Information on Early Childhood Developmental Psychology
Higher Education Articles August 12, 2013The early years of a person’s life are what usually determine his or her future personality, since this is the time when a great deal of the physical, cognitive, social and emotional development takes place. Babies have barely any skills when they are born into the world, but within the first few years of their lives they are able to develop social skills, language skills, motor and cognitive skills, and other living essentials.
Breaking into Early Childhood Developmental Careers
While all of this is easy to observe, sometimes the study of this subject can be quite complex. Why is it that people develop differently even if they have similar upbringings? What role do genetics play in shaping a child’s development? This is just scratching the surface of what developmental psychology studies is all about, though this career field in particular is limited to development processes in children.
The question is how difficult is it to break into this exciting career? It’s not as difficult as you think, and in fact, a bachelor’s degree may be all you need for an entry-level position. Advanced degrees would always help an applicant, particularly for clinical or counseling positions of higher authority. The master’s degree or PhD degree would certainly be a career enhancement and help you reach positions such as administration and supervisory. A PhD may actually help you step out of general child development and into more advanced research and teaching jobs.
Some of the jobs that a child development psychology degree might lead to include educational assistant, site coordinator, assistant teacher or family child care provider. The salary for this profession varies according to your education and experience. The median wage is about $50,000 a year for teachers working at a pre-school level, but could be considerably lower for nanny positions or even a child care worker.
Working with Children
So much of your career success will depend on your ability to work with children and understand their unique way of thinking. During this educational course, you will learn how to help encourage diversity in thought, how to improve communication in writing and speaking, and how to work with children who have special needs. You could even venture out into religious organizations, day care centers, corporate day care centers or even private homes. You could even branch out into marketing, department stores or manufacturing companies, should you decide to add more skills and training to your resume. Private clients often do choose individuals with a college degree and with references as this helps filter out unscrupulous types.
Naturally, this type of job requires so much more than simply conversing with children. You must show that you are physically fit, and should definitely gain some experience working with children, even if it’s just a part-time job, baby sitting tasks, or volunteer efforts. There may be certification requirements or licensing needed for certain states in day care or the public schooling sector.
This is going to be a wonderful job that lets you shape the minds of tomorrow. You’re not only helping children, but families and maybe fellow physicians to improve their educational techniques.
