Here at Lighthouse, we pride ourselves on working with top tier families. Not only do these families pay competitive rates, but they also agree to work within the favorable terms of our contracts.
For nannies working on employment contracts, this means paid sick leave, holidays, and all the German social benefits. For freelance nannies, this means clear-cut cancellation policies and protocol for illness and any last-minute issues that arise. Freelancers with Lighthouse also have the chance to earn supplemental income as an occasional babysitter or event nanny.
But in choosing nannies to work in these special roles, we look for highly professional individuals that meet a certain set of criteria. First and foremost, you must have a experience working with children. Next, there are bureaucratic requirements. You’ll need certain documents to work as a nanny in Berlin. Nannies that already have these documents can be fast tracked and start work right after their interviews.
But if you don’t have every single piece of paperwork sorted just yet, don’t worry. If you pass your interview, Lighthouse can help with things like first aid certification and finding the right insurance.
How do I apply to be a nanny with Lighthouse?
So you want to join Lighthouse’s pool of nannies and babysitters? That’s great news! Fill out this application form. Once you fill this form out, if your experience looks right, we’ll be in touch to set up an interview with you.
Before you can start working, though, we’ll need to make sure you have the following things.Look through the following list and make sure you have these things.
1. Visa or working permission
If you’re not an EU citizen, you’ll need to make sure you have the right kind of visa to work as a nanny or babysitter in Germany. Without the right visa, you’ll unfortunately be ineligible to work with Lighthouse.
EU citizens are automatically able to to work legally within Germany, which means Lighthouse can find nanny placements for these candidates without any additional visa paperwork needed.
If you want to work as an occasional babysitter or event nanny, you will also need to apply for your freelance number. Currently, these types of jobs are only available on a freelance basis.
2. References
Please include at least one reference letter, if possible. Ideally, this should be from a family you’ve worked with in the past. If you are new to childcare, or returning after a long pause, we’ll also gladly accept letters from volunteer positions. We simply want to hear from another parent/guardian that’s seen you work with their child. This should also include a phone number so we can follow up with that person if necessary. If you don’t have references ready right away, that’s fine. You can always send them later, after we’ve reviewed your CV and cover letter.
3. Infant &. child first aid certification
Before you can sign a contract with a family, you’ll have to submit a valid infant & child first aid certificate. We recommend Erste Hilfe Station for finding courses in English. You should book ASAP, if you can. Sometimes the waiting period can be months between courses.
4. Führungszeugnis (police clearance)
In order to work with kids, you’ll have to prove you have no criminal history. You can easily apply for your Führungszeugnis online, and wait for your certificate to be delivered in the post. Again, we recommend starting this process ASAP as the waiting period can be unpredictable.
5. English skills
Lighthouse caters to families that want native or near-native level English speakers to work with their children. Therefore, it’s important that your level of English is high. If you are not a native speaker, we will do an assessment to ensure that your English is sufficient. If you have any proficiency tests to include with your application, please do so. But if you don’t, there’s no need to register for pricey exams. We will assess your proficiency in-house throughout the application and interview process automatically.
How does the Lighthouse Nanny interview process work?
If everything on your application looks good, the next step is to schedule an in-person interview. This is where we make sure that you are a good fit for our pool. We will write to you to schedule a coffee chat, where we will ask questions to get to know you a bit better. Here is also the time to ask any questions you have about Lighthouse.
If you pass that interview round, you will officially be added to the Lighthouse pool. This means your CV can then be put forward for any jobs where you might be a good candidate.
Before starting work with families, you may be required to do an additional in-person interview, phone interview, or video interview. It’s also possible that you could be asked to do a trial day—although any trial over 30 minutes would always be compensated at your usual rate. However, these requirements are dependent on the individual family. They also might not be required at all.
Are you still interested in joining our pool of professional, talented, highly sought-after nannies and babysitters in Berlin? Send us your application and we’ll be in touch. We can’t wait to hear from you!
