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Crossing Guards and Flaggers

Crossing Guards and Flaggers is the O*NET name for people who guide or control vehicular or pedestrian traffic at such places as streets, schools, railroad crossings, or construction sites. The skills rated most useful are speaking, social perceptiveness, and monitoring. You may also need to direct or escort pedestrians across streets, stopping traffic, as necessary. With a code of RCS, this is mostly a job for people drawn to hands-on work with tools, machines or the physical world. Conventional interests also help, rated 3.6 out of 7. Getting in usually takes a few months to a year of learning on the job, a level O*NET calls some preparation. If you want hands-on work with tools, machines or the physical world, keep it on your list. If you need creative work with room for original expression, it may feel thin.

What they do

Guide or control vehicular or pedestrian traffic at such places as streets, schools, railroad crossings, or construction sites.

Main tasks

  • Direct or escort pedestrians across streets, stopping traffic, as necessary.
  • Guide or control vehicular or pedestrian traffic at such places as street and railroad crossings and construction sites.
  • Monitor traffic flow to locate safe gaps through which pedestrians can cross streets.
  • Communicate traffic and crossing rules and other information to students and adults.
  • Direct traffic movement or warn of hazards, using signs, flags, lanterns, and hand signals.
  • Report unsafe behavior of children to school officials.

Skills

  • Speaking
  • Social Perceptiveness
  • Monitoring
  • Active Listening
  • Service Orientation
  • Judgment and Decision Making

Who this career fits

May suit you if

  • You like ending the day with a physical result you can point to.
  • You like clear rules and getting the details right.
  • You want to start work after a short stretch of training.
  • You are comfortable relying on speaking and social perceptiveness.

May not suit you if

  • You would rather stay away from physical, hands-on tasks.
  • You need creative expression to be a big part of your day. Artistic rates 1.1 out of 7 here.
  • You want a career built on years of advanced study.

Interest profile

O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code RCS takes the three highest, and Realistic comes first here.

Preparation

Some preparation. Most people start with a high school diploma, then learn from experienced coworkers over a few months to a year.

Most-reported requirement in the O*NET survey: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED). This reflects what workers reported most often and is not a legal minimum. Licensing rules can differ by state or industry, so confirm what applies where you plan to work.

Also called

  • Adult Crossing Guard
  • Community Service Officer
  • Crossing Guard
  • Road Crossing Guard
  • School Crossing Guard

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.