Are you thinking about working with children and young people?
Or do you already working with kids and want to improve your career?
There are severe staff and skills shortages in working with kids at the moment, so it is an ideal career to get into.
Here are eight steps to consider when deciding to work with children.
Step 1 – Ask yourself “what particularly interests you?”
It is easy to say – “I want to work with children.” But what do you actually mean by that?
Do you want to work with children or adolescents?
Do you want to support them with their psychological and mental health?
Are you interested in helping children with their physical development?
Are you a creative? Would you like to encourage children to be creative? Or share your creativity with them?
There are lots of opportunities out there. These are just some examples –
Child and Adolescent Psychology
Child psychology looks at how children grow and develop through their childhood, particularly focussing on their emotional, cognitive and psychological development.
There are many careers in child psychology, such as training as a psychologist, working as a youth worker, care worker, support work, in schools etc.
We offer courses in Child Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Adolescent Psychology, Developmental, Learning and Behavioural Disorders.
Education
As well as an understanding of child psychology, you might also focus on supporting children in their educational development.
Courses offered by ACS - Educational Psychology
Mental Health
It is estimated that 1/7 children are struggling with their mental health and over 39% of young people. There is a real demand for people to support young people with their mental health. For example, working with charities, volunteers, paid workers, counsellors, ecotherapists etc.
Courses offered by us - Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Child Counselling, Anxiety Management, Stress Management, Ecotherapy/Creative Therapies etc.
General Health
Staff working in nurseries, schools, preschools, youth groups, children’s homes, residential care, childminder, babysitter, nanny etc will need a detailed knowledge of children’s general health and balanced nutrition.
Courses offered - Child Nutrition, Child Development
Creativity
Creativity is another massive area of growth. The book market for young children and young adults has grown massively in recent years. There has been an increasing need for educational and fun books for kids.
This is another area where you can work with children, such as storytelling, writing stories, writing courses, content creation and educational materials.
Relevant courses - Writing for Children, Publishing I (Self-Publishing Children’s Books), Play Therapy.
Play
Play is a specialist area when working with children. Whether you would like to be a play leader or develop as a play therapist.
Courses offered – Play Leadership, Play Therapy
Step 2 - Know your passion! What are you really interested in and how do you feel when you talk about it?
So far, we have talked about quite a few different ways to work with kids, but this is by no means an exhaustive list. There are many career opportunities available out there to work with children. Have a look at what is available, find out more.
This is the time you need to find your real passion. What area of working with children REALLY interests you?
Step 3 - Discover
You have hopefully decided on the route you would like to take with working with children, now is the time to find out more about it.
Find out more about what the job actually entails.
Do some volunteering
Talk to other people doing the same job.
Attend careers events.
Take quizzes to see if you are suitable for this type of job.
Think if this is really the job for you. Do you have the right qualifications, skills and qualities for this work?
Step 4 - Research training and professional development courses
Now you need to find out whether you need to take any additional training to work in this area.
If you do need to take on additional training, do your research. Find out –
What courses you need.
What course suits you the best?
Can you study it full-time, part-time?
Can you study face to face or by distance learning?
Do you want to study flexibly or with set times?
Is the course up to date?
Will you learn what you need to know today?
Research training and professional development courses by exploring industry websites, professional associations, educational institutions, and online learning platforms. Compare course content, entry requirements, costs, and qualifications gained to ensure the training aligns with your career goals and industry needs.
Step 5 - Learn and Apply
When looking at the course and training you are interested in, remember that employers do not just want you to have knowledge. They also want you to be able to use that knowledge practically. Knowing a lot of facts about child development, for example, will not necessarily prepare you for the hustle and bustle, noise and fun of working with children, so make sure you choose a course that also helps you to apply your knowledge into real world settings.
Step 6 – Get Experience
Getting relevant experience is important.
We have already talked about voluntary work, and that can be a really useful and important step when working with young people. Don’t think of voluntary work as working for free. Think of it as an investment in your future.
Try to get part time work if full time is not available. Or apprenticeships, internships and traineeships.
Do some networking. Talk to others.
Getting experience like this can help you to decide if this is the right job for you, and whether it suits your personality, strengths, and lifestyle expectations.
Having relevant experience will look great on your resume/CV too.
Step 7 - Embrace Opportunity
Embrace every opportunity you are offered.
Voluntary work, temporary jobs or low paid jobs may not be what you want in the long term, but they can be a way to gain experience and help you to work towards the career you want in the future.
When looking at opportunities, think –
Do they give you a diverse range of experiences?
What will you learn?
Will you make useful connections that could help you get a job in the future?
Step 8 - Evolve
The world is changing very rapidly. We learn more about how children develop, learn and think. To work with children, we have to keep up to date with that knowledge and gain new, relevant experience. Change is a challenge, but it is also an opportunity.
If you have any questions about working with children, please don’t hesitate to contact me on tracey@acsedu.co.uk or contacted our dedicated course counselling team on admin@acs.edu.au
Wishing you every success in your plan to work with children and young people.
Tracey Jones
Psychology and Writing Tutor
