You may feel like the luckiest girl on the planet to have found an au pair job, but it’s vital that you know that the family you have chosen is just as lucky to have found you. Although you may feel that the family are being very generous in inviting you into their home, you must at the same time see it as a job, so try and treat it as you would any other job. It is vital that you make your expectations clear from the start. You must negotiate a contract and be clear about what your expectations are, as well as what the family expects of you. You’ll have enough surprises adjusting to a new country, culture and language; you don’t need surprises regarding your job and living situation. All information regarding your employment must be written into your contract. Verbal agreements are pointless and they’ll do nothing for you if you need assistance in the future. You may need to refer to the contract later if the boundaries of your job description slowly become blurred. Don’t be concerned with appearing mistrustful of the family. The contract is necessary to protect your interests as well as theirs.

It’s important to interview with several families before deciding on the one that best fits your personality and expectations. Phone calls should be the main form of contact with potential families, emails should be purely supplemental. If the family isn’t willing to put in the time, effort and long-distance charges, it’s probably best you pass them up anyway. If they’re not interested in you as a person, they probably will not have your best interest at heart once you have arrived. For families looking for quality au pairs, they will gladly put in the effort. When you’re interviewing, always trust your instincts. If you get a bad feeling about a family, don’t assume it’s due to cultural differences. If the alarms have gone off, trust your instincts.

 
Questions to ask your potential host family:

• How long was their previous au pair with them? How many au pairs have the children had? Do they keep in touch? Can you speak with the prior au pair? These are key questions in knowing how you will be treated. Just as you’ve provided references, you can ask for their references as well.
• What will be your weekly schedule? How often will you be expected to babysit evenings and weekends?
• What is expected of you during school holidays? Will you be required to work full days for the entire vacation period? Will you be given time off? If you are having to work the entire holidays, full days, you may want to negotiate higher wages during those weeks. French kids are on holiday quite often, so having to work during holidays can become a bother.
• Negotiate your wages. Usually au pairs are given a weekly allowance. Law stipulates au pairs are paid wages between 62-70 euros.  Most au pairs are paid more; this just depends on the family.
• Will you be purchasing your airfare to Paris, or will the family be funding this?
• Will the family be providing transportation costs while you’re living in Paris? If you are responsible for taking the children to school via bus or metro, it is absolutely necessary the parents pay for your transportation as well as the children. This seems obvious, but make sure it’s included in your contract.
• Where in Paris are you living? Which arrondissement or suburb? Research the closest metro, RER or SNCF line to your home. Will it take you 10 minutes to get to the center of Paris? An hour?
• Request photos of the children, the parents, and your new home and your room or where you will be staying. This will ease some anxieties you may have about your new living situation.
• What is your living situation? Will you be living in the family’s home? Where is your room situated within the house (next to the kids room? On a different floor?) Are you lucky enough to be given your own flat?