Your career choice after college is among the most important life decisions you will ever have to make. Money aside, you also need to pick something that will bring you a sense of meaning, fulfillment, and satisfaction.
To choose the right path, you must think about what you love. Your passions, your purpose in life and the things that would bring you the most happiness.
If you are passionate about working with kids, there are numerous jobs with great career prospects that could pique your interest.
Here are six excellent options.
1. A Special Needs Teacher
Being a teacher is rewarding, but being a special needs teacher can be very fulfilling for the right person. If you go this route, you will be helping children overcome various challenges and help them learn with their peers.
If you are extremely patient, empathetic and are looking to shape young minds, you should consider this career path.
2. Nanny
Any parent will tell you that a good nanny is heaven-sent. A nanny that is good with kids and trustworthy allows parents to be away from home and do other activities without obsessing about their kid’s welfare.
While you can make a good income from being a regular nanny, being a private nanny can fetch you more. For the latter, you need to look into getting some kind of certification. These certifications train you on how to handle kids and their parents, communication, diet and nutrition, and first aid, among other things.
3. Pediatrician
Pediatricians are doctors who specialize in diagnosing and treating children.
The challenge of treating kids is that some of your patients will be too young to articulate themselves. So being able to identify sources of pain and discomfort are key in making a diagnosis.
You will also have to guide, educate, and even correct parents in matters of childcare.
The lowest-paid pediatricians earn about $126, 690. Not shabby at all.
4. Mental Health
One in five kids either has a behavioral, emotional, or mental disorder. Still, there is not a single state in the US that has enough child psychiatrists.
These professionals are trained to diagnose and treat thinking, feeling, and behavioral problems in children and adolescents of up to 18 years of age.
To become a psychiatrist, you first need to complete your medical degree and residency. This is then followed by standard psychiatric training and two years of psychiatric residency training.
If you are fascinated by how the human mind works and love to work with kids, this would be a great option. Child psychology is another branch of mental health that offers good career prospects.
5. Speech-Language Pathologists
You probably cannot imagine not being able to talk. However, many children around the world are born with cognitive disorders or other impairments that make understanding language and speech difficult.
Without the ability to communicate, school and social interactions become that much harder and isolating. As a speech-language therapist, imagine the satisfaction of working with your young patients and seeing them able to use their voices, and all the opportunities that come with being able to do this.
6. Party Entertainer
If you dream of parties, laughter, and happy children’s faces, child party entertainment could be the thing for you.
You also need to be bubbly, active, and keen to learn and adapt to new industry trends.
The events industry has shown significant growth as young kids’ parties are now growing into major events. For all the business administration students out there, this is something you could tap into as a solo entrepreneur.
For more great education and career tips, make sure you read the other blogs on College Basics.
