With the early childhood sector continuing to grow every year, there has never been a better time to consider a career in childcare. But while opting into an industry on the rise can definitely be a smart move, there are plenty of other reasons why starting a career as an educator might appeal to you.

Rewarding 

If you’re considering a career in childcare, you probably have a soft spot for kids, meaning you already know how rewarding it can be to spend time with children. With their natural curiosity, endless creativity, and insatiable appetite for silliness, working with children can be incredibly rewarding. What’s more, children under five are growing and developing at such a rapid pace that you literally get to watch them grow up right in front of your eyes. Using your skills as an educator, you can help children develop their skills and abilities and share in their sense of joy and accomplishment as they achieve new milestones. 

High impact

There is so much research to show that a child’s early years are absolutely crucial to their cognitive and emotional development and as their educator, you are playing an important role in shaping their future. This is both an incredible privilege and an important responsibility. You have the power to help shape a child’s future relationship with learning, develop foundational cognitive skills that they will continue to build on throughout their life, and help lay the groundwork for creating empathic, emotionally intelligent, and socially conscious citizens. A career in childcare can therefore be incredibly rewarding, as you know that your efforts will have long-lasting positive effects that will shape the future. 

Opportunities for advancement

While working with children is inherently rewarding both in the short and long term, it’s also important to consider how your career can grow with you over your lifespan. While working as a casual educator in an early childcare centre is how many people enter the industry, there are plenty of different paths you can take in your childcare career. For example, you may want to go down the route of securing a permanent role and advancing within the centre to become a room leader, manager, or director. You can also look into building on your education and experience to take on new roles such as service manager or a policy or management position within the government sector. 

Flexible 

Most childcare centres are open around 11-12 hours a day, meaning you generally have flexibility around your start and finish times. If you start early, when the centre opens, you can finish your work day in time to pick your kids up from school. Or alternatively, you can have a free morning and start work around lunchtime if that suits you better. Because a career in childcare is shift-based, you can also choose how many days a week you work, and fit shifts around other commitments like family responsibilities or study.  With Z Staffing, you can simply enter the times and days you are available and be notified of casual shifts that meet your requirements, allowing you to customise your work week to suit your needs. Childcare centres owners, directors and stakeholders are always trying to hire casual childcare educators to ensure they remain in ratio at all times, meaning it’s easy to customise your work week and find plenty of shifts that suit your lifestyle. 

Fun and dynamic

It may go without saying but a career in childcare can really be a lot of fun. If you’re a creative, high-energy person, you probably can’t imagine anything worse than sitting behind a desk for eight hours a day. As an educator you’re constantly shifting activities, interacting with other people, and using your body as well as your brain. Each day as an educator is different and even over the course of the day, you’ll find yourself doing a massive range of activities. Within the span of just a few hours, you may find yourself singing and dancing, setting up a craft activity, reading a story, mediating a disagreement between two children, and settling a baby to sleep. The varying demands of the job engage your brain, body, and social and emotional skills all on a regular basis. As most childcare workers can attest, it’s an honest day’s work, but it’s also stimulating, rewarding, and never boring. If you’re working casual shifts, your work week will likely be even more interesting, with different centres offering a completely different environment and workday.  At Z Staffing we partner with hundreds of centres Australia-wide, meaning our members have the opportunity to experience a wide range of different workplaces.

Looking to launch your career in childcare?

If you’re a qualified early childhood educator, or are working towards your qualification and have already completed 50 hours of work placement, and you also hold a valid Working With Children Check and First Aid Certificate, you can apply to join the Z community today! Start picking up casual shifts that suit your schedule while building your reputation and resume for the future.