Hi y’all! I’m Ricardo, 27 years old remote worker 
I’m new on TrustedHousesitters (create the account 2 weeks ago). I’m really having troubles finding my first sit and I totally understand it (I would look for someone with many reviews too if I had to leave my pets with a sitter).
Any advice you could give me to achieve my first sit will be more than welcome! It’s really hard to find a sit with any reviews on the platform.
There are lots of threads that discuss this topic. If you search using the magnifying glass icon on the top right, you can find them.
Good luck.
Hello Ricardo, welcome to the community! I think it’s never wrong to open a new thread with an old question, as the opulent super-long existing ones may be hard to digest.
My advice: Look in places which are not very attractive for tourists and perhaps require a car (if you have one). Stay away from the big capital cities, look in the countryside instead, and make sure you get notifications about “last minute” ads in your own vicinity where you could quickly help out over a weekend or so. Also older ads with dates within the next two weeks and still showing 0-3 applicants indicate home owners in urgent need of help. This way it should be easy to get your first sits and your first grateful reviews!
Hi Ricardo
Make sure you get a few character or pet sitting references from friends to support your profile until you get some real THS reviews.
And its often helpful to apply for local short sits to help build up your reviews. After receiving your first review you should find things get easier. Good luck!
Hi @rsrodriguez. Welcome to TrustedHousesitters and the community forum. I took a look at your profile and suggest you consider including more pictures of you with pets, not just pets, if you have them. That will reinforce the image of you as a pet sitter with owners.
In addition to the great advice you’ve already been given above, you might want to include a link to your sitter profile in your forum profile. That way our forum members can review your sitter profile and suggest ways you might make it even more compelling. Many of our new members have had great success doing this.
Hi @rsrodriguez. I joined THS in mid May. Getting the first sit is the hardest. Make sure your profile is fully filled out. Admit you’re new. Offer to do a video chat with HO’s. Maybe look at less popular and local sits for your first sit. It took me 23 applications to get my first sit. Just about to start my 6th sit since June.
Just keep applying.
Hi @rsrodriguez I do agree that getting that first sit can be the hardest and all the suggestions I have seen on the thread are very, very good. I would also look at any “last minute sits” near you that you might possibly apply for. If you apply, it might be a lot easier to pick one of those up. This would give you that first sit chance and help out the pet parent in desperate search for help.
Good luck!
Thank you @Romana . You really gave my a lot of info about how the website works! Really appreciate it, I’ll keep applying
Thank you Debbie! The advices are being really helpful
I will let you know when I get my first sit!
Thank you for the info Karen! It’s been really helpful, appreciate it
HI Ricardo you are getting some great support and feedback from our helpful members, this thread is long https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/t/nobody-wants-me-advice-for-a-first-time-house-sitter/ however it helped Andrew, who posted about nobody wanting him, get his first sit and is now “booked” up for a year in advance … So perhaps take the opportunity to share in his journey to sitter success.
@RicardoAvmartz03 - I checked your profile and you’ve done a great job describing your experience with animals. As a homeowner here on THS (as well as being a sitter), I suggest adding some mention of your experience taking care of a house. You may never have owned a house, but do you take care of routine maintenance at your mum’s house or in rentals?
I would also change your primary photo to be one of you with animals. The solo shot would be amazing on a dating website, but one with animals might be better here!
Hi @Lassie.
Yeah sure, I live in a house with a big yard so it need maintenance! hahaha thank you, I’ll change my photo
Thanks agains for all the advices!
Ricardo: Others have given you great feedback. I would also add that the holidays are a great time to start sitting, since so many hosts are looking for sitters. Since many very experienced sitters are already booked and demand for sitters is high, there is less competition. You may think of applying for a holiday sit close to family and/or friends, so that you can still participate in holiday festivities. Good luck!
We are owners and welcome to THS! From our perspective, we have no problem with a newbie. I wish we were closer to you!
We love the fact you are a remote worker. You may want to highlight that. In your write up make sure you emphasize any experience you have with animals, what you would like to experience on this platform, things like that. Every owner looks for something different. For us it’s the knowledge that you will be at our home a lot of the time. You are a remote worker so that is super helpful. We also expect you to have fun and go out, but not for the entire day. Otherwise we would have a neighbor come by a couple times per day. So highlight what you offer and your expectations and you will find a good fit. Best of luck and enjoy your future sits! And if you ever want to visit the beautiful mountains of Colorado in the US, let us know. 
Hi @Loreemezz thank you so much! I really appreciate it. And of course! I absolutely will love to know Colorado, the US are on my bucket list 
Hi Ricardo, I was catching up on my reading on this Forum when I saw your post. You seem like a really great sitter!
Hi @Kerri thank you so much! I just saw your invite by the way and those dates don’t suit me 
so sad right now
Too bad that is. Maybe next time.