Pros
The best thing about working with Trusting Connections was the experience I gained as a nanny and babysitter. Through my personal and hands-on experiences, I learned a lot about childhood development and the necessary care it takes to be an excellent nanny. I also feel like I will be a pretty good mother because I have learned what not to do when it comes to raising children. As a nanny, you are able to make connections not only with the children of the house, but often with the entire family as well--that is, if you were lucky enough to get a polite and respectful household. The flex-division pay is decent ($10/hour for 2 children and increasing by a dollar per extra child), but you could benefit more from a permanent job. It was a good wage for extra money in college. Tips were few and far between, usually only with out of town resort guests or very nice families.
Cons
I would not recommend applying here for a job if you are not willing to make personal sacrifices. More often than not, I made exceptions and sacrificed my availability and personal preference in order to work with this company. This was my JOB, not my CAREER so I wasn't willing to give up my life for babysitting. Ultimately, I was not willing to be as flexible of a flex-division babysitter as they wanted. Even though I had requested to only drive within 25 miles of my house, I regularly had to drive 30-40 miles (one way) from my home, sometimes for only a three hour job. Sometimes the cost of gas was more than the actual job itself. BEWARE when they tell you that mileage is covered. They only reimburse gas mileage for miles driven ON the job. I am a full-time student and I requested to work no more than 15-20 hours per week. Some weeks I would get 10 hours, and other weeks I would get close to 30 hours. Not only that, scheduling is a nightmare in itself because I was given my schedule for the upcoming week on Friday, schedule my week around said schedule, only to be bombarded with last minute shifts nearly every day. I was often called and told that I was required to pick up a shift even when it was outside the range of my availability. I often missed class or prior scheduled engagements because I felt as if I would be reprimanded for not taking said shift. And when I would decline, I was almost always made to feel guilty. I've talked with the other nannies and each of us has a handful of horror stories with Trusting Connections families. TC may go through a rigorous training process with their nannies, but they hardly complete a background check for the families they represent. I have been asked to wash and fold LOADS of laundry and clean filthy kitchens. Some houses have been so disgusting that I have literally been sick to my stomach. As a nanny, part of the job description is LIGHT housework. When I was asked to do housework, the messes were far from light. The parents are often disrespectful and treat the nannies as "the help" Honestly, this was my biggest problem with the company... The owners do not connect with the employees on any sort of basic human level. Their expectations are too high when it comes to availability but too low when it comes to the quality of work. They are juggling too much to give each employee what they needed from their job. When I would do them a favor outside my jurisdiction, there was only the slightest of a thank you. The company needed me as an employee but did not treat me with respect or kindness.