In as little as three months' time, you could be waking up to sunshine, sandy beaches and the sound of the sea. The only umbrella in sight will be the one that sits daintily in your pina colada, a distant reminder of the January blues back home.
Tour operators are now recruiting people with childcare qualifications to work in Mediterranean resorts from April to October. An NNEB, NVQ in Early Years Care and Education or Playwork, or equivalent, is your passport to working as a summer season children's representative. Most companies also take on people who are not qualified but have a year's experience working with groups of children.
Nannies Abroad currently has 250 nannies on its books and is now at the peak of its drive to recruit an extra 150 for the summer season. 'Not only is this an excellent and safe way to see a bit of the world, it is also an ideal way to gain practical experience of working with children,' says Diana Wood, head of recruitment for Nannies Abroad.
But it's not all fun in the sun. In return for free accommodation and food, the hours tend to be long and tiring and the wages basic, at between 80 and 120 per week.
More than a stop-gap
According to Oliver Black, director of Tinies Childcare, working as a children's rep abroad appeals to two main types of people: those who are straight out of college and seeking adventure and those who are going thorough a stale point in their career and want a new challenge.
Since taking over the childcare recruitment for Mark Warner holidays in September 2003, Tinies Childcare has requested that all summer 2004 recruits are checked through the Criminal Records Bureau. Those who successfully complete a season will also be provided with certificates and documents detailing the type of work they have been involved in, along with appraisal certificates and references from head nannies. Oliver Black says, 'Rather than being perceived as a stop-gap in their career, this should be recognised for what it is - a demanding job working with and caring for children. In other words, it's a launch pad for a rewarding career in childcare.'
Time for a change
Fiona Shek, 20, decided to take the plunge to become a children's representative after completing her National Certificate in Childcare and Education in 2002 and working in a nursery in the UK. She is currently working in Tignes as a ski nanny, but she plans to go back to college to study child psychology after another summer season with Nannies Abroad.
Fiona says, 'I wanted to put some of the theory I'd learned into practice by working with children abroad. My aim was to use the experience to further my career.'
But the first resort she was sent to did not live up to her expectations.
'I was placed in a small resort in Menorca with two pubs and two hotels.
The team was small and I didn't feel like I was getting the most out of my experience. I wanted to be somewhere more exciting, where I could meet more people.'
Luckily, Nannies Abroad did everything within their power to ensure that Fiona got more out of her experience. A representative from Nannies Abroad says, 'It's rare that the resort does not match the person's personality, but in cases where this does happen, we will bend over backwards to rectify the situation.'
After much discussion with the tour operator, Fiona was able to spend her remaining ten weeks in the lively resort of Alcudia, Mallorca. She says, 'The working environment suited me perfectly and I met lots of people though living in a flat with six other nannies.'
During the day, she worked with children from babies to 12-year-olds. 'We had Messy Madness days, where the children did junk modelling, Crazy Cookie days, where they decorated biscuits and days where we just went out in the sun and had waterfights.'
Fiona was also involved in meeting and greeting children from the airport transfer bus and she took part in weekly meetings with the resort representatives.
'The best part of the job for me was the fantastic team and the friendly holidaymakers.'
Her contract meant that she worked no more than 48 hours a week, over a 17-week period - a clause introduced by Nannies Abroad to improve the working standards of nannies in their employ. Fiona was grateful for the support she received - a 24-hour helpline, personal e-mail address and direct access to an overseas supervisor if required. She advises other childcarers who are thinking of doing the job, 'Shop around for the right recruitment agency; don't just plunge for the first job you see advertised.'
A job for life
Nikki Demaid, now head of childcare for Mark Warner, did her first season with the company in 1992, after training for her NNEB and working as a nanny in Switzerland. This was the start of what was to become a seven-season stint as a nanny abroad and the launch of a career that has seen her work her way up the ranks to her current position.
Nikki is responsible for all the childcare within Mark Warner and writes the policies and procedures for the resorts, oversees the management of the heads of departments and childcare managers, trains and recruits senior staff and deals with specific queries relating to individual nanny requirements. She also visits each resort to ensure that standards are up to scratch.
Reminiscing about her first season in Greece, she says, 'When I arrived at the resort in mid-season, all the nannies were tanned and friendly and oozed confidence. They also knew everyone's name - a task I thought would be impossible at the time.'
Nikki soon settled in and surprised herself at how quickly she got to know everyone's names. She likens being a nanny abroad to 'a way of life'.
'If you enjoy the lifestyle - working in a fast-moving environment which constantly changes - there are plenty of opportunities for career progression,' Nikki says. 'After doing three or more seasons there are opportunities to expand the age ranges you work with or to become a head of a department or childcare manager, depending on your experience or qualifications.'
Is it for me?
Fiona describes the downside to the job as the 'mid-season blues'.
'Everyone misses friends, family and their favourite foods at some point - usually halfway through the season. Things can also get difficult if you have disagreements with colleagues that you also live with. But this make the bond stronger, and your friends become more like family.'
Nannying abroad is an opportunity to meet new people with a similar outlook on life. Diana Wood says, 'We're looking for bubbly characters with get-up-and-go. They must work well in a team and be good decision-makers. A love of children is obviously a key pre-requisite, but the most important personal quality is independence. Without this, many young nannies find it difficult to adapt to the change in lifestyle and do not realise how homesick they might be until they get there.'
Nikki Demaid warns, 'The lifestyle is not for everyone. If you're too independent and prefer spending time alone, bear in mind that you will be surrounded by others for much of the time, often living in shared accommodation with your work colleagues.'
Nikki has enjoyed a varied career which has taken her all the way up the career ladder. She says, 'Without having to forfeit your career, you can soak up the sun, experience life in another country and get free accommodation and a weekly wage.' What better way to spend the prime years of your life?
Further information
For recruitment call:
* First Choice: 01293 588528
* Mark Warner: 020 7761 7300
* Nannies Abroad: 01962 882299
* Sunsail: 023 9233 4600
* Esprit: 01252 618318
* Thomas Cook and JMC Holidays: 0870 607 0309
