Fly By Night Schools

Since the Canadian and US Embassy have mandated that caregivers entering their territories have a diploma to show that they are professionals,  Caregiver Schools have prolifirated in the country.  Unfortunately, most of them are fly by night schools just taking advantage of people.  A fly by night school is a school that has no proper permit to operate and once they are policed by the proper government agency governing them they will simply just pack up their bags and transfer to another location so that they can avoid registering their programs.

Why are fly by night schools dangerous?

1.  The diploma you will get from these schools will not be honored by the US and Canadian Embassy.  So that is not just wasted money but also time and effort.

2.  They don’t teach the proper skills thus if ever you get to Canada or US under a different visa and managed to find work there, you may be putting your charges at risk since you don’t really know the proper procedure of care and operations of household equipment

So how can you avoid getting duped by this fly by night caregiver schools?  Always ask for their Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Registration Permit before enrolling.  But since permits can also be faked,  you may also call the TESDA office that has jurisdiction over the school you are eyeing and ask for the program registration number of the school.

Illegal Recruiters

A lot of people are now claiming that they have relatives in Canada or in the US and that they can sneek a caregiver aspirant into the country by pretending that their relatives will hire them so that they may be issued a work visa.  But once in Canada, the person must look for a real employer.  In order to avail of this privelage,  one must pay the relative of this “employer” in Canada a hefty amount ranging from P40,000-P100,000.  Since a direct caregiver employer is hard to find, a lot of people are biting into this scam.  But that’s what it is just is, a scam.  So never get duped by this modus.  Think of it this way:  if they can really do that, why are they not starting with their own relatives, right?

Illegal Recruiting Agencies

These are agencies that have no permit from the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA).  Before an agency can send people abroad, they must first get accreditation from POEA.  Upon registration, that’s the time that they can use the work order they have from their partners abroad.  To avoid being duped by agencies who have no legal papers, check POEA’s listings.  If they have accreditation they should be on the list.  Also, be weary of agencies that ask for fees since the policy nowadays is that your placement fee will be paid thru salary deduction.

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Scams Caregiver Aspirants Should be Aware Of

1.  Live-In Caregiver

Being a Live-In Caregiver means that you will be living with your employer or in Nursing Homes and may be expected to do also some household chores like doing the laundry, ironing clothes, cooking and dish washing so be sure to know how to operate hi-tech gadgets that will be used to perform these duties.  Also, you may be assigned to take care either of a child, an elderly or a person with disability.  Be sure to ask what kind of person you will take care of to further prepare for the job.

2.  Non-medical Caregiver  / Hospice Caring

This is the term being used for Caregivers based in the hospitals  or homes.  They are like nurses who take care of different people.  Unlike Live-In Caregivers,  they have limited interaction with their patients since they take care of a lot of different people.

These caregivers comprehensive assistant to patients and or elderly, ill or terminally ill patience  who wish to live independently.   You provide nursing assistant, companionship and may run errands.

3.  Housekeeper

In this line of work, you are specifically tasked to do just housework.  Again, because of the increasing popularity of this Caregiver job description, there is now a curriculum being honed specifically for that.  But for the meantime, there is a portion in the curriculum of Caregiving that tackles housekeeping.  This teaches prospective Caregivers how to use the gadgets specifically found abroad and how to perform the task well.  It also teaches Caregiver students how to sanitize their surrounding to really keep the place of work clean and germ free.

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Different Kinds of Caregivers In Canada

1.  Get a Hobby

A caregiver job is a job that will not give you a lot of free time so when you do have your break make sure that you do something that you will really enjoy.    Finding something that you enjoy and may eventually become passionate about can help pass time and eventually ease your boredom and home sickness.  Treat this also as a learning experience, a platform that will teach you something new.

2.  Get Around

Visiting places and seeing something new every once in a while will help in easing your home sickness.  New experiences and places will help you enjoy your stay more in a foreign land and make you forget your loneliness.  Remember, not everybody gets  a chance to visit  and in your case live in a a foreign land.  It is time for you to take advantage of that blessing.

3.  Get Acquainted

Try to meet different people of different culture and you will find yourself appreciating your situation more.  Being exposed to different nationalities can be lots of fun.  It’ll be like a daily adventure.  The United States  and Canada is a melting pot of different nationalities and personalities.  If you don’t have a family back home, you may even find the love of your life here.  So don’t hide in your routine and inside your employer’s home.

4.  Connect with the Community

As they say, Filipinos can be found everywhere in the world especially in the United States and Canada.  So be sure to join the Filipino Community nearest you.  Connecting with fellow Filipinos will help make you feel that you are back home especially when you do Filipino traditions together like goiing to Sunday Mass or having a Filipino style picnic which feature Filipino dishes.  Being around your kababayans will definetely be the cure for home sickness you are looking for!

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Caregiver Health and Blues

Patience

A caregiver job entails a lot of patience since you will be dealing with children, the elderly or the sick.  It takes a very special person to really understand the special circumstances needed in this job.  If you have a very short temper then the caregiver profession is not for you.  It will just leave you frustrated as time went on.

Hardworking

A lazy person will not be a succesful in this field of profession.  A caregiver is always at his or her feet doing everything he or she can for the patients under their care.  Laziness will most probably result in negligence and this will most likely put you in jail or get you sued.

Cleanliness

Employers are looking for people that can take care of themselves.  After all, how will you take care of others if you can’t take care of yourself right?  So be sure to be always clean and presentable in the job especially when you are still just applying for a caregiver post.

Trustworthy

People will be entrusting the lives of their loved ones in the hands of the caregivers and of course with it will be possessions so it’s natural that they will be looking for people who will not rip them off.  It is hard enough to have some stranger live with you but someone who has the tendency to steal is enough to make you run for the hills.

Caring

Probably the most important trait of all.  It is one of the profession’s root word after all.  Being a caregiver is not just a job.  It is something where you put your heart and soul in.  In order for caregivers to be effective, they need to give their 100% .    This is actually one of the reasons why a lot of countries opt to get Filipinos as caregivers for their loved ones.  They are sure that they loved ones will be cared of by not just anybody but by a “family member.”

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Traits Employers Look For in a Caregiver

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If you are searching for a job as a caregiver, nanny or mothers’ helper, you have a special challenge ahead of you with writing your resume. Drafting a resume for a caregiver is vastly different from writing a resume for any other type of job. The skilled caregiver must be able to convey the unique skills that are required to work as a caregiver in a concise manner in order to catch the attention of those who are seeking quality care for their loved ones.

Here are some helpful resume writing tips that should help you with writing an effective resume which will increase your chances of landing a great job in the caregiver industry.

Caregiver Skills

Highlight your top three or four skills as a caregiver.

Along the top of your resume, under your name and contact information, list your top three or four skills that relate to being a caregiver. Organizations and private clients that hire caregivers are looking for skills like: having compassion, being an effective communicator, dedication to the profession and dependability. Be sure to list these out prominently in an easy-to-read bulleted list.  You want the person making the hiring decisions to get the best first impression of you.

Include your professional caregiver experience for the last ten years.

Along with your top skills, you will want to include a listing of your most recent caregiver jobs in chronological order for the last ten years only. Be sure to include the name of the agency or family you worked for, the type of patients you cared for and the general duties you had while employed. Highlight any memorable achievements you had during the course of your work experience.

License and Training

Include your educational level or license information.

If you have received special training, degrees or licensure as part of your caregiver career, be sure to include a brief description of this on your resume. Make sure to list the name of the university or organization where you earned this credential, the date and state where you earned it and any specialized training you received. Many caregiver jobs require this so you should be prepared to demonstrate this when you interview.

If you are coming from the Philippines, you need your tesda training certificates.

Show Your Qualities on Paper

You’ve heard it before; first impression is important.  Present yourself properly and you will have a better chance at getting that job.

Your resume should include references, photos and additional information about you for the best results.

Along with the caregiver roles you’ve held, be ready and willing to provide a short list of references from previous clients or agencies you’ve worked for in the past. If you are building an online resume or profile, you may also want to include a nice color photo of yourself that would appeal to those looking for someone to care for a family member.

Please avoid using black and white photos, passport id photos and anything suggestive that your boyfriend or husband would like; remember to keep it professional and caring looking but happy.  Use natural makeup to enhance your look without suggesting you’ve spent much of your time on yourself.

Searching for a new job as a caregiver can be an exciting time so be sure to keep a positive attitude and be persistent when conducting your job search. Put your best foot forward with a professionally written resume and a clean appearance. To give you further support with creating a workable caregiver resume, here is a sample resume you can copy.

Click here for resume sample

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Resume Writing Guidance for the Caregiver

After six months of grueling training and taking that assessment to be certified, you are now ready to search for that Caregiver job.  But where to start?  Here are some starting points.

1.  Ask a relative

A lot of Filipinos have relatives in the US and Canada and the 1st step one job hunter can do is to ask his or her relatives for leads.  It is not uncommon for relatives in this area to know of Caregiver job vacancies  since a lot of Filipinos have established their own nursing homes there.  It is also not uncommon to have your relatives in the US and Canada employ you themselves.  This is actually the easiest route on becoming a Caregiver in these countries.

2.  Search the Internet

The second way is for you to make use of the big directory known as the World Wide Web.  Just google Caregiver jobs and millions of results will be available.  Of course it is your responsibility to verify if these vacancies are valid.  It is very important to do a background check before sending all your credentials and other pertinent information.

3.  Go to POEA

POEA stands for the Philippine Overseas and Employment Agency. This is the government agency in chage of registering international employment agencies in the country.  Supplying manpower is a very lucrative business and a lot of fly by night companies have mushroomed.  It is therefore very important to check if the agency you will be transacting with have the necessary documents and permits to operate such delacate business.

Going to POEA would also save you time in looking for other potential agencies since they can supply you with a list of agencies looking for Caregivers.  It is just a matter of choosing now what agency you want to go to first.  Another thing, be wary also of agencies asking for a large sum of money in order for your documents to be processed.

Check with POEA if the amount they are asking is really necessary for the transaction since most agencies nowadays can deploy you even without a money down.  What they do is to just deduct your expenses and other fees from your salary once you start working as a Caregiver.

Check our forum for more info.

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Where to Look for that Caregiver Job

1.  Training Certificate

The first thing an applicant must have is a training certificate from a registered Caregiver School.  To obtain this,  one must enrol and study the basics and fundamentals of caregiving.  Be sure to check with the Technical education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) office nearest you to be sure of the authenticity of their registration certificate.  This registration certificate is proof that they are authorize to train people to become Caregivers and that the training they are giving is of standard.

2.  National Certification

After the Caregiver training, trainees are required to take the Caregiver assessment, also being given by TESDA, to so that they may be Certified Caregivers.  This National Certificate will serve as a license for perspective Caregivers.

After obtaining these papers,  applicants must have their papers authenticated by TESDA.  This Certification, Authentication and Verification (CAV) is the document needed by the Department of Foreign Affairs to give prospective Caregiver workers the Red Ribbon Document.  To apply for CAV, just go to the TESDA governing your school (If you studied in NCR then go to TESDA NCR; if you studied in Pampanga then go to TESDA Pampanga.) and present the following supporting documents:

• transcript of records (original and certified true copy by the school)
• diploma (original and certified true copy by the school)
• student order number (certified true copy by the school)
• 2 2×2 photos (formal)

After getting these documents, then you are now ready to submit your Caregiver application to your Manpower Agency.

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Canadian application requirement for live in caregiver jobs

TESDA Training

The sudden increase in the popularity of Caregiver jobs abroad has prompted the Philippine Government to regulate the Caregiver program so that each Caregiver that will be going abroad will be armed with all the skills he or she needs to perform the job properly.

With this aim in mind, all Caregiver Schools in the country were required to register their Caregiver Program to the Philippine Government Agency tasks to regulate Technical Skills – The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority or TESDA.

Each applying school must comply with the standards set by TESDA.  These standards must apply in their curriculum, number of training hours hours and trainers.  They must also comply with the set measurements of classrooms and training rooms plus the applying training institutions must also possess the required equipment and tools.  Here are the competencies caregiver students are expected to acquire at the end of the program:

BASIC COMPETENCIES: Participate in workplace communication,  Work in a team environment,  Practice career professionalism,  Practice occupational safety and procedures

COMMON COMPETENCIES: Implement and monitor infection control policies and procedures,   Respond effectively to difficult/challenging behavior,  Apply basic first aid, Maintain high standard of patient services

CORE COMPETENCIES: Provide care and support to infants/toddlers,  Provide care and support to children,  Foster social, intellectual, creative and emotional development of children,  Foster the physical development of children,  Provide care and support to elderly, Provide care and support to people with special needs,  Maintain healthy and safe environment,  Respond to emergency,  Clean living room, dining room, bedrooms, toilet and bathroom,  Wash and iron clothes, linen and fabric,  Prepare hot and cold meals

*source: TESDA website

After six months of rigorous training, the Caregiver trainees are required to take the National Competency Exam, also being given by TESDA, to be certified Caregivers.  This National Certificate is proof that the candidate has learned all the competencies set by the government.  This is also one of the papers being asked by the agencies, as well as the Canadian Embassy, when people are applying for a Caregiver post in Canada.  This and also the certification from TESDA that the Caregiver school they’ve attended is registered in TESDA’s system.  So before applying yourself to any Caregiver school, check first with the nearest TESDA if the school is registered or not so as to avoid inconveniece.

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Caregivers Training and Certification in the Philippines

Go Free!

I just learned today that Celia Mansibang lost her battle with cancer on June 29th.  Her viewing is scheduled on July 11 from 2-8 pm at Demarco Funeral Home.

I met her during the wake of Juana Tejada back in early March, 2009.   She looked fragile then but still strong to help advocate for caregivers rights.

While you are not with us in body, I know you are with us in spirit.  Rest in peace with our creator…

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Goodbye Celia

The most common way to work in Canada is through the live-in caregiver program. Overseas Filipino Workers from Hongkong, Israel and other parts of Asia find it easy to get a visa to work in Canada. However, direct workers from the Philippines take ages to  wait  before a visa is granted so they usually apply as OFW to many Asian countries and later  acquire a permit to work in Canada.

What are the usual way to get a Caregiver job either International or Local?

Many Filipino who work for many years in Canada with a landed status may sponsor their family members and relatives from the Philippines. The cheapest and fastest way to help a family member or anybody is through direct hiring either by the person himself/herself or by recommendation to an employer who is willing to sponsor a caregiver from overseas.

Another option  is through agencies. For international and local applicants, they should be well aware that most agencies require huge amounts of placement fees which are truly heavy in the pocket and that is true whether you apply internationally or locally. The bitter part is, most of us are fooled by this agencies but because of our determination to earn dollar, we do everything we could until the last cent we have or even bury with lots of debt and yet the assurance to get the job is indefinite. The issue on release upon-arrival should be given attention so as to avoid it, our initiative to at least be extra careful when dealing with those agencies should be encouraged.

Network and Socialize

It is easy to find a job when you are in Canada. Meeting and socializing with other people offer a great chance to know and get a good connection with them. If possible, ask for their contact numbers courteously  and keep them for future use.  YMCA (world wide and local) offers many services.Don’t forget your local ethnic community groups, social groups and church groups.  These can offer some valuable connections.   Networking and connecting with people even if you don’t need a job right at the moment will go a long way for potential future opportunities.

Internet Tools

And, probably the most accessible method of all is through the internet. The internet is like a huge library where you can find anything you want. Many agencies or people post their ads for a certain job for you to choose from.  Try Craigslist, KIJIJI.com or Kijiji.ca (Canada)  But again, be careful when dealing with anyone online.  No on should charge you a fee – collecting recruitment fee is illegal in Canada. The most important thing you should remember is NOT to make any transaction over the phone or email when money is involved. Apply personally to the agency and you have the right to ask for their business permit before doing any transaction with them.

Good luck!

Contributed by: WT

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How To Get a Caregiver Job