Childhood studies : Job options

Jobs directly related to your degree

• Learning mentor - provides a complementary service to teachers and other staff, addressing the needs of children who require assistance in overcoming barriers to learning.
• Early years teacher - fosters and develops the abilities, social skills and understanding of children aged three to five, focusing on optimum child development and preparation for a successful transition to primary school education.
• Primary school teacher - develops schemes of work and lesson plans in line with curriculum objectives, facilitating learning by establishing a relationship with pupils and organising learning resources and the classroom learning environment.
• Special educational needs teacher - teaches children with emotional, behavioural or learning difficulties at one or more stages.
• Social worker - works with young people experiencing a variety of difficulties. Experience and/or professional qualification is usually required before embarking on social work in a formal capacity.
• Child psychotherapist and counsellor - works with children suffering from a range of problems, including serious psychological disturbances and behavioural problems. Training in psychotherapy is required for this role.
• Educational psychologist - applies psychological theory, research and techniques to help children or young people who may have learning, behavioural, social or emotional problems or difficulties.
• Paediatric nurse - cares for sick children, advising and supporting them and their families.
• Speech and language therapist - works closely with people of all ages, including children, with varying degrees of speech, language or swallowing problems.

Jobs where your degree would be useful

• Community development worker - aims to empower communities by developing the skills required to regain control over and improve quality of life, working with individuals, families or whole communities to facilitate the process.
• Museum education officer - responsible for realising the potential of museum collections as learning resources for visitors and the wider community, including children.
• Youth worker - promotes the personal, educational and social development of young people aged between 13 and 19.
• Careers adviser/personal adviser - provides information, advice and guidance to help people make realistic choices about education, training and work.

Other options

All employers are impressed by graduates who have some relevant experience, whether gained via paid or voluntary experience. This is particularly true for those considering teaching or social work, as competition for places on courses is fierce. Work experience is also a useful way to check out whether the career really is what you hope it will be and whether it suits you.

You may wish to consider alternatives to entering employment or postgraduate study, such as taking time out, volunteering, travelling or even starting your own business. If you can decide on a career path you can always utilise time spent travelling or pursuing other interests to your advantage by making sure your activities are relevant to your future job preferences.

Although some of the jobs listed here might not be first jobs for many graduates, they are among the many realistic possibilities with your degree, provided you can demonstrate you have the attributes employers are looking for. Bear in mind that it’s not just your degree discipline that determines your options. Remember that many graduate vacancies don't specify particular degree disciplines, so don't restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here. Look at your degree... what next? for informed advice on career planning and graduate employment, or login/register with My Prospects to find out what jobs would suit you, a helpful starting point for self-analysis.

Explore types of jobs to find out more about the above options and related jobs.