As
I was researching national/federal organizations, I narrowed my search down to
three that appealed to me because their mission reflected some of my
professional goals and desires. The
first organization is Zero to Three-The National Center for Infants, Toddlers,
and Families (www.zerotothree.org, n.d.). The mission of Zero to Three is
grounded in research that shows the rapid brain growth during the first few
years of a baby’s life and the importance of quality of care and experiences a
child has with parents and other adults.
Therefore Zero to Three ensures that all babies and toddlers have a
strong start by providing parents, professionals, and policymakers the
knowledge and information needed to nurture early development. One of the job opportunities at Zero to
Three is Program Manager of Resource Development. This peaked my interest due to my desire to move up in
management and the description of the job and skills needed are similar to my
current job, which I love. Some of
the skills needed to be a Program Manager are having knowledge and experience
with infants and toddlers and other agencies that impact these years such as
Early Head Start. The Program
Manager needs to know how to use logic models and track outcomes. Part of my current job is
tracking outcomes and I am starting the process next week of
re-writing/updating the logic models of my department. Other experience includes having at
least 10 years experience in early childhood and at least 5 years of leadership
and supervision. A Bachelor’s
Degree in Early Childhood or related field is required with a Master’s Degree
preferred (www.zerotothree.org,
n.d.). Again this job description
is similar to my current job, which could be the foundation for one day being a
Program Manager with Zero to Three.
I need some more managerial experience.
Another
organization that I chose was The Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR)
(www.iwpr.org, n.d.). The name of this organization quickly
grabbed my attention so I researched further to learn what it was about. The IWPR conducts research and spreads
the results to promote public dialog to find ways to strengthen families,
communities, and societies. The
research is also used to advocate and inform policymakers and the public on
economic and social policy issues that affect women and families. Policies that affect women and families
ultimately affect children and their experiences and quality of life. Therefore this research is important
because of the impact it has on children.
This interested me because of the “trickle down” effect this
organization has and it address issues of families that affect our young children. One of the job opportunities at IWPR is
for a Study Director. The Study
Director oversees research and projects and ensures that all components are
being completed and then share the findings. I was intrigued by this job because of its potential to
impact social policy. Also I
realize I am not always the best researcher but I want to be a part of it. I feel like this job would allow me to
be part of research yet not have to actually conduct the research. Qualifications for this job include having
a Doctorate in a social science such as economics or sociology. Experience is key because one would
need at least 5 to 10 years in applied research and experience with a variety
of research methods. A Study
Director also needs to show the ability to supervise people, knowledge of
different reports, be familiar with other organizations and networks related to
the job such as policy makers, scholars, funders, and show the ability to be
able to raise money (www.iwpr.org, n.d.).
The
Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) was the third organization that I researched (www.childrensdefense.org, n.d.). CDF works to ensure that all children
have a level playing field through a healthy start, a head start, a fair start,
a safe start, and a moral start in early childhood and in life with the help of
caring families and communities.
CDF works to be the voice for all children to help them get what they
need. For example CDF advocates
for policies and program that help children and families move out poverty or
they work to protect children from abuse and neglect. My ultimate professional goal is to help all children and
tackle all the issues that affect their development and future successes. The CDF sounds like a perfect fit for
me. When looking at job
opportunities, I was drawn to another managerial job, that of Database
Manager. I was drawn to it because
I have found a love for reporting, ensuring its accuracy, and being able to
lead people based off of reporting outcomes. The Database Manager requires a minimum of three years
experience on a Raiser’s Edge database, one of which I have not heard of. Other skills and qualifications include
ability to prioritize, organize, excellent communication skills, work
independently, have a Bachelor’s Degree, and a minimum of 5 years experience in
a nonprofit environment (www.childrensdefense.org,
n.d.). I like this job because
without the data and reports, advocacy and sharing of knowledge could not take
place.
References
Children’s
Defense Fund. (n.d.). Retrieved
from http://www.childrensdefense.org/.
The
Institute for Women’s Policy Research. (n.d.). http://www.iwpr.org/.
Zero
to Three. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.zerotothree.org/.
