UNICEF, NAEYC, and Head Start are three organizations
that appealed to me as avenues of employment in the early childhood
settings. All three of these
organizations are nationwide and UNICEF provided international opportunities. I chose these specific organizations for
their well know work with children and families and the research that is being
done by them for children.
The
first job that caught my interest was as an Educational Specialist in Thimphu,
Bhutan. The skills and qualifications
that I would need to possess for this position is an advanced university degree
in primary education. I would need five
years of relevant work experience at a national or international level in
education programs which I do not have at this time. I would need to be fluent in English and
another United Nations language, also which I am not. Also it is important that I am able to
communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and formal public
speaking. I would need good leadership
and supervisory skills, be able to coordinate group activities, and work
effectively in a multi-cultural environment ( UNICEF, 2012).
The
second job that I was interested in was through NAEYC Academy for Early
Childhood Education as an Accreditation Coordinator. The qualifications that I would need to
possess are a BA in Early Childhood Education/Child Development, 3-5 years of
experience in the early childhood field.
I would need experience with high quality programming and the NAEYC
accreditations. Plus I would need to
have excellent oral and written communication skills, be analytical and
computer skills in MS Office and database.
I also need to be willing to travel if needed (NAEYC, 2012).
The
third job that I was interested in was through Head Start. The position available was Family Development
Advocate for Mohave County in Arizona. The
qualification for this position includes a Baccalaureate degree in Child Care/Early
Childhood Education and AA Degree in Social Services or Child Care/ Early
Childhood Education with two years’ experience in Social Services or related
field. Being bi-lingual in English and Spanish
is preferred (Head Start, 2012).
References
Head Start. (2012). Career Center. Retrieved from http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov
National Association
for the Education of Young Children. (2012). Employment Opportunities. Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/about/jobs
UNICEF. (2012).
Employment at UNICEF. Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/index.php
Leslie, it is interesting that you chose jobs that don't seem to be a great fit. What I mean is that they either require you to speak a language that you don't speak, qualification that you are over-qualified for, or that require a degree in a different area than you are studying. What are you passionate about? Now that you almost have a MS degree, there are so many wonderful opportunities where you can use your expertise and experience. Some examples include direct services with children, families, and/or communities, or advocacy, research, and writing, just to name a few. Wish you luck on this adventure of exploring career opportunities and possibilities.
ReplyDeleteThe jobs you highlighted are interesting. I wanted to join the Peace Corps when I was younger to see how children lived and learned in differnt parts of the world. I wasn't able to join because of a health issue but I encourage those who are able to places like Thimphu Bhutan to go and increase their knowledge of the world. Unicef is a wonderful organization and it would be a fulfilling experience to go to work for them.
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