Reference checks are an important element in landing a child care job. Parents say references are the #1 factor in hiring a sitter. Reference checks offer a window into how you are as a worker to potential families who are looking to work with you.
Why Reference Checks Are Important
Working as a sitter is unlike any other job. You’re going into someone else’s home and becoming a part of their family. This makes the steps to hiring a sitter extremely important to families who will be entrusting their children and home into the hands of someone new.
Similar to the importance of ratings and reviews, reference checks can often amplify the experience and qualifications you have on your resume. Parents regard reference checks as an insight into how you work with families and can help them to visualize you as the care provider of their children.
As we all know, having a great resume and stand-out applications can certainly be a make or break landing a job. But before you land that job, parents often want to hear from some of your past employers to really get a sense of who you are.
How Do References Work?
If you’ve had positive experiences with families or from working in a child care setting in the past, these are contacts that you can regularly keep in touch with and call upon when looking for a new job.
Initially ask their permission to use them as a reference. It’s then courteous to give that reference a head’s up each time someone may be contacting them. Depending on how many jobs you interview for, your references could end up having multiple conversations about your work experience with them. This can be a time-consuming process for both parents.
Standing Out To Land A Job
Like background checks and reviews, having professional references on your Sittercity profile can be a great way for you to stand out from other care providers. Once you get confirmation from the references, be sure to include it in each of your Sittercity profiles.
Parents will only be able to see your Reference’s contact information if they’re a Premium member. That means, if they’re able to chat with you through direct messaging, they can see the references on your profile.
