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Domestic helper job description: what you'll do and what to write on your resume

Applying for domestic helper work in a private home? Copy the duties below into your resume, then read what the interview asks.

Duties to write on your resume

Start each line with what you did. Keep the ones you've really done.

• Cleaned bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen and living areas daily, including floors, windows and surfaces
• Washed, dried, ironed and folded the family's clothes and bed linen
• Cooked daily meals following the family's tastes and dietary needs
• Shopped for groceries and household supplies within the budget given
• Cared for children and elderly family members, including meals and daily routines
• Kept the kitchen and food storage clean and safe, and washed all dishes
• Used household appliances safely, including the washing machine, oven and vacuum cleaner
• Followed the employer's house rules and kept the home and belongings secure

No paid experience? Use the same lines for the housework, cooking and childcare you do for your own family, and say so.

A resume objective you can adapt

Hardworking and honest applicant looking for a domestic helper job, ready to follow house rules, keep a home clean and care for the family with patience.

Skills employers ask for

• Cleaning and laundry done properly
• Cooking simple home meals
• Caring for children or older people
• Following instructions from your employer
• Honesty and good time management

What the interview asks

1. Why do you want to work as a domestic helper? Give an honest reason, like supporting your family, and say you take the work seriously.
2. What household tasks are you best at? Name two or three, like cooking or childcare, and give a real example.
3. Are you okay living in your employer's home and working with a family? Answer honestly, and ask about the room, rest days and house rules.
4. What would you do if you broke something or made a mistake? Say you would tell your employer right away and learn from it.

The questions every interview asks, with sample answers

How to get hired

1. Most posts ask that you can do cleaning, laundry and basic cooking, and some want childcare or elder care.
2. Prepare a resume, a valid ID, NBI clearance, a medical certificate and your SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG and TIN numbers.
3. TESDA offers a national certificate for this work: Domestic Work NC II. Getting it can help your application.
4. Going abroad through an agency? The DMW says household service workers must submit TESDA's Domestic Work NC II and be at least 24 years old.
5. Apply through a licensed agency or a trusted referral, then expect an interview about your skills and your attitude toward the family.

Licence or certificate

• TESDA offers a national certificate for this work: Domestic Work NC II. TESDA's online program has a course for it. Source
• Household service workers going abroad through an agency must submit TESDA's Domestic Work NC II and be at least 24 years old, says the DMW. Source

What the work is like

You work inside a family's home, so your day depends on the household. The hard part is long hours and being away from your own family.

Use the domestic helper resume template

Questions

Do I need experience to work as a domestic helper?

Not always. Many families train you, but you'll get hired faster if you can show real housework or childcare experience.

Do I need a certificate to work as a domestic helper?

For local jobs, many employers don't ask. For jobs abroad through an agency, the DMW asks for TESDA's Domestic Work NC II.

What can I study to prepare?

TESDA's online program has a course for Domestic Work NC II. It covers the skills most households ask for.

Similar jobs

• Housekeeper
• Caregiver
• Nursing assistant
• Cook
• Janitor

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