You’ve decided to work as a housekeeper, figured out how much to charge, and advertised your services on Care.com or other venues. You have received responses to your ad and now will be going to your first interview.
How to prepare for the housekeeping job interview
- Be ready to talk about your work and life experience
- Bring contact information for references who can attest to your character and housekeeping ability
- Be clear on what you can do, how you will do it, what cleaning products you like to use, and how long it should take
- Be prepared to explain how you will figure out what to charge and what factors will cause you to charge more for your services
What to find out during the interview
- Exactly what the client wants you to do and what products she wants you to use — for each room in the home. It’s best to have a written agreement so that if the client then adds additional tasks, you will be able to charge a higher fee.
- The condition of the home — how difficult it will be to clean it
- The size of the home — how long it will take to clean it
- How many people live in the home and how much clutter they create
- If there are any valuables you need to take extra care with
- If there are any pets you need to deal with, and how safe those pets are
- How difficult the client will be to deal with
- How much the client is willing to pay
Once you have completed the interview, you’ll want to spend some time thinking about how comfortable you will be cleaning that particular house. Are you willing and able to do all the tasks the employer has for you? Will you be able to clean to her satisfaction? Do you feel you have agreed on a fair price?
If your answer is yes, and you take the job, then you’ll want to have a specific plan for communicating with the employer to make sure you are both satisfied with how the job is going.
