How to Get a Job Working With Kids With No Kid Experience

Child care work requires skills that are often only learned through experience.

Jobs that involve working with children sometimes require experience. Many employers want to make sure child care workers are aware of potential dangers that children can run into, such as playing with dangerous objects, and the fundamentals of early childhood learning. However, to get experience, you must be hired first. Fortunately, there are some jobs that will hire workers with no experience. Teacher preparation programs do not require any prior experience with children. Camp directors and child care workers sometimes need no experience at all, although those with advanced degrees are more likely to be hired.

Instructions

Teaching

1. Finish high school and pass any tests required for admission into a college with a teacher preparation program.

2. Complete a teacher preparation program at an accredited university. This requires that you receive a bachelor’s degree in education and also take courses related to the subject that you wish to teach. You will also observe an elementary classroom and spend a semester working with a teacher to teach classes.

3. Obtain a teaching license from the state where you would like to teach. While requirements vary from state to state, all states require that the teacher hold a bachelor’s degree and complete a teacher preparation program.

4. Volunteer to teach children at non-profit organizations, such as the United Way.

5. Find a school that has a teaching opening and apply by sending a CV. Since some schools prefer that you have teaching experience before working as a teacher, you may choose to apply for a teacher's aide position or a similar position to obtain experience.

Camp Director

1. Go camping and learn many skills relevant for camping, such as tent building and fire making.

2. Obtain an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in parks and recreation, human services or social work. While some positions require no degree, holding a relevant degree expands the number of positions for an aspiring camp director.

3. Apply for a part-time position as a camp director. Many positions even hire teenagers with no experience.

4. Take an exam by the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) to receive a certification in parks and recreation. Some cities require that camp directors have a certification in this field.

5. Receive on-the-job training to teach you how to perform skills necessary to perform certain activities with children.

Child Care

1. Look for child care opportunities that do not require any prior experience. Some programs hire anyone who does not have a sex-offender conviction, even those without high school diplomas. Those in their tweens can sometimes find work as babysitters by finding parents who need a babysitter to watch their kids.

2. Learn artistic skills that will increase your chances of being hired, since you can then use these skills to keep children entertained and stimulated. Learn to play an instrument, sing, draw, paint, create crafts or do something else that children would be interested in learning.

3. Attend college and take courses in child development and early childhood education. Taking a few courses can increase your chances of being hired.

4. Complete the credit hours required by your university to obtain a degree in child development or early childhood education. Some employers only hire those with college degrees.

5. Apply for positions that require educational experience, but do not require prior experience with children. Some businesses will have training programs or will send inexperienced child care workers to seminars.

References

• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Teachers—Kindergarten, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary
• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Recreation Workers
• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Child Care Workers