Companion to au pair
A companion already meets 24% of what the au pair role asks for. The move turns on 12 required skills not yet in the profile.
70.4/ 100
1 How much of what an au pair is expected to do is already part of a companion’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the au pair role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
An au pair role treats 1 of its required skills as things a companion already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- prepare sandwiches
What stands in the way is 12 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 12 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. An au pair role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a companion background worth leading with.
- already held buy groceries communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held prepare ready-made dishes assisting and caring
- already held feed pets handling and moving
- already held prepare sandwiches assisting and caring
- already held use gardening equipment handling and moving
- already held iron textiles handling and moving
All 12 carried skills, including the 1 the au pair role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 22 missing skills fall into 6 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn assist children with homework required
- still to learn assist children in developing personal skills required
- still to learn attend to children's basic physical needs required
- still to learn play with children required
- still to learn supervise children required
- optional, not held carry out wound care optional
- optional, not held handle children's problems optional
- optional, not held support children's wellbeing optional
- still to learn communicate with youth required
- still to learn entertain people required
- still to learn give constructive feedback required
- still to learn maintain relations with children's parents required
- still to learn promote human rights required
- optional, not held demonstrate when teaching optional
- optional, not held speak different languages optional
- optional, not held support the positiveness of youths optional
- still to learn handle chemical cleaning agents required
- still to learn workplace sanitation required
- optional, not held baby care optional
- optional, not held disability care optional
- optional, not held common children's diseases optional
- optional, not held assess the development of youth optional
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries an au pair role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 assist children with homework practise this
- 02 assist children in developing personal skills practise this
- 03 attend to children's basic physical needs practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 12 skills that carry over
- already held prepare sandwiches skill
- already held buy groceries skill
- already held clean rooms skill
- already held clean surfaces skill
- already held drive vehicles skill
- already held feed pets skill
- already held iron textiles skill
- already held prepare ready-made dishes skill
- already held provide first aid skill
- already held use cooking techniques skill
- already held use food preparation techniques skill
- already held use gardening equipment skill
10 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held assess the development of youth optional
- optional, not held baby care optional
- optional, not held carry out wound care optional
- optional, not held disability care optional
- optional, not held common children's diseases optional
- optional, not held demonstrate when teaching optional
- optional, not held handle children's problems optional
- optional, not held speak different languages optional
- optional, not held support children's wellbeing optional
- optional, not held support the positiveness of youths optional
16 held skills the au pair role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role accompany people skill
- not needed by the target role administer appointments skill
- not needed by the target role assist clients with special needs skill
- not needed by the target role communicate with customers skill
- not needed by the target role empathise with the healthcare user skill
- not needed by the target role give advice on personal matters skill
- not needed by the target role keep company skill
- not needed by the target role listen actively skill
- not needed by the target role make the beds skill
- not needed by the target role provide dog walking services skill
- not needed by the target role relate empathetically skill
- not needed by the target role remove dust skill
- not needed by the target role support individuals to adjust to physical disability skill
- not needed by the target role support nurses skill
- not needed by the target role wash the laundry skill
- not needed by the target role wash vehicles skill
4 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn workplace sanitation required
- optional, not held baby care optional
- optional, not held disability care optional
- optional, not held common children's diseases optional
Common questions about this move
Can a companion become an au pair?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A companion already covers 24% of what an au pair is expected to do: 12 skills carry over, 1 of which the au pair role treats as required.
What skills does a companion need to become an au pair?
12 required skills are missing, plus 10 optional ones. They fall into 6 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by assisting and caring. The single most important is assist children with homework.
How hard is the move from companion to au pair?
Its learning distance is 70.4 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.