Babysitter/caregiver/nanny experiences with Care.com?

September 6, 2014 12:09 PM

I'm considering signing up with Care.com to supplement my regular freelance-writing gig -- I'm thinking babysitting and petsitting/dogwalking, both of which I have done before. Have you signed up with Care.com as a caregiver? Any tips? Is it worth it to pay for the background check, get First Aid- and CPR-certified, etc.? (Mine expired.) And parents, etc. -- what would your advice be on how to create a good profile on the site?
posted by trillian to Computers & Internet (10 answers total)

My daughter tried that this summer. Her experience was that you have to sit online refreshing the page so you can respond instantly when somebody posts a job. If you cant do that you won't get any work.
posted by COD at 12:56 PM on September 6, 2014

Answer your messages .... I have tried so hard to find people and no one ever responded to requests.
posted by Buttons Bellbottom at 1:03 PM on September 6, 2014 [1 favorite]

I have two friends who have repeatedly hired via Care.com. Their biggest complaints are people who don't show up for the scheduled first day of the job (! ) and those who don't show up for the scheduled interview. So, don't be a flake.

I also constantly see people asking for rec's on my FB mommy groups. Maybe get a friend to recommend you on some of their groups.
posted by vignettist at 1:11 PM on September 6, 2014

Best answer: We found our babysitter via Care.com. Since she was new to the area and only had out of state references, being able to see the background check was reassuring. I interviewed 3 people who responded to my job, there were applicants I didn't pursue b/c their profiles didn't see serious, or their availability schedule was difficult to understand, too restrictive, etc. So treat your profile like a job application, spend time upfront fleshing it out. If you are going to be babysitting, I would get your FA and CPR up to date regardless of whether you sign up with Care.com, it shows you are serious about being a care giver, I'm much more likely to hire someone who has them.
posted by snowymorninblues at 2:04 PM on September 6, 2014

Best answer: Answer your messages with an actual response that indicates you read the job posting, don't just paste your resume. Doesn't need to be a novel, but a cheerful three or four sentences from someone telling me why they're a good fit for our family goes a long long way.

Also, don't be a flake.
posted by telepanda at 3:51 PM on September 6, 2014 [1 favorite]

For what it's worth, I had a much better experience with SitterCity than Care.com (I'm a mom, hiring sitters). The way that sitters could present their information and send/receive messages seemed much more easy to work with.

I liked seeing things like background check and CPR, but what made the difference was having easily-obtainable references (especially ones I could email without having to go through the nanny - I would never do that, but to me it meant that they were that confident that they would get a good review with no prior priming), and a resume that gave actual dates and ages of the kids worked with. A lot of caregivers fudged these, and that was a no-go for me. A photo was a must - but I especially liked seeing photos of the caregiver with kids or being silly or anything that showed their personality. A lot of people seem to post glamor-shot selfies, and it leaves me feeling a bit cold - not enough not to contact them if the other factors seem right, but it does seem like "I am someone who wants to make extra money" rather than "I am looking for a job working with kids."
posted by Mchelly at 7:56 PM on September 6, 2014

(And to be clear, the only reason that for me a photo was a must was that I saw it as an indication that the person was confident and serious enough about looking for a job that they would put out a complete profile that could be seen by their friends or acquaintences - I wasn't choosing based on looks (not intentionally anyhow - I hope not!), but because someone who wasn't willing to put a photo up seemed like they wouldn't be confident enough to handle my kid - or had something to hide.)
posted by Mchelly at 8:00 PM on September 6, 2014 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I am a Care.com sitter. I am typing this from a Saturday night date night Care.com gig.

I have never had a errand-running gig, and only one pet-sitting gig (maybe where you are you will have better luck with the pet gigs, but they are few and far between in Marin. Care.com just doesn't seem to be the go to site for pet care here.), and I have been fortunate to have had a full-time Nanny gig from Care, and many date-night sitting gigs. I also get many inquiries from Moms seeking a Day-helper. Yes, there is work to be had via Care.com.

Yes, ABSOLUTELY pay for the background check, it's only about $10 bucks and TOTALLY worth it to have that little extra on your profile. Also, spend the few dollars and also get a copy of your Driving Record even if you don't plan on driving kids around. It will show the parents that you are a safe driver, have no DUI/DWIs, and have nothing to hide.
Yes, also go get the Red Cross First-Aid certification. Many families that I had contact with dismissed me immediately because I wasn't currently certified-- although I had been in the past.

Definitely put an awesome face pic on your profile.

Reach out to families posting for help, don't expect them to come to you, especially if you a new user as your listing won't appear very high in the search results.

I will PM you my Care profile details.
posted by goml at 8:28 PM on September 6, 2014

Response by poster: Thanks, all. It's going well so far -- I've been contacted by four parents/pet owners already, and I have a babysitting job lined up for this weekend!
posted by trillian at 11:34 AM on September 25, 2014 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Yay, first Care.com babysitting job went great, and they want me to come back tomorrow. May be getting a regular dog sitting gig too...
posted by trillian at 3:22 PM on September 27, 2014 [1 favorite]