I’m a sitter and in the past have always taken time to read the listing, jot down some notes, write a detailed letter that describes why I feel I’d be the perfect fit… and even look at travel costs PRIOR to officially applying for the sit to make sure travel costs are worth the time at the sit location.
THAT was the past.
Now I feel there is a mad dash to be one of the first 5 applicants. I admit that I have send off a generic “I’m interested” email to get included in the first 5 applicant round. THEN after I submitted the first email, I go back and send a second email that is more like what I used to do OR I cancel my application if the sit ends up not being the best fit. I do fear that I can get rejected before the second email is sent since my first rushed email is not custom written to apply to the specific sit.
Personally, I feel this 5 applicant limit is way too low. It does create “faster connections” but not always the best quality connections. I fear Homeowners will see more application cancellations which is a waste of time for homeowners as well as sitters. I really hope THS will change this policy. If THS goal is faster turn around to sit opportunities, I’d suggest they don’t limit the applications, but maybe do an automatic pause on “24 or 48 hours posted with over X number of applicants.” This way sitters have time to really analyze the sit-opportunity match … AND verify the time and cost is appropriate for the sitter WITHOUT risking not being included in the application review. This was “hot listings” get to review all interested parties within a 24-48 hour period… vs just those lucky few sitters who saw it in the 15 minutes it was posted.