Getting booked as a sitter

You're approved and ready to work. This guide covers the things that decide whether families pick you: a complete profile, the right locations and availability, and applications to jobs you can really do. Families book in one tap from your application, so everything they need to choose you has to be on your profile before you apply.

What families see when you apply

When you apply, your application appears as a card on the family's applicants screen. Knowing what's on it tells you what to work on.

A family who taps View profile sees the rest: your About section, reviews, Childcare Experience, education, and the Wyndy Verified checks you passed. See Your sitter profile.

Build a profile families pick

1. Open Me and tap Edit Profile.

   Each field opens on its own page with a short question. Families see your first name and last initial.

2. Use a clear, friendly photo.

   A well-lit photo of your face, on your own.

3. Write your Bio.

   "Tell parents about yourself": "Your experience with kids, what you love doing with them, and anything that helps a family get to know you." Lead with your strongest line, since only the first three lines show on your application.

4. Fill in Childcare Experience.

   Tap every age group under Ages Supported, your Capabilities (special needs experience, pets, overnights and driving), and your Certifications. Add only the ones that are current.

5. Complete Education & Background.

   College, major, class year, high school, hometown, Greek affiliation, career interests and activities. These give families something in common to talk about.

A bio that works

Junior studying elementary education. I've babysat since I was 15, including two years with a family of three under 6. CPR certified. I love crafts, park trips and getting through bedtime without tears. I have my own car.

The first sentence says who you are, and the next ones prove it with specifics: ages, years, a certification, what you're like with kids.

Set where and when you work

Open Me, then Locations & availability. Keep these current so the jobs and alerts you get fit your life. See Locations and availability.

• Location: choose a saved address, Current Location, or + add a location for campus and home.
• Distance: choose Jobs within 1 mile, 5, 10, 25 or 50 miles. Pick how far you'll really travel.
• Availability: tap the times you're free on each day. "Pick times for job alerts. You'll still see all jobs."

Find the right jobs

• Turn on notifications. Job alerts look like "New job from {Parent}" with the rate and date, "Tap to apply!" If alerts are off, the Jobs tab shows "Turn on alerts to never miss a job" with Enable.
• Watch for invites. "{Parent} invited you" means a family sent the job to you, often because you're one of their favorites.
• Sort the feed. On the Jobs tab, sort by Newest, Soonest, Nearest or Highest Pay, or switch to the calendar view to see jobs by day.
• Clear what you can't do. Tap Decline to hide a job. "You declined this job" shows with Undo in case you change your mind.

More in Finding jobs and Job alerts and invites.

Apply to jobs you can really work

1. Read the whole job.

   Check the description, tasks, children, pets, other adults, any recent sickness, the distance and the Estimated Pay.

2. Look at the family's profile.

   Check for the ID Verified mark and read reviews from other sitters.

3. Tap Apply and switch on each commitment.

   They appear one at a time under "BEFORE YOU SIGN", starting with "I am available to work on" the job's date and time. Recurring jobs add "I can regularly work on" the family's days. Once switched on, a commitment can't be switched off.

4. Sign and tap Confirm and apply.

   Type or draw your name under "Sign your name to confirm". "Signature not stored."

Keep getting booked

• Be reliable. Cancelling within 24 hours of a job counts against you: a warning, then a one-week pause from applying, then suspension pending review, within any 90 days. See Cancelling and reliability.
• Earn reviews. Your rating shows on every application once families rate you. A five-star review sends you a notification.
• Become a favorite. Families can add you to favorites after a job. Favorites appear first in their applicants, and families can send a job only to their favorites.
• Share your profile. Send your profile card and link to families you meet outside Wyndy. See Sharing your profile.

Good to know

• You can't apply to a job that overlaps one you're booked for: "You already have a booking that overlaps this job's time."
• You can withdraw before you're booked from the Applied tab with Remove application.
• After you apply, you may be asked to set up payments ("Get paid faster"). You can tap Skip for now and do it before your first transfer.
• The sitter subscription is $19.99 a month after a free trial, and subscribers pay no platform fee. See Sitter subscription.

Questions

Why haven't I been booked yet?

Families choose from everyone who applied, so a complete profile and a strong bio matter most. Apply to jobs that match your experience and the ages you work with, and keep your availability current so you see new jobs early.

Can I message a family before they book me?

No. You can message a family once you have an active booking with them. Put what you'd want to say into your bio instead.

Does being new count against me?

New sitters show "New to Wyndy. Be {your name}'s first family." instead of a rating. Your experience before Wyndy still shows on your profile, so fill it in.

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