Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare
O*NET files this work under Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare: people who plan, direct, or coordinate academic or nonacademic activities of preschools or childcare centers and programs, including before- and after-school care. With a code of SEC, this is mostly a job for people drawn to helping, teaching or caring for people. Enterprising interests also help, rated 4.9 out of 7. The preparation level is considerable preparation, typically a bachelor’s degree plus a period of work experience. O*NET’s skill data points to speaking, social perceptiveness, and reading comprehension as the ones to build. The job can ask you to recruit, hire, train, and evaluate primary and supplemental staff and recommend personnel actions for programs and services. It tends to suit people who want helping, teaching or caring for people, and it offers little for anyone seeking hands-on work with tools, machines or the physical world.
What they do
Plan, direct, or coordinate academic or nonacademic activities of preschools or childcare centers and programs, including before- and after-school care.
Main tasks
- Recruit, hire, train, and evaluate primary and supplemental staff and recommend personnel actions for programs and services.
- Confer with parents and staff to discuss educational activities and policies and students' behavioral or learning problems.
- Teach classes or courses or provide direct care to children.
- Determine allocations of funds for staff, supplies, materials, and equipment and authorize purchases.
- Direct and coordinate activities of teachers or administrators at daycare centers, schools, public agencies, or institutions.
- Monitor students' progress and provide students and teachers with assistance in resolving any problems.
Skills
- Speaking
- Social Perceptiveness
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
- Writing
Who this career fits
May suit you if
- You get energy from helping other people move forward.
- You like taking the lead and making the call.
- You are ready to spend around four years on a degree, then build experience.
- You are comfortable relying on speaking and social perceptiveness.
May not suit you if
- You find a full day of dealing with people draining.
- You want to work with your hands for most of the day. Realistic rates 1.2 out of 7 here.
- You want to avoid a four-year degree or its equivalent.
Interest profile
O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code SEC takes the three highest, and Social comes first here.
Preparation
Considerable preparation. Most jobs here ask for a bachelor’s degree, and employers usually expect a few years of related experience as well.
Also called
- Child Care Center Director
- Child Care Director
- Childcare Director
- Day Care Director
- Early Childhood Program Supervisor (ECP Supervisor)
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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.