Today we announce the new section of our blog, ‘Londoner Interview’.  It does what it says on the tin: this is a weekly interview of a Londoner.  But why?  I hear you ask.  So that readers of this blog, who are either thinking of coming to London or are already here, can hear about what different Londoners do for a job, what this consists of and what tips & advice they have to help you find a job in London.

We begin with Olga the Spanish Nanny, click here

If you would like to be interviewed by Answer English send me an e-mail to: james@answerenglish.com

Similarly if you have any questions about working in London or suggestions to make why not leave a comment, so that all our readers can see the pearls of your wisdom!

Name: Olga
Job Title: Nanny
Age: 28  
From: Canary Islands (Spain)
In London: Since September 2005

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Why did you come to London?

I don’t know yet!! He he.  Mainly to improve my English, and after a very bad year (2005) it was the best moment for me to come. I don’t regret at all doing it. I love being here!

What did you hope to achieve?

A very good level of English, have good experiences and to meet as many people as possible.

What were you doing before this?

I worked as a teacher at a Nursery School and some weekends as a cook assistant at my mum’s work, a Catering Company.

What does your job involve on a day-to-day basis?

I live with a family, there are 4 children at home aged 10, 8, 5 and 2. In the morning I look after the youngest and do some housework (ironing and hoovering mostly) for 2 hours, then I’m free for a few hours till the afternoon when the others come from school. I help with the teatime and give the two youngest a bath. I finish at 7pm most of the days. I also have to baby-sit 1 or 2 nights a week.

What responsibilities do you have?

Apart from the housework, look after and play with the kids. The parents in my family just want me to have fun with their children.

What are the best bits?

How lucky I am with this family, definitely.  They made me feel good from the first day I got here, the children are lovely and the parents are very nice as well. I never work more than the 25 hours a week I’m supposed to do, and if so, they pay me every extra hour. Apart from that I can bring my family and friends from Spain to stay with me at home.

And the worst?

My timetable, it changes every week so I can’t arrange anything in time, and some weekends I have to baby-sit while my friends are having fun!! But it’s not too bad.

What is the typical package for your job?

I earn 55 pound a week + 5 pounds every extra hour. It’s not too much but I baby-sit for other families and get some extra money.  I also get board and lodging.

Do you have to have prior experience?  If so, what helped get you the job?

No you don’t have to but I think having worked as a teacher in a nursery school did help me personally.

How did you go about getting it?

I met my family through a website, www.sunnyaupair.com

Any tips you could give our readers?

Come to London!! Have no hesitation in doing it!

Anything you know now that you wish you’d known before coming here?

Not really although London as a city never stops surprising me, there is always something new on, something to discover.  Like most places it’s not perfect, but overall it’s a great city to live in.

How much do you think your English has improved?

Not as much as I hoped after five months, but I’m a bit of a perfectionist!  My spoken English is a lot better than when I arrived, as in Spain we don’t’ get much chance to talk or listen to English.  It’s all grammar.  Here I talk all day in English which is a bonus!

With this experience, what do you plan to do next? 

Sit the exams to become an English teacher in Spain.

One thing people always complain about in London is how expensive everything is.  This is undoubtedly right, London is not a cheap place to live, relatively or absolutely.  Eating out is expensive by European standards, the mayor is determined to make travel in London every more extortionate and a night out can sometime seem like a king’s ransom. 

All this is true, however that is not to say that it is impossible to eat a decent great value meal, visit museums / galleries for free and have a great night out without costing an arm and a leg.  I’d like to silence London’s critics who say it is one big cash incendiary and, starting next week, bring you some regular suggestions of places to check out. 

But I also need your help so if you know of any good places to go, eat, drink and be merry, please let me know!  Either leave a comment on the blog or e-mail me: james@answerenglish.com

Hope you all have a great weekend and look forward to the excitements next week will bring us all, James.