Careers in Early Childhood Education and Reflection

In our course so far you have been informed about potential careers and considered your personal career aspirations. Knowing which area in the field or career you want to pursue is an important first step to tackling your job search and career goals. However, simply identifying an ideal position will not propel you to achieve these goals. To successfully attain your goals, there are action steps for you to take and Ashford University has a Career Services program to support you in this exploration! For this reflective assignment, you will explore the requirements for your potential career path, assess your current skill set in regard to curriculum planning, and identify what action steps you can take to make your career goals more attainable. Take these steps to prepare your journal response:

• Read the Ashford University Career Planning Step-by-Step (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. resource to better understand the importance of developing a clear career plan.
• Watch the Resources for Developing an Effective Career Plan Webinar (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..
• Use the Roadmap to Success: An Interactive Tool to help you gather information, which you may wish to include in your career plan.

Next, create your journal using the instructions below.

• Career Goals: State your long-term career goals, noting what position you would like to be in in one to five years from now and the specific role you would like to pursue for your career.
• Qualifications: Explore the skills and qualifications related to the type of role you’re aspiring to and describe the qualifications you have already achieved and what new skills, knowledge, certifications, or trainings you might need to gain employment in your desired role.
• Action Plan: Describe how this course has assisted you already with regards to curriculum planning and reaching your career goals. In this section, also state the additional action steps you will need to take to be fully qualified for the position you would like to pursue and state reasonable timelines for each action step.
• Resources: Reflect on what resources that you have currently to support you. Describe any barriers you may need to overcome to be successful and identify individuals who can assist you within your personal support system (e.g., family, friends) and professional network (e.g., classmates, colleagues, other professionals you know from LinkedIn or general life).

Carefully review the Grading Rubric (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your journal entries. (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.