Finding a Quality Child Care Job on Care.com

Finding the perfect sitter for a family is just as hard is finding a dream family to sit for. So where do you find this dream family? Monica Carolan, Member Care Representative for Care.com, offers her advice to child care providers on how to navigate Care.com to help find the right match.

The Odds
"As Care.com membership grows so does the competition to find that perfect job.  As the job market is becoming more competitive, families will become more selective in deciding who they want to hire," says Carolan. At Care.com, the average number of applicants per job is about 45. Babysitters will apply to an average number of 20 jobs before the find their match and are hired. 

"Location matters," says Carolan. "A New York City babysitting job could have 200 applicants, where as a new job posted in Kentucky, the average number of applicants could be closer to 15." 

These numbers can seem overwhelming, but you want to provide the right information on your profile and utilize Care.com's tools so you can stand out to families.

Your Profile
Your Care.com profile is like a child care resume. Spend the same amount of time and effort on filling out your profile as you would on tweaking your resume, describing past jobs and education.

A general note: be honest. Accurately portray the care that you are looking to provide.  "For example, if you are not a fan of changing dirty diapers, you may want to include that you are more comfortable caring for potty-trained children," Monica said.

The same rules apply to your experience and availability, especially if there are duties and times you can't afford to be flexible on. "If you are a first-time sitter that has only cared for younger siblings, say that," advises Carolan. If you usually have errands to run in the afternoon on Mondays, don't check off that you are available to babysit during that time.  

Tools
People always say they are "looking for a job" but sometimes they forget the most important step: to take advantage of what's in front of them. Care.com provides you with some great tools to help in your job search -- it's up to you to be proactive enough to use them.

• New job alerts and emails: In today's world, our email inboxes are constantly bombarded with messages. As a result, we clean house and sometimes important emails get lost in the mix.  However if you are looking for a job, you don't want to overlook the New Job Alerts from Care.com. These emails tell you when a new job has been posted in your area, so make sure to read them and apply to the ones that interest you.
• Background checks: Typically, babysitters will wait for a family to run a background check on them, but you can be proactive by running a background check on yourself. And don't forget -- background checks expire after a year, so make sure yours is up-to-date. 
• Check your messages: Keep your inbox up to date and respond in a timely manner. "Remember, when you sign up on Care.com, you select the time frame you will respond to new messages. If you selected '1 day' and it takes you 3 days, it will lower your response rate. You can always change it, but you want to make sure you keep your commitment," says Carolan.  

Finding your dream family to care for isn't as hard as it seems. Care.com provides tools and resources to help you land the right fit. It is up to you to be proactive, keep your profile updated and make connections with families who are seeking care.