Learn How Your Talents Line Up With a One-on-One Home Caregiving Career
If you are interested in a new job, you might feel like many people who are currently in the job market. Jobs are available, but you aren’t sure if your resume fits the job description. This is especially true if you’ve seen advertising for private duty caregiver roles.
Good news for you: private duty caregivers wear many hats during their time spent caring for an adult in their home. Although you may not have worked a private home care job before, the many tasks that caregivers perform may be similar to experiences you’ve had in the past.
What Are a Private Caregiver’s Duties?
When you work as a caregiver, your primary responsibility is helping your client live their life at home, despite their needs and limitations. In many ways, this job is similar to taking care of someone in your family who needs help at home.
Your main duties can include:
- Basic housekeeping.
- Meal planning.
- Cooking.
- Medication reminders.
- Companionship.
- Transportation.
- Social outings.
- Pet care.
- Grooming and personal hygiene.
- And more.
Some private duty caregiver jobs refer to these duties as “the tasks of daily living.” These activities are all part of enjoying a high-quality, independent life at home. If you’ve performed these tasks to help someone in your life, such as a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or friend, you may be a good match for a private home care job. However, your success as a private duty caregiver isn’t just about what you do but how you perform your duties.
What Strengths Line Up With Private Duty Care?
You can become a successful private duty caregiver by applying certain skills you may have demonstrated at other jobs or as a family member or friend.
Most private duty caregiver providers want team members with these traits:
- Compassion. When you see people who are struggling, do you feel an instant need to help them? As a caregiver, you’ll encounter clients who need understanding, emotional connection, and action to help address their challenges with dignity.
- Acceptance. People who need care have many different types of needs. Caregivers are open and accepting of everyone they work with, knowing that what makes us all the same is our desire for companionship, comfort, and care.
- Awareness. Not everyone is good at noticing how someone is struggling and finding ways to help right away. A caregiver identifies needs before others do and comes up with helpful and kind solutions.
- Consistency. The tasks that adults at home need help with are critical for their well-being, such as cooking and medication reminders. Caregivers need to be on top of these important tasks for their patients every day.
- Sense of duty. Is your purpose in life to help others? Do you feel that offering care is what you were meant to do? Those who answer yes to this question feel satisfied and rewarded by a meaningful job in private home care.
What Jobs and Experiences Require Similar Strengths?
Many jobs require the same kinds of talents and abilities that caregivers need to be successful. Private duty caregivers come from many backgrounds and find that their work in these jobs is very similar to caregiving:
- Customer service
- Hospitality
- Teaching or coaching
- Tutoring
- Nannying or babysitting
Some home healthcare providers don’t require prior employment experience with caregiving to get a job as a private duty caregiver. These personal experiences can also demonstrate your ability to perform this role:
- Caring for a sick loved one
- Parenting or taking care of your sibling
- Babysitting children
- Volunteer work with children or people in need
- Volunteer work at church
- Coaching children in a sport
What Can I Do to Take the Next Step Toward a Private Duty Care Role?
Even if you don’t feel your experiences perfectly line up, but you have the willingness to compassionately and consistently serve vulnerable people in your community, you still may be a great candidate!
Keep in mind that caregivers must:
- Be 18 years of age or older.
- Be able to lift 50 pounds.
- Have a driver’s license and a reliable vehicle.
If you feel that your professional and personal experiences match the expectations for a private caregiver, take the next step forward. Consider these resources as you explore this career opportunity:
- Explore reasons why you might be ready for a caregiver role.
- Learn more about what makes a private duty caregiving job unique and rewarding.
- Prepare for an interview for a caregiver role.
