[For Students] The Non-Traditional Student: Next Steps on the Journey to Certification

I have had the opportunity to work with aspiring child life specialists who are 

Transitioning from another career to child life

Getting back into the field after taking 10+ years off 

I’ve found that these types of students have a lot of similar challenges, but also come with their own strengths. 

Common questions:

1. Is it weird that I’m older and just now pursuing this career?
2. What do I do next?
3. How do I talk about my previous career path and show that I am passionate about this transition?

Let’s tackle number one. It is absolutely not weird to pursue child life later on in your career path. Child life is a newer field and, depending on your experience, you may not have ever heard of this profession before now! You are not alone in pursuing certification later on than the “typical” child life student. 

So, what are the next steps? As always, the answer to this question varies. I usually encourage these students to begin their eligibility assessment just to see where they are in the academic process. Once they know how many courses they need, then we can determine if a master’s degree would be beneficial or if taking just a few courses is a better option. 

Next up is looking at experiences. Many students come from a related field and have a very good foundation of experience working with children and families. Fitting in the hospital experience is usually the challenge, which is not any different from any other aspiring child life professional. 

So, once you have your academic needs addressed and have determined how you can gain experience in the hospital you are starting to set yourself up for success.

Now that you’re looking at applications, how do you speak about your previous experiences? Just as with other students, I encourage you to identify your own personal strengths. 

Things to consider:

• What did you learn in your previous career that will set you up to be a successful child life intern or practicum student? 
• How can you connect your prior work to the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to be successful in child life? 

I’ve helped everyone from teachers to flight attendants identify things they’ve learned that directly connect to the child life field! *Hint* The KSA’s can really help guide your reflection process.

If you have considered transitioning to child life from a previous career, it can definitely be done, you are not alone, and you do have a lot to offer to this profession. 

Don’t hesitate to reach out, find a mentor, and determine if this is the next step for you.