How to Find the Right Fit

In our practice as early childhood educators, we sometimes make a change. We may move to a new city. We look for a fresh start in a new program. We decide to contribute to our field in a different capacity. Changing positions is challenging, and our minds can fill with uncertainty about where to go next.

What is the process for finding a good fit in a new program, role, or position within early childhood education?

Choosing a position or role in early childhood education begins by thinking deeply about what you enjoy about working with children and your future goals. Deep thinking starts with a reflective practice that helps you create the foundation for your resume and a checklist of attributes to critically review jobs and clarify what you want from your future career.

The following is an exercise to help you think deeply about your skills, goals, and where you want to go next. Follow the directions below to begin your deep-thinking journey.

Step One

For this activity, you will need a blank sheet of paper to help us engage both sides of our brain. The brain's left side engages in logic, and the brain's right side in creative thinking. Working on paper will help your brain make new connections to your thinking.

Step Two

Draw two large circles using a pen, markers, or another writing tool. The circles need to be big enough to write your ideas inside. Using pens or markers with paper creates deeper thinking and reflection. This exercise works even better if you use three colors or more. Color increases the recall of ideas.

Step Three

In one circle, brainstorm your skills and talents. They do not need to be related to your job. The skills you list should be things that you do well. A brainstorm is a first pass at thinking. The thinking does not have to be complete. Just write down your ideas. If you want to create a sense of urgency, use a timer and set it for two minutes. Otherwise, take your time and enjoy the process. 

Step Four

In the other circle, write down some of the work characteristics (not the workplace) you want to do in the future. Is it working with people or working alone? Does the work involve active movement or sitting quietly? Write all the things that you enjoy most about this work. Think about a time when you engaged in a project, and time flew by. What were the conditions that created that feeling? The name for this engaged feeling is Flow, a state of engagement in your work. The interesting thing about Flow is it happens during meaningful hard work. We don't achieve Flow when tasks are easy. 

Step Five

Once you create your two circles, spend a little time reviewing what you wrote and see if anything is missing. Add details if you like. Then take a few minutes to think about what you do for fun during your off time. Activities people do for fun are intrinsically motivated. Think about the skills you need to do these activities and add them to your first circle.

Step Six

Now you are ready for the next step. Go back and circle the words or ideas that have the most meaning for you. Some of your talents and skills will not make the list. We are all good at some things we are not interested in doing for work. Finding your meaningful words is an essential first step. Choosing what holds the most significant value to us creates emotional alignment between what we value and how we want to work. 

Going Forward

Create your final list of keywords. Skills that you are both good at and want to do in the future. These are the fundamental values that you are seeking in your next position.

It is time to take your fundamental values and use them to start choosing your future work. 

The first step is to look at your resume and think about the content. Did you highlight the skills that you are good at and enjoy doing? Think about editing your resume to reflect your fundamental values. Keep your key values close and thread them into your cover letter. Revise your resume and cover letter to align with who you want to be in the world. Highlight the work you want to do, not the work you want to leave behind.

When looking for a new position/career, use your fundamental values to see if a job moves in the direction you want. Often, we apply for a position out of a scarcity mentality. We believe it is the only position that will become available. You might consider taking a risk and applying for a job that aligns with your fundamental values and plays to your strengths. Choosing the right fit contributes to our long-term success and peace of mind.

Taking time to go through this exercise will help you clarify your future in the early childhood education field. You may also discover that you are ready to move on to a new career and different opportunities. Whatever you decide, taking time to engage in reflective practice will help you make a clear decision about your next steps—best of luck on your professional journey.