As important as food is to sustaining life, one way you can make a difference in people's lives is by teaching them about nutrition while they are still young. Job options for working with children don't end in the classroom. Nutrition is an option with many different career paths. Job prospects in child nutrition range from administrative for managing school lunch choices to cooking in a day-care kitchen.
Education Requirements
Good nutritional habits reduce childhood obesity and adult diseases related to a lifetime of poor food choices. For example, milk is good for building strong bones while green vegetables give them plenty of energy to run around the playground. Learning what's best to serve start with a solid education in childhood nutrition. School nutritionists can receive credentialing and certification through programs offered by the School Nutrition Association with has affiliates in every state. With a degree from an accredited four-year college, a master's degree or a doctorate, your job choices increase.
Salary Prospects
The salary you earn will be based on the field of child nutrition you pursue and your level of education. For example, a pediatric gastroenterologist and nutritionist earn as much as $114,000 a year, while school lunchroom food server can earn $25,000 a year. Becoming a pediatric gastroenterologist requires graduate-level education, and a food server position may only require a quick course in nutrition or no education at all.
Job Outlook
Job prospects include working with public schools, private schools, day-care centers, hospitals and community youth programs. These jobs include food nutrition director, in which your job is to select the daily meals; nutrition education specialist, where your job entails teaching both parents and children about the importance of education; and site managers, where you supervise kitchen staff. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated that between 2008 and 2018 hiring for dietitians and nutritionists positions would increase by 9 percent.
Job Search
Jobs can be found through traditional means such as classified ads and job fairs. You can also use social networking sites to get to know professionals already working in the field who can refer you to job openings. A resume with child-care experience or related education can get your foot in the door. Build your resume from the ground up by applying with day-care centers part time or volunteering your time with community youth programs. All jobs involved working with children require some level of criminal background check. It's more difficult to get a job in the field with any blemishes on your record.
Tags: working with, community youth, community youth programs, day-care centers, food server, nutrition education, pediatric gastroenterologist