The basic concept of investing is simple: sacrifice a little something now for the possibility of a larger payout in the long run. The same is true for your child care career. If you invest some time and money now into continuing education, you’ll most likely see a return on your investment in multiple ways. Here are a few of the benefits you could gain.
Feel More Prepared For Any Job
The most immediate payoff you can experience from taking a child care course is how you feel going into a job. There are many things you probably already do to help yourself feel prepared for working with a particular family: Wearing clothes you’re comfortable in to play with and help kids. Checking the weather so that you know if you can play outside. Knowing the kids’ ages and general interests to help determine what you do together.
When you take a course about child development for a certain age, or conflict resolution among kids, you’re going to feel more confident and prepared to address those needs with the kids you work with.
Stand Out For More Jobs
There are a lot of things that parents are looking for on your Sittercity profile. But how else can you stand out from others applying for the same job? Education.
When you take courses to better educate yourself about your job, that is a major signal to families that you aren’t doing this just to make some quick cash. You’re a caregiver because it’s your chosen career. You’re a professional. Listing the child care courses you’ve taken on your profile shows your commitment and dedication to what you do. That will likely move you straight to the top of their lists.
Raise Your Rate
There are many factors that go into determining the hourly rate for caregivers. Taking courses related to the job is definitely one of them. When you bring more knowledge to the table, your time is more valuable. When those courses add up to a specific certificate or certification, that’s even more valuable.
Become A Specialist
There are a few different types of specialists in the child care industry. There are newborn/infant specialists. Tutoring specialists. Caregivers who specialize in helping kids with disabilities. Think about what type of child care you’re passionate about the most. Then explore your options to get more education for that. It will help you more clearly market yourself to families and help ensure you’re landing the types of jobs you want.
Building a career takes many steps—setting up your Sittercity profile and applying for jobs are major foundational ones. Every step after that continues to propel you to getting the exact type of work you want with families you love: interview practice, positive reviews and professional references from parents, years of experience, etc. Continuing education can have a significant impact on all of those things. Start thinking about where you want your career to go and make it happen.
