What careers are a good fit if I like to deal with children?

Hi Dulce,

Great question! I went to college thinking I wanted to be a teacher because I loved working with kids but I wasn't ready to commit to more school to get my teaching license. You don't have to major in teaching to work in youth services, but you should put some thought into what your interests are. If you love speaking in front of children and helping them through the process - you might want to consider teaching. If you don't like being in the spotlight but you want to help children learn and want to be in a school, you might consider being a teacher's aid, a librarian, or a special ed teacher (this is a hot field to go into right now). If you'd prefer to work with younger children, then a early childhood degree might be a good fit for you, and you can explore careers like Beth mentioned above.

But you don't have to limit your interaction with youth at the school or daycare centers. There are tons of nonprofits out there that do youth programming. You might want to explore nonprofit management or a youth leadership degree. Check out some local nonprofit organizations like the Girl Scouts, the Boys and Girls Club, the YMCA, etc. and contact someone in their program department.

You also might find that you are more interested in helping children with mental health and behavior issues - then you might want to explore a career in social work or counseling. You might also want to explore variations of these careers, schools also utilize school counselors and school psychologists.

There are also lots of opportunities to work with children at the public sector level in park and rec departments (Park & Rec management is a degree offered at many college) or at the library. Often, you don't need a teaching license to work with children. Ask yourself what am I passionate about and then explore organizations or institutions that relate! You can always find volunteer opportunities that relate as well.

Hope that helps!

Dear Dulce

My Recommendation is you pursue a career in Early Childhood Development, or a Diploma in Children's Services. A bachelor degree would probably last you between 3-4 years, a Diploma can take about 2 years. Graduates normally find employment in Childcare centers, Children's centers, Kindergartens/Preschools, junior primary schools and other associated settings.

Is there a particular country you were considering to study at?

Hello,

Before I started to go to school for teaching, I was considering become a child psychologist or social worker. This could be a great avenue if you are interested in working with and helping children. There is a good amount of education needed however, possibly a Masters in Social Work or Psychology.

Luckily there are many possible careers for working with children. Within established professions like social work, psychology, and psychiatry there are opportunities for specialization, e.g. child welfare in Social Work, Child Psychiatry or Child Psychology. These require advanced preparation. However there are fields of preparation for certain kinds of work that may not be as well known. Early childhood care and education is one. There are preparation programs in early childhood in colleges and universities, and special programs such as the Child Development Associate (CDA) which you can obtain if employed. Check out the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) for more information about the early childhood field - which includes infant and toddler care, early childhood day care and education (preschool programs), home based work, parent education and support, etc. NAEYC is concerned with children from birth to age 8. Then there are possibilities in After School programs which provide activities and supervision for school age children. Check out the National After School Association for more information about this. There is Child and Youth Care Work - an emerging profession whose interests cover all kinds of children but also have a focus on children and youth in such settings as residential programs, psychiatric hospitals, day treatment programs and the like. There are some preparation programs available. There is a Certification program in which Child and Youth Care practitioners can receive a recognized credential. Check out the Child and Youth Care ADVOCATE, the newsletter of the Association for Child and Youth Care Practice (ACYCP) for more information and a feel for the nature of the work. There are also health care fields which of course treat children, e.g nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy.