Mom's tips for job hunters

We recently lost our dear babysitter.

I don't think she wanted to leave, and we definitely hated to see her go.

It's hard to invite a stranger into your home and trust them with your sweet baby. It's hard to see them three days a week and not get to know each other. Eventually, they become like family and then it's hard to say goodbye.

But with a heavy load of college classes and working for her father's company, she just didn't have time to keep Sawyer, too. (Either that or she was just tired of Thomas or our messy house or constantly being dived on!)

Sawyer misses her and keeps asking about her, but change is part of life, right?

So we did what we had to do and started a search for a replacement. (Our fourth time round of sitter interviews ... we're getting our routine downpat.)

And we've hired a very nice UNCG student who, hopefully, Sawyer will grow to love as well.

But based our hiring experiences, I'd like to share a few tips for prospective babysitters (though many of these tips apply to anyone looking for a job).

1. Spell your name right. If you can't bother to type your own name correctly in your message, what kind of care are you going to take with my child and house?
   
2. Don't apply as a pair. Unless your a conjoined twin, I'm not looking to hire you and your BFF. Sawyer can be a handful, but I don't think he needs two caregivers.
   
3. Be reasonable. Transportation aside, I'm sure you are a terrific candidate. But do you really think I am willing to drive 50 miles round-trip (to the next county) twice a day to pick you up and take you home?
   
4. Sell yourself better. I am not going to hire you just because you "really love kids," "are a big kid at heart" or "have fun playing."
   
5. Choose wisely. While you're selling yourself, pick a professional or normal-looking photo for your profile. It may seem shallow, but if you look like you've been clubbing, I'm probably going to skip you. 

It's not exactly a fun process. It always feels a bit like blind dating. You meet several nice people; one might be great on paper, but if you don't click, it's unlikely to work out.