Learning about Professions in the Field

This week’s video segments included interviews with a children’s museum manager, child care provider services manager, parent support specialist, professional development supervisor, preschool teacher, infant/toddler specialist, occupational therapist, and director of a child development lab. These professionals spoke about their jobs, experiences, and education.

For this Discussion, choose three that were of most interest to you and view these segments again, focusing on aspects of their jobs that appeal to you and dispositions that you believe help them to be successful.

By Day 3:

Post:

• The three segments you chose and why each appealed to you
• At least three dispositions that you believe helped each person be successful
• Insights related to dispositions you will need to work on as you seek to be more effective in your work as an early childhood professional

Exploring Professional Possibilities

In order to expand your awareness of the range of jobs that are available in the early childhood/child development field, this Discussion requires you to explore and share the possibilities by using at least two job search engines such as Monster, CareerBuilder, or NAEYC Early Childhood Career Forum to:

• Identify at least two jobs you could apply for with your current background and schooling
• Identify one job that interests you but requires additional education

Note: For the sake of this Discussion, do not restrict yourself to the area in which you live; imagine that you could move anywhere. Look for jobs that interest you as well as jobs you might never have considered before. Your goal is to expand your awareness (and your colleagues’) of the current job market and job possibilities.

By Day 5:

Post:

• Three job descriptions including location
• Salary (if available)
• Job/experience requirements
• What you learned from your exploration

Required Resources

Use the following resources to broaden your awareness of the range of jobs in the early childhood field and to decide on which job you are going to focus. (Note: These sources/Web sites are highly recommended, but you may also find other resources on your own.)