For college students, finding a job that fits in with their schedule can be agonizing, but a new Web site strives to make the search easier.
Care.com is an online service provider that allows anybody looking for baby-sitting, tutoring, pet-sitting, senior care, housekeeping or other care-giving jobs the chance to look for opportunities in the area. The Web site also provides a service to help give families a safe and easy way to connect with local care providers.
After creating a profile, students can search for local families in the area who are looking for specific care services.
Care.com provides potential caregivers with numerous tools, including articles and resources for help finding jobs, figuring out what to charge, providing tips on interviewing and helping teach new skills.
Mike Nagel, online producer of Care.com, believes the site allows college students to finally be in control of their work schedules.
“Many students are looking to find jobs that work around their hours, and that’s what Care.com does,” Nagel said. “We give job-seekers the power to set their own schedules, advertise their own rates and to find rewarding, flexible jobs.”
Care.com is the largest and fastest-growing service of its kind. It strives to give families every tool they need to find great care providers, while also making sure their providers can find jobs easily.
“Think of it as a kind of Match.com or Monster.com type of service,” Nagel said. “Some people need care, others are looking for work, and we help them meet each other in a secure online setting.”
Lauren Schin, a fourth-year in marketing at Ohio State, found a job right away using Care.com and enjoyed the services the Web site had to offer.
“I was just looking for some baby-sitting jobs online and it was probably the easiest one to use,” Schin said. “There were other ones, but they were more like Craigslist, and those were just kind of sketchy, so that’s why I went with Care.com”
She also offered some advice for new members to the site.
“Just be yourself. That’s the most important thing,” she said. “I think a lot of people try to cater to the other person, but if you are not really genuine about it, you’re not going to get the job that suits you best.”
The site can also be helpful for college graduates.
“It’s beneficial for recent grads because it’s a good job to have while looking for a real job — nothing too stressful and [that] requires no training,” said Tricia Gelin, a recent OSU graduate who just started using the site.
Care.com is available nationwide. Each year, the site runs a “summer sitter” program. This helps students returning home for the summer months find jobs with families looking for seasonal help, especially for their kids who are also out of school at those times.
“Many students have found the types of jobs Care.com offers to be great resume-builders for the future,” Nagel said. “Babysitting, working as a nanny or putting your own education to use as a tutor gives students invaluable experience for when they graduate and beyond.”
