I think the language policing on the word “interview” is kind of silly. Certainly, there are hosts who “interview” the way they might interview a job applicant. They will do this whether it is called a chat or an interview. There are all kinds of “interviews” that aren’t related to jobs. The main difference to me between “conversation” or “chat” and “interview” is that sometimes an “interview” is like a “test” that you would pass. Given that both sitters and homeowners are trying to assess if the match is right, I don’t see anything wrong with “interview.” “Chat” and “conversation” are also words that could be used in a business context eg “The boss would like to have a chat with you right now” sounds ominous.
I’ve learned to say “chat” here because that’s the culture and some people don’t like interview, but I don’t find it offensive or inaccurate.
Horse care at home is one thing and I enjoy this but between walking 3 dogs and needing to drive to a livery yard twice a day to do horses (which you can’t ride by the way) isn’t my idea of ‘fun’ after us owning many horses at home for decades… loving horses isn’t the issue here. Most yards have a holiday care package you pay for…
I don’t see the homeowners as the one “leading” or initiating the chat. Just because I apply to the sit that doesn’t mean I’m going to take it. I’m always asking questions to make sure from my end that I actually want to commit to the sit. I am interviewing the homeowner.
The chat or interview or whatever you call is a necessary ritual to help establish trust and set expectations between both parties before moving forward.
It’s true that the homeowner decides whether to accept a sitter without a chat, whether to decline a sitter without a chat, or whether to have a chat and then decide. But a sitter can also decide NOT to accept a sit without a chat, and not to accept a sit if offered after a chat.
The homeowner lists the availabilty dates, but the sitter initiates contact by applying to sit those dates.
Sitters often leave their phone numbers and suggest a chat when they apply so the chat isn’t always “initiated” by the homeowner.
As a homeowner, I expect the sitter to ask me questions possibly as many as I ask them. My hope is that it won’t feel weird and that it will be conversational as it should be if we’re well matched.
As a sitter, it is very rare that I feel like an employee at a job interview when I chat with homeowners. We are both scoping each other out. If I did feel like it was a job interview, that would probably tell me what I need to know and I would decline the sit.
For all the “competition” for desirable sits, I think a lot of sitters have this backwards, great sitters who have a track record of reliability, commonsense, experience, etc and who homeowners believe will be great sitters and great guests are hard to find. If this describes you and you come across as confident that it does, you are holding at least as many cards as the homeowner.
Agreed, that’s why I view it as a two-way interview. When I say “lead”, I simply mean the HO is usually (I guess not always?) the one that initiates the call/video chat. They, for all practical purposes, are the ones in control when it comes to selecting a sitter. No, it doesn’t mean a sitter has to accept, so they too are in control. Hence, a mutual decision.
As this thread is live again with the title ‘Free Holiday’ I wanted to share a recent experience where I felt I was being invited to be a ‘Free slave’! A full month on a small holding in Northern England taking care of 3 dogs- walking, feeding, playing with them; 2 horses- feeding them, mucking out the Stables, turning out; caring for 40 chickens- feeding, cleaning & egg collecting… Family lives nearby and could occasionally step in for the sitter to have to have a few hours off! They describe themselves as very hard workers. Sounds like they expect the same of sitters. I politely declined telling them it did not appeal to us- far too much work & commitment for an unpaid sit. Did not feel at all like a fair exchange. It should be a paid sit! What are people thinking of!!!
Edit -they did not reply to our decline but when I looked at the listing again just now I noted they now speak about family covering for whole days out- that’s new! Still does not reduce the number of animals or amount of work!
Are you saying you think the cause of your dog’s current lack of appetite is the fault of both of the sitters actions? Or is it possible that your dog is a sensitive soul and gets stressed when you leave if he doesn’t know the sitter already? I am wondering if maybe THS is not a good fit for you, and I dont mean that in a mean way. It could be because your dog’s personality, age, other reason, or it could be that selecting a sitter that is a good fit for you is not a strong skillset. It’s a lot of work to get the right match for some, really easy for others. It also matters if your location, home and written sit profile is desirable. So many factors. Just food for thought.
That is all absolutely true, my point mainly was just because that sit would suit you doesn’t mean it wouldn’t suit others.
I’m currently on a sit with 2 dogs that require walking x2 daily. 3 cats and 2 donkeys. It’s a very busy non relaxing sit. The owners really appreciate our exchange and I am enjoying the animals company.
They are talking about a particular invitation to sit, not petsitting. @Lokstar are experienced sitters and highly valued members of the forum, they surely know what sitting is about.
I thought the same when I read that member’s post. Anyone who refers to pet sitting as “free slavery” because there’s too much perceived work may need to reconsider if pet sitting is right for them, regardless of their experience or how well they are valued by other forum members.
Hear, hear. As @Lokstar said “it didn’t feel like a fair exchange”. To be labelled as unsuitable as a per sitter because of this seems extremely judgemental.
@Newpetlover Thank you for your kind comment! You understand exactly where I am coming from!
@anon30676025 & @Kelton You have both misunderstood me, perhaps you are both quite new members?, but I am speaking of host entitlement- where they forget that a THS (unpaid) sit should be a mutual and fair exchange. My reference to ‘free slavery’ is when the workload and expectation far outweigh the mutual benefit a sitter should feel. There is a growing trend of new hosts who don’t understand the mutual exchange aspect and simply want free labour and expect these ‘free’ sitters to do anything and everything. The particular hosts I mentioned are first timers and- I’m am not saying they are bad people- but they are not considering what’s in it for the sitter.
My hubby & I have been housesitting around the world for 8 years and are right now on sit no. 138. We have experienced every type of sit scenario imaginable- from the most generous hosts to the toughest- and I certainly do know what I’m talking about! I avoid entitled, overly demanding, hosts like the plague! I know my worth as a highly experienced sitter and I refuse to be anyone’s ‘slave’!
No, not really. This was not a case of cohabitation but a means for the sitter to have a break from the animal and home care. You know, the exchange idea behind THS.
Both advertising approaches that you mentioned are raising wrong expectations and detrimental to sitters. They are the reason you see unreasonable expectations by hosts, treating the sitters like indentured servants. They also could have negative legal implications.
The only right approach is that sitters are guests to the home who cohabitate with the pets and voluntarily care for them to an extend. That way pets stay in the comfort of their own home and hosts don’t have to pay a boarding house or overnight pet sitters. Hosts should hire dog walkers for frequent dog walks, etc., so that THS guests are not burdened excessively. There is no exchange here - hosts are welcoming a guest and getting to have their pets stay at home. Why THS guest may be doing this is their own business.
Sorry, but you are “interviewing” and being “interviewed” whether you like the term or not. The Host wants the ‘right’ Sitter, the Sitter wants the ‘right’ appointment … accept or decline by either party, it’s surely based on that “interview”.
Because the horses are ‘at home’ in their Livery Yard also there are often reciprocal arrangements between owners. By adding this extra element to the sit it makes it far less likely that the HOs would get a sitter….however obviously they’re ‘hopeful’ somebody would be willing to spend all day everyday running around for the privilege of having this experience….which was my original point.
If that’s how you want to treat it fine, well done. For me, it never is and never will be an interview, it’s a chat, always, period. I trust you’ll allow me that interpretation.
