Getting started · Au pairs and families
Writing a profile that actually gets replies
The specific details that make a profile stand out, the phrases everyone uses that mean nothing, and how to write a first message that gets answered.
6 min read · Updated January 2026
Replace the phrases everyone writes
'I love children' appears in almost every au pair profile, which means it carries no information. Swap it for what you actually did: 'I looked after my two cousins, aged 3 and 6, every weekday afternoon for two years.'
Families do the same thing with 'we are a friendly, easy-going family'. Try instead: 'we eat dinner together at 6.30, the kids are in bed by 8, and weekends are usually the beach or the grandparents'.
The details people search for
Put these near the top, because they are what gets filtered on.
- Exact date range and how long you can stay
- Driving licence, and how much you have actually driven
- Languages with honest levels, not aspirational ones
- Ages of children you are comfortable with
- Swimming, first aid, any allergies, smoking
Photos
One clear photo of your face in daylight. One of you with children, if you have permission. One of something you genuinely do — a football pitch, a kitchen, a classroom. Families skip profiles with no photo almost automatically.
The first message
Name one thing from their profile that you actually read. Say why you would fit. Give your dates. Ask one question. Four sentences, sent to ten well-chosen people, beats the same paragraph copied to a hundred.
Ready to put this into practice? Look through real au pair and host family profiles — no account needed.
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