This is a partnered post.
One of the most difficult decisions we have to make early on in our lives is what we want to do in terms of a career. If you are yet to decide what you want to do specifically, yet you know you want to work with children, you have many different options available to you. In this blog post, we will explore those options in further detail so you can make the right decision for you.
Of course, one of the first things you need to do is decide what sort of children you want to work with. For example, do you want to work with teenagers, school-age children, or pre-school children? You also need to figure out whether you want to work with families or just children, as well as whether you wish to go down the non-for-profit, private or public route.
Different jobs that involve working with children
The main sectors that employ individuals to work with kids include the education and teaching, social care, healthcare, voluntary work, and charity sectors. However, there are jobs in other industries, from tourism to law, which involves working with families and children.
The healthcare sector provides an abundance of opportunities when it comes to working with children. This includes becoming a speech and language therapist, paediatrician, health visitor, children’s nurse, youth worker, social worker, play therapist, family support worker, counsellor, or child psychotherapist.
You won’t be surprised to learn that there are also plenty of options within the education sector. In fact, you can even combine education and health by taking an online masters degree in school counselling. Or, if you want to focus solely on the education side of things, options to consider include becoming a teaching assistant, special educational needs teacher, secondary school teacher, primary school teacher, museum education officer, learning mentor, English as a foreign language teacher, early years teacher, or a careers advisor.
The skills you will need in order to work with children
There is no denying that working with children can be incredibly rewarding. However, these jobs also require a lot of responsibility and they are not suitable for everyone. If you are going to work with children, it is important that you have the following skills:
- A strong regard for health and safety
- A professional attitude to work
- A respect for diversity and a non-judgmental approach
- Resilience
- Enthusiasm
- Good time management and organisational skills
- Problem-solving ability
- Creativity and imagination
- Adaptability
- Leadership skills
- The capacity to stay calm in stressful situations and to think on your feet
- The ability to work as part of a team
- Exceptional communication skills, including listening, verbal, and written
- A patient and caring nature
Hopefully, you now have a better understanding regarding what it takes to work with children, as well as the different options that are available to you. If you still want to work with kids, it is worth researching each job title further and understanding your daily responsibilities in order to find the right career path for you.