Would you like to become a Housekeeper? Does the world of private households interest you, and would you like to become a part of it? A career as a Housekeeper can be amazing. When you find a household you enjoy working for, it can be a very exciting job. and no day will be the same! But to get there, you need to undertake certain steps.
So, how can you become a Housekeeper?
Tasks of a Housekeeper
To become a Housekeeper, you should have a very clear understanding of what it means to be one. There is a big difference between a cleaner and a Housekeeper, for example. And many Housekeepers take on extra roles too, such as childcare or cooking.
But in general, these could be the tasks of a Housekeeper:
- Organisation and general tidying of all areas of the house
- Inventory of housekeeping cleaning products
- Upkeep and general maintenance (or sending for repair) of the housekeeping tools
- All general cleaning, both deep and upkeep of all the rooms in the property
- Deep cleaning inside appliances
- Emptying rubbish and bins
- Laundry, ironing and wardrobe management
- Clothing care, repairs and sending clothes to the dry cleaners
- Window care and cleaning
- Pet care, including feeding, walking, and taking to the vet
- Potential (light) childcare, assisting with children or babysitting
- Light gardening
- Dealing with contractors and deliveries
- Cooking, from simple daily cuisine through to more advanced dinner parties and events
- Running errands, shopping, and other relevant duties/tasks
- Managing inventory and stock keeping
- Admin, paperwork, and organisation
- House sitting and property care when the principals are traveling, or away from the home
Learn Housekeeping Skills
To start your journey in becoming a Housekeeper, you should learn the housekeeping skills. As mentioned above, being a Housekeeper is so much more than just cleaning someone’s house. You are bringing care and atmosphere, and you are really ‘keeping up’ the house.
To learn these specific skills, a Housekeeping training course is really the right way to go. This will specifically teach you all that it will take to become a successful Housekeeper. Also, when you start applying for Housekeeper jobs it will really help to have a training certification on your CV.
It will make you stand out from the competition who did not invest in any training. It also shows that you take your career seriously because you have invested time and money into becoming a Housekeeper. Finally, it gives a new employer the reassurance that you have learned and mastered the Housekeeping skills during the training. So that you are ready to go without too much guidance.
Experience & Practise
Besides doing a training qualification, gaining valuable experience can also be key to become a Housekeeper. There are several different paths you can take, depending on the background of your work.
A lot of successful housekeepers started in hotels as maids. This is a great way to not only learn the cleaning and housekeeping skills, but also to get used to working to a very high standard. If you pick a hotel to start your career in, make sure it is one of the higher-end ones. This way you can really learn how to work to a 5 to 7-star standard that will be expected of you in private households.
Another option on how to become a Housekeeper for private households is to start as a cleaner. You can join a cleaning agency or advertise yourself. There will always be people looking for a cleaner to help out a couple of hours per week. Again a great way to get invaluable experience, and this time you will actually already be working in private households. Sometimes people have evolved from a part-time cleaner to a full-time Housekeeper in the same household, so possibilities are there!
Register with Agencies
The next step in your journey in how to become a Housekeeper is to apply for actual jobs!
Your CV or resume is the gateway to your new job – so make sure your CV is up to date and looks professional. Even if you have had a career break at any point, it should be listed on your CV with a clear understanding of what you did during this break. You can download our template CV/resume here. Remember to include a nice photo, and a way to choose a great photo is here.
The next step is to register with the agencies. They can be of great help in finding you a job that would not be advertised independently. There are now lots of agencies, job sites, and other routes you can go through in order to find your next job. Public job sites such as Indeed and Gumtree are a great way to find new housekeeper jobs, but again you don’t know where your data will actually end up – so be vigilant. The safest way for you to find a job is to go via a trusted and reputable agency. They will normally have longstanding relationships with clients and will be able to find a job that really suits you.
How can Polo & Tweed help?
Are you looking to do Housekeeping Training? Look no further! Polo & Tweed run an internationally acknowledged training academy. Housekeeping training is available in group settings, tailor-made private courses, and Online E-learning. Learn from the best in the best in the industry!
When you have completed a course with us, you can, if you would like to, register with the recruitment side of Polo & Tweed too. It is a great way for the recruitment consultants to get to know you already, and help find the best job for you and your new-found housekeeping skills. Do get in touch with us now and we would be delighted to start your Housekeeping career today!