application video and host family letter

Witajcie kochani!

Dziś przychodzę do Was z dwoma istotnymi rzeczami, które czekają Was podczas uzupełniania swojej aplikacji au pair: wideo i list do host family. Nie ukrywam, że były to jedne z najtrudniejszych momentów podczas całego procesu, ponieważ trzeba wykazać się kreatywnością aby stworzyć coś, co wyróżni nas na tle tysięcy innych osób starających się o wyjazd au pair.

Wskazówki do pisania host family letter:

1. Zacznijcie od napisania listu po polsku i dajcie go komuś do przeczytania/sprawdzenia. Często nie widzimy błędów, które popełniamy.
2. Dokładnie opiszcie swoje doświadczenie w opiecie nad dziećmi – nie róbcie tego jednak w sztywny sposób. Wymieńcie kilka zabawnych czy ciekawych sytuacji.
3. Przedstawcie swoje zainteresowania.
4. Opiszcie jak wyobrażacie sobie swój pobyt w USA – co chcielibyście zobaczyć, dlaczego akurat Stany itd.
5.  Napiszcie dlaczego chcecie zostać au pair i dlaczego to akurat WY jesteście idealni dla rodziny.
6. Kiedy już przetłumaczycie tekst listu na angielski również warto dać go komuś do sprawdzenia.

List pisałam kilka dni, przejrzałam milion blogów na których szukałam inspiracji, oddałam go pod korektę przyjaciela i… jestem z niego bardzo zadowolona. Dodatkowo wzorowałam się na liście, który zawarłam w aplikacji w zeszłym roku kiedy wyjeżdżałam do Hiszpanii. W finalnej wersji znalazło się wszystko na czym mi zależało a jednocześnie nie zrobiłam tego w sztywny i sztampowy sposób. Zresztą, oceńcie sami!

Dear Host Family,

My name is Ola and I am 21 years old. I come from a small town named Lubartow. Now I live in Deblin where I study national security at Polish Air Force Academy. I will graduate my studies in June and I am very excited about that!

Before I started studying I had been living with my family. My mother’s name is Iwona, my father’s name is Dariusz and I have a younger brother – Kuba. We also have a dog named Daisy. My mom is a very talented hairdresser - I cannot trust anyone else. My dad is a driver - sometimes he takes me and my brother on trips with him. I have been really missing them since I started studying. We spend a lot of time together and my relationship with them is very good. I have quite a big family and I love meeting them on family events like birthday or bonfires.

Presently I live in Deblin and I come back home for weekends. As I mentioned before I study national security at Polish Air Force Academy. It is a very interesting field of study. I can learn more about my country and about international security. Studying at PAFA has many advantages and one of them is the proximity of an airport. Sometimes I am woken up by the sound of aircraft engines. It might seem like a problem but I really love it! In the future I want to be a military officer, a policeman or a border guardian. I want it because I feel the need to help others.

I am interested in photography, sport and aviation. In my free time I love cooking and baking cakes and cookies and everything that is sweet. I love traveling, meeting new people and discovering new cultures. When I was an Au Pair in Spain I spent almost every weekend on traveling– I was in Porto and on Islas Cies what gave me the opportunity to take many beautiful pictures. I have been going to the gym regularly since last year. I also like riding on a bike or on rollerblades and jogging. What's more, because I feel the necessity to help other people, I actively am working as a volunteer. It all started in high school - we went to Lviv to visit children from orphanages. Now I am the president of volunteering at the PAFA. I managed to found a volunteering organization there called “Skrzydlaty Wolontariat” (Winged Volunteers). We help children and abandoned animals in the vicinity of Deblin.

Spending time with children is really important to me. I think that we can learn from them how to be happy of little daily situations. They are honest and their smile fulfill my heart. I gained my experience in working with children mostly through volunteering activities, caring for younger sibling, working as a babysitter for family friends and being an Au Pair. When I was taking care of Magda, the daughter of a friend of my mother, my responsibilities were playing with her, helping in caring for the house and being a driver. I loved spending time with her. She is a golden child! I also take care of my brother Kuba, I often pick him up from school when I am at home. Additionally when I am at home I love to take care of my nearly two-year goddaughter. She just stole my heart. In Spain I looked after three wonderful boys – Alex, Xose and Xavi. Their parents worked a lot so I was spending all day playing with them at home or on the beach. All three of them were attending the summer school so I helped them with their homework. We watched together cartoons and drew something special for their parents. When the weather was good we were always going to the park or playground. When back home we were preparing snacks and playing with cars or we read some stories. If it was necessary I would bath boys and I prepare them to sleep. When I was taking care of these children, their parents asked me to do the shopping, bake a few cakes, prepare dinner or to clean the kids’ rooms. One of my ideas to distract Alex - the youngest boy in the absence of parents was a regular visit to the crab family! Then I took the boys to the beach and together we prepared "meals" for crabs. I also loved sitting with them at the terrace and watching and talking about stars. One of them - Xose want to be an astronaut in the future.

I really liked this and for me it was not a problem. It is very important for me to give something to children. Not physically but something that will help them in life to be a good person. My brother and children from my small family teach respect to other people and animals. I also try to convey that they are very valuable and must believe in themselves.

I have had a driving license for three years now and I had no accident. My relatives and friends say that I drive very safely and carefully. I feel very comfortable driving with children. Talking or singing songs with them while driving does not distract me.

Helping my parents with household duties is not a problem for me. I live on my own for 3 years, so washing dishes, cleaning my flat, taking out the garbage is something what I am doing every day. Also, I love cooking and because of that I always cook for my roommates, friends or family.

Why I want to be an au pair in USA? There is not only one answer for that question. Of course, it is important for me to get to know a new culture, new people and to improve my English. I would also like to fulfill my biggest dream, which is to visit the United States. The opportunity to see all of this amazing and beautiful things - I cannot even want more! It is very important for me, to get to know myself better. I think being an au pair, so far from home, my family and friends is going to help me to learn many things that I will use when I will be back in Poland. And the year off between studies, will help me decide what I want to do in my life.

I have a big heart for everyone, so I think this makes me the perfect au pair candidate! I love new experiences and I easily adapt to the new environment. Moreover, I love spending time with children. I know how to take care of them and how to make them the happiest children in the world!

I hope you got to know me better from this letter. I am looking forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Aleksandra.

Z filmikiem miałam znacznie więcej problemów – zupełnie nie wiedziałam z której strony zacząć i jak przygotować go w sposób aby zainteresować potencjalne rodziny swoją osobą. Ostatecznie wyszło całkiem nieźle, wiele rodzin które się do mnie odzywały pisały mi w mailach, że to właśnie filmik skłonił ich do napisania! Dlatego też mam dla Was kilka rad którymi kierowałam się ja podczas tworzenia:

1.  BĄDŹCIE SOBĄ. Nie warto udawać przed kamerą  energicznej osoby, która uwielbia sport i spędzanie czasu na dworze jeśli tak nie jest. Przedstawcie prawdziwą/prawdziwego siebie.
2.   UŚMIECH! To moim zdaniem podstawa dobrego sprzedania samego siebie. Przecież nikt nie chce spędzić roku z markotną osobą, prawda? J
3.  DZIECI. Na filmiku warto pokazać jak bawicie się z dziećmi, jak spędzacie z nimi czas. W moim przypadku pomogła mi chrześnica, która sprawdziła się w tej roli znakomicie! Można połączyć przyjemne z pożytecznym – zabawę z nagrywaniem filmiku. Moje maleństwo uwielbia oglądać siebie na filmiku.
4. JAZDA SAMOCHODEM. Nawet jeśli ma być to jedynie 20 s z całości materiału lepiej pokazać, że nie boicie się prowadzić samochodu – pamiętajcie o pasach i pamiętajcie aby to ktoś Was nagrywał! Nie za dobrze będzie to wyglądało jeśli jednocześnie będziecie prowadzić i bawić się w kamerzystę J
5.   PODKŁAD MUZYCZNY. Wybierzcie coś wesołego i energicznego. U mnie wybór padł na Kungs vs Cookin’ on 3 Burners - This Girl jednak była to jedynie linia melodyczna aby nie rozpraszać oglądających tekstem piosenki.
6.  BĄDŹCIE PEWNI SIEBIE. Pewnie pokażcie rodzinie, że jesteście warci ich uwagi.
7.  ZAINTERESOWANIA. Skaczesz ze spadochronem? Jeździsz konno? Pokaż to!

Link do mojego filmiku:

 AU PAIR VIDEO

Życzę wszystkim powodzenia w uzupełnianiu aplikacji i w szukaniu perfect match! Widzimy się w USA!

Do wyjazdu zostało 20 dni.

Aleksandra