Degrees in Early Childhood Education are some of the most versatile around. They’ll equip you for a range of jobs across the education sector. Many people falsely assume that these degrees limit you purely to classroom teaching, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Preschool teacher
Perhaps the most obvious addition to the list, the skills you’ll acquire during the degree make you finely tuned for the role of a preschool teacher. Educating children in their formative, early years is incredibly rewarding, and you’ll have a real chance to shape their futures. This is the job that most people think of when they study for an Early Childhood Education degree online or at a brick and mortar college.
Family support worker
Moving away from the classroom, families need support for all kinds of reasons, which is where a support worker comes in. Your primary responsibility will be safeguarding and helping children, which is why the degree is so essential. This job requires an innate understanding of child development along with childcare regulations and the ability to liaise effectively with families, schools and even governmental organizations.
Educational researcher
This role sees you take more of an academic position. It involves conducting studies on child development, how educational services are delivered and how they might be improved. You’ll be gathering data and conducting in-depth analysis, all to help children get a better education. This is done in conjunction with a range of government, academic and not for profit organizations. Many researchers progress to full-scale PhDs in Early Childhood Education. The big benefit of this role is that you can drive real, positive change.
Childcare director
Every childcare centre needs a director. In this role, you’ll be tasked with training, supporting and supervising staff as they care for children. A big part of the job involves administrative tasks like record keeping, planning suitable activities tailored towards development and even preparing budgets and curriculums. Some directors have huge amounts of responsibility for every aspect of the center’s activities.
Sales representative
It might not be the career that immediately springs to mind when you think about taking a degree in Early Childhood Education, but the many specializations of graduates are highly valued by companies who sell products for children. Since you’ll come away with a strong grounding in child development, your insight will be invaluable to retailers selling everything from educational textbooks to toys and art supplies. The job is as varied as it sounds, and you can pick and choose companies to work with depending on your niche.
Consultant
The position of a consultant is probably the most flexible on the list. You’ll operate in a freelance style capacity, providing advice to a range of organizations, including schools, nurseries and childcare companies – anywhere that cares for developing children. You’ll be expected to advise on how best to look after children, their educational needs and even how to structure a curriculum. The role is varied, different every day and often involves a lot of travel.