When you’re looking for a job — whether it’s one caring for a child, a pet, a home or someone who is elderly or has special needs, etc. — it’s important to be aware of all your options. While many of the jobs on Care.com are to work directly with families in their homes, did you know you can also find jobs with companies? Both are popular choices, and it’s important to weigh which option is best for you.
And Kami Kimmel and Stephanie Farr can help you with that decision. Kimmel is a senior care provider in Danforth, Ill., who works in a nursing home and offers part-time in-home care to a senior. Farr is a child care provider in Royston, Ga., who ran her own family child care and now works at a preschool. Here, both women share their insights about the perks and drawbacks to each arrangement.
Working for a Company
Here are some things to reflect on before taking a job with a company.
Pros
- The Company May Offer Benefits: This can include insurance, overtime pay, sick days, vacation time, etc. There may also be opportunities for promotion and a built-in structure for pay raises.
- You Can Focus on the Parts of the Job You Like: A company often has many employees, who may work in various departments. You do the work your department is responsible for, such as providing care to clients, while other employees take care of their areas, such as cooking, cleaning and billing.
- You’ll Interact With More People: Sometimes caregivers feel like they are isolated from others. Working for a company may give you an opportunity to interact with different types of people, from different families to other professionals to co-workers. Kimmel says when she works in a nursing home, she likes “being able to have an impact on more people’s lives.”
Considerations
- Coworkers and Supervisors Can Be Challenging: It’s an unfortunate truth, but not every coworker is pleasant to work with, and not every boss is flexible and supportive. If getting along with coworkers is not your strong suit, then working for a company might not be the best fit for you.
- There Are More Rules and Regulations: A company will have its own way of doing things, and expect employees to follow the rules. “As an employee of a company, I must consider the company’s rules and regulations,” Farr says. “I have to abide by their rules and am not free to make those rules myself.”
Working for a Family
Should you take the tradition route of being employed directly by a family? Here’s what to think about.
Pros
- You Build Relationships: Working directly for a family often allows you to get to know that family. In many cases, you become a significant part of their lives. That can be a meaningful, long-term benefit.
- You’re Responsible for Fewer Individuals: When you work for a family, there are usually fewer people under your care than when you work in a group setting. Kimmel finds this leads to a “less stress[ed], more relaxed atmosphere.”
- There Is Greater Independence: When you work directly for a family, you may have more control over decision-making. “I made my own decisions about policies, rates, rules and regulations and teaching methods,” Farr says of working independently.
Considerations
- The Family Is Counting on You: If you work for a family, they’re counting on you to show up each and every day. There isn’t another employee who can fill in if you’re sick or out of town, so you may feel as if you have less freedom.
- All of the Details Fall on You: In addition to the main caring focus of your job, you may also be the secretary, the billing office, the nutritionist, the nurse, etc. “I was responsible for all aspects of the business,” Farr shares. “This included paperwork, billing, record-keeping and accounting.”
So which arrangement is best for you? It’s a personal choice. If you spent a number of years alone with your baby, being with people and interacting with other professionals may be a pleasure. If you’re used to a busy job with a demanding schedule, taking care of someone in a family’s home may feel like a vacation.
Asked which work situation she preferred, Farr says, “I think both were good fits for the stage of life I was in at the time.”
Kimmel has found a way to balance both arrangements, working full time in a nursing home and supplementing her income as a part-time personal caregiver. Both situations can be good career choices that provide job satisfaction and the opportunity to help others.
Do you think a company is the right fit for you? Learn the 6 Ways to Get Hired by Companies
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Want to work for a family? Read about the 14 Ways to Get Families to Respond to You on Care.com
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Meghan Ross is a freelance writer. Her work can be found here.
