-olds? Think about where you have the most experience. Do you have a three-year-old cousin you always watch, or a baby sister that you often feed and diaper? Make a list of all the experience you have with children. This list is the first step in creating your babysitting rsum!

PUTTING YOUR RSUM TOGETHER

First things first: Who are you? Create a new document on your computer, and at the top of the page, type your name, address, phone number, and e-mail address. This will tell prospective clients not only how to contact you, but how far away you livean important factor if they may have to drive you home after a babysitting job.

Next you should write what is called an objective. This is your goalwhat you are looking for in a babysitting job. Your objective highlights and summarizes your main qualifications and specifies the type of job you are looking for.

Heres an example objective: A position as a babysitter for one to three children, ages six months to five years.

Then youll want to include a line about when youre available.

For example: Available: MondayThursday, 38 p.m.; Friday and Saturday nights, 4 p.m.midnight.

Next, list your experience.

Heres an example: May 2015September 2016: Babysat my three cousins, currently ages three, five, and eight. Designed art projects and spent afternoons in the park.

Finally, you need references. Your references may be parents you babysat for in the past or teachers who know you well. Whomever you decide on, make sure to ask first if they would mind being contacted. Getting permission is very important, and youre more likely to get a good recommendation from someone who has had time to think about it and prepare.

A letter, signed by your reference, is the most professional way to present your references to your clients. If you are unable to get a reference letter, you should ask your references to be available by e-mail or phone. If they have agreed to be available by phone, find out what the best hours are to reach them.

If you know your references are busy, you may want to ask them to send you a two- or three-line reference e-mail that you can just save and forward to any babysitting clients you may have in the future.

Whether its through a letter, phone call, or e-mail, encourage your references to mention the following:

Who they are and how they know you (a neighbor, a client, a teacher, etc.)

How long they have known you (since summer of 2015 or for four years)

Things you have done that show you are qualified to babysit (taught kids new songs, helped baby learn to walk, etc.)

Some of your references may ask that you not include their information on your rsum but rather provide it only to people who ask for it. If this occurs, you may want to write references available upon request on your rsum and create a separate reference sheet to hand out if you are asked for it. If you do create a separate sheet, be sure to include your own contact information at the top. That way if it gets separated from your rsum, the potential client will still know whose references they have.

Whether you include references on your rsum or on a separate sheet, the information you provide will be the same: the name of your reference, phone number and/or e-mail address, the ages of the children you watched (if the reference is a client), and the dates of employment (again, if the reference is a client; if not, include how the person knows you and how long they have known you). Its also a good idea to include the address of any previous client who is serving as a reference. This will tell the parents what neighborhoods you have worked in and are familiar with.

Heres a sample entry:

MR. AND MRS. SMITH

634 Cranberry Lane

Willard, NY 10362

(827) 555-9776

Ages of children: currently two and four

Dates employed: summer of 2016

Be sure to carry extra copies of your reference sheet and rsum whenever you go on an interview.

Here's an example of a completed rsum:

RSUM

Joey A. Lopez

123 Pine Drive

Cedar, NJ 07019

(973) 555-4567

OBJECTIVE

A position as a babysitter for one to three children, ages six months to five years

EXPERIENCE

May 2015September 2016: Babysat my three cousins, currently ages three, five, and eight. Helped with homework and spent afternoons at the pool.

Summer 2014: Babysat Smith children

REFERENCES

Mr. and Mrs. Smith

634 Cranberry Lane

Willard, NY 10362

(827) 555-9776

Ages of children: currently two and four

Date employed: summer of 2014

DETERMINING YOUR RATES

Before you can go into business, you need to decide what to charge for your services. The going rate is anywhere from minimum wage up to twice that amount, depending on your qualifications and the area you live in.