Work With Youth Is The Right Job for Me

The possibilities are endless if one knows how to sell them self. Studying to obtain a degree in Recreation with an emphasis on Leisure Services, it is conveyed to the students how to do so. I chose this degree because my heartthrob is for the youth of today. Nelson Mandela said it best, “The youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow”. It is because of my creativity, tenacity, and willingness to listen that I am best suited for this. I have always been in leadership positions growing up and I seem to connect with the youth.

Over the years I have developed an interest in the development of our youth. It has been proven that the youth needs someone to be a guiding force in their life. Even the smartest child makes mindless choices once in a while. Though not often a guiding force needs to be present in that child’s life. The organization chosen is the Boys and Girls Club. The organization started because three women saw a need for it in 1860.

Programs such as the Boys and Girls Club have been proven to have a positive impact on youth through academics, improving their skills, and even polishing their table manners. Quality mentoring relationships, which are backed by a strong research base, endorsed by young people, and supported by a robust field of stakeholders, could be the leading edge in reaching community, state, and national goals, including regaining our position as first in the world in college completion, developing a future workforce for a global economy, and securing an opportunity society where all children, regardless of background, are equipped to achieve their dreams.

Although the organization was tailored towards boys, one-hundred and thirty years later, they recognized a need to incorporate girls in the name. I was drawn to this organization because it was the place I did my internship. I feel in love with the way it was run, the programs they provided and the improvement I could notice in the children’s attitude. According to the Boys and Girls Club of America website: “Boys & Girls Clubs of America had its beginnings in 1860 with three women in Hartford, Connecticut – Mary Goodwin, Alice Goodwin, and Elizabeth Hammersley.

Believing that boys who roamed the streets should have a positive alternative, they organized the first Club. With character development as the cornerstone of the experience, the Club focused on capturing boys interests, improving their behavior and increasing their personal expectations and goals. A cause was born.” Once the organization has spread like rapid wildfire. An entry level position I would like to do at the Boys and Girls Club would be Events & Administrative Coordinator. With this job one only needs previous experience with proven success in event planning, public relations, or hospitality.

Since age thirteen my aspirations have been to be a part of as many public events as possible. I have been in two pageants, one food drive, a Girl Scout Assistant Troop Leader for seven years and currently hold several offices in the church. What qualifies me for the job is, I have been door to door asking people if they would like to purchase adds for my pageant, organize events for the Troop and church, and am familiar with the process of how to network and get people involved.

I believe with this job has the potential for me to move up in the ranks if I dedicate myself to the job. I hope to be viewed as a leader rather than an authority figure on the job because a leader has more to offer than an authoritarian. A person can get more done if the “boss” develops a working relationship with the employees. More work gets done with this method than others. With this job, I hope to have the ability to reach and mold children before they get stuck in their ways. It is my hope that I get blessed with willing workers and workers that does not need to be told every single thing to do but rather do what they see is needed. With this job, one will be able to make a suitable living.

When considering a job in a different area, one must first consider the cost of living, whether the job is a fit for the person, community population, and research the state. These things must then be compared to your standards to see if you will be able to survive with the services provided. My chances of obtaining this job are very likely. During my internship, the staff of the Boys and Girls Club of Crittenden County trained me for such a position.While interning, I brought light to the need of the position. The director agreed and created the position and said: “it is mine if I would like”. As we discussed in class how amazing it is to have job security, I am just realizing how that is true.

To keep this, I have to maintain my personal and social life in a manner of a person of high-status because when you are working with youth, the staff must work with discretion. The youth aren’t old enough to consent to things that are dangerous or will be publicized. The Executive Director explained to me the need for quality workers, those that will go over and beyond for children. He then went on to explain the reason so many Boys and Girls Club are being shut down is because of miss appropriation of funds and the loss of interest for the children’s well-being. When I obtain my position, I plan to never lose prospect for the child. I also plan to eventually become a CEO of a business that helps at-risk youth.

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