One of the easiest and most popular ways to leave Bulgaria and find a job in a foreign country is by becoming a babysitter or au pair. Thousands of young women, not only from Bulgaria but also from across the world choose this job to gain experience, earn money and broaden their knowledge through work. Through special programs au pairs are hired by families seeking help in raising their children.

In her blog a young woman named Moni shares her experience of a one-year stay as an au pair in Germany:

"My goal was not to make money but to see the country and meet people. The selection process was accurate. The agency required the candidates to speak the language. We had to prove that we had the will and skills to work with children and that we were ready to accept the culture of the foreign country, with all its peculiarities. It is good when you work for a nice family. I knew the parents wanted me to be with their three children all day long, and this is not an easy job. By agreeing, you take a lot of responsibility and you do not have a day off. You become a member of the family - you sleep at their home, eat with family and go with them on vacations.” Moni adds that she was good in the job because she liked the family whom she lived with and was ready for anything just to practice her favourite foreign language - German. "My duties did not involve cooking or putting the children to bed but they became so fond of me that came to me to hear goodnight stories from Bulgaria. Unlike me, other girls were not so lucky and helped in all the household work, without this being included in the agreement ", Moni says.

The benefits of working as an au pair are many. Hundreds of girls like her seek the help of au pair agencies. "We are most often looking for au pairs at the request of mixed families abroad, with one of the parents being Bulgarian, says Maria Lazarova, head of one of the largest au pair agencies.

"Our observation as employers is that Bulgarian women are more educated than au pairs from other countries. Almost all of our candidates have pedagogical training, most are university graduates and have a lot of experience and qualifications. Many of them have passed trainings for providing first-aid; they also speak foreign languages. In most cases, before leaving, they already have experience as teachers in schools and kindergartens. The decision to change their work place is most often associated with the need for more money. Payment abroad is quite good compared to what a person would receive for the same work in Bulgaria. The selection of au pairs is more difficult than the selection of other staff. An example of neglecting the profession is the recent incident with the abuse of a three-year-old child, entrusted to the care of an 18-year-old boy. As far as I am familiar with the case, the mother was in a hurry to go abroad and entrusted the child to a person close to the family. This can not happen with an agency. The selection takes 5 to 8 days and involves the direct participation of parents who tell the candidates about their detailed requirements."

English: Alexander Markov