Interview and matching
The Interview is an essential step to find the right host family! Here you will find some useful information for the most important questions to ask. It is always great to ask as many questions as possible to avoid any disappointment!
We recommend to schedule a videocall to get a better impression of the people you might be living with. You put a lot of effort in the preparation of your stay abroad to make it as pleasant and enjoyable as possible. Therefore, it is important that you take enough time and consideration to find the right host family for you.
Talk to your future host family a couple of times before making the decision whether you want to become their Au Pair or not. The telephone interview is also a good opportunity to ask the host family to explain any things that may be unclear to you in their application.
You can ask your host family to tell you a little bit more about their family life, their daily routine, your future tasks and responsibilities and so forth. Do not hesitate to ask them the things you really want to know.
Questions to your Host Family
In the following, you can find a list with helpful questions you can ask to get to know your host family better. The subsequent questions are divided into categories. You can look at the questions from all categories and select the ones that are important to you to ask in order to get to know your host family better.
The above-mentioned questions are meant to give you an idea about which questions you can ask in order to get to know your host family better. You do not need to ask all of the questions and you surely can come up with your own questions as well!
Tips for preparing the Interview
Most Au Pairs are nervous about the first telephone interview with their host family. We know that it is exciting to get to know your host family for the first time and talk to them in a foreign language. But don’t worry. Your host family is as excited and nervous as you are.
It is always a good idea to prepare a list with questions that you want to ask your host family in advance so that you don’t forget to ask a question that is important to you (see on top). You can also think about questions that your host family might ask you and already prepare an answer in advance. Take a look for possible questions in the box below.
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You don’t need to be nervous about speaking to your host family in a foreign language. It is always okay to ask if you do not understand an expression or word they use or to ask them to repeat things or speak more slowly. Your host family does not expect your language skills to be perfect.
Host families always like it when you show interest in their children and when they see that you get along with them, as this will be most important during your stay abroad. Show that you care about their children and ask them, for exmple, what their favorite games are or if they have any hobbies.
In case that you are still unsure about the host family after talking to them on the phone, make an appointment for a second (or third) telephone interview. Don’t feel compelled to agree to the first family right away. If you don’t feel that it’s the right family for you, keep looking.