A passport is a must, and it should be obtained well in advance before embarking upon such a career. You don't want to ruin your chances at the beginning by making a promise to appear at a place while scrambling for a passport at the last minute. The process to obtain a passport is usually lengthy and time-consuming, and you should try a comfortable cushion of 6 months in advance from the first estimated travel date. You will not likely need that much time, but it's important to prepare for any worst-case scenarios. Your success in this business depends on your reputation and trustworthiness.
Working in a foreign country sometimes requires more than simply a travel visa. You may need to learn the local language and customs if you are planning on an extended period of house sitting. You need to check and make sure that you have the right to work locally. While some people prefer to pay a house sitter under the table, you'll need to make sure you have a legal contract and report all earnings for tax purposes.
The resume for an international house sitter is an unusual one. You want to be as thorough as possible since people are trusting you often with everything they own. List your past experiences career-wise simply. They don't need to know everything about you, but they do need to know what has led you to seek this fun, unusual line of work.
List all house-sitting, nanny, housekeeping and domestic jobs you've held, particularly live-in situations. Include references for these past experiences. This will allow your potential employer to see that you have a history of being trustworthy in the homes of others.
Include at least five complete references. You want to do more than simply list names and phone numbers as you would on a mainstream job application. With house-sitting, you need to go beyond the expected. List addresses and explain how the person knows you. Some people require no previous house-sitting experience because there is no formal training required. Yet, without thorough references, most people are not going to want to bring you into their home, no matter how great your track record is.
Many people use the Internet to help land the perfect job, and house-sitting is no exception to that career quest. Several websites, including House Sitters International and House Sit World, offer both free and fee-based services to potential house sitters and those seeking sitters (see Resources below).
On House Sit World, you can view the website in English, French, Dutch, Spanish or Italian. You can access its services in the United States, England, Europe, Australia and beyond. It offers the chance to look for a house sitter for free. You can also choose to search through jobs available, recommend a friend, register for the website and read articles about the experiences of others.
Before you leave to work abroad, you'll need to make sure you'll have an authentication of all documents required of the host country. According to the U.S. Department of State Website, "The Department of State, Authentications Office is responsible for signing and issuing certificates under the Seal of the U.S. Department of State (22 CFR, Part 131) providing authentication services to U.S. citizens and foreign nationals on documents that will be used overseas."
You'll need to submit documents to: U.S. Department of State, Authentications Office, 518 23rd Street NW. SA-1, Washington, DC, 20520. You will also need to check with the U.S. Embassy in your host country when you arrive. General documents, pet certificates and signed notes of importance can be processed this way. If they are originally in a language other than English, the English translation must be present and attached to the document.
Most house sitting jobs will come without complete privacy. Hidden cameras that can give a signal back to wherever the family is--sometimes done through the Internet--are one means of monitoring that you can usually expect. Never do anything you'd be ashamed of--or that could cause you real embarrassment--in someone else's home. Keep company to the agreed upon limit set in your contract, and never use drugs or other substances in a residence you are house-sitting.
