Rachel George: I honestly think that this career is an amazing career. It's so rewarding. It's joyful. Being given the opportunity to help shape little people's lives is an amazing feeling. It's an incredible opportunity to see them grow and learn right in front of your eyes.

I've always had a passion to work with children. I'm very nurturing, maternal, um, and who wouldn't. They just provide so much joy. Every single day is different.

Casey Goodman: I joined the early childhood sector because I had a really keen interest in working with young children. Um, I'd known about that interest in myself from a young age. However, I hadn't really given that much thought until I entered my certificate three in early childhood. Um, once I entered the sector, I noticed that that interest really grew.

Charles Hipkin: I started working with children as soon as I finished school. So back in, yeah, 2010, I did a gap year over in the UK, started working with children. Um, I was really interested in seeing them learn and being part of that learning and their development.

Megan Sao: I love that I can run around on my feet. The children are chasing you, you're chasing the children. Walking in everyone is always so happy, like it's not a sad environment, it’s very positive and uplifting and like a happy environment, which, like, makes, always make me feel so much better.

Ramesh Shrestha: Definitely, definitely the children. Like, it's almost a privilege to be there and see them learn and grow. There's so much going on in the single day, and there's so much learning happening, so much messy play happening, so much fun going around. It's almost like a vibrant community where you are just throwing ideas. It's like a science lab where ideas are coming, experiments are being done, things are being built and they are being destroyed and they are being rebuilt again. It's such an exciting place to be in.

Cassandra Davis: One of the best things has been seeing the relationship I've built with my group, and over the year, how some of my children are at the age where they're finally starting to talk, and they're saying my name for the first time you realize, did you just say Cas? And they're looking at you smiling, and they're like, yeah, Cas. And it's the best feeling like you realize how important you are, and so like it's such a joy.

Casey Goodman: I think the most exciting aspect of the early childhood sector is the amount of career opportunities that we have, um, available to us in many different areas of interests and passions, whether it be sustainability, reconciliation, you know, health and well-being, you know, this, this, the many career options that we have. It's not just limited to the classrooms that we teach in.

Cassandra Davis: You have so many opportunities in terms of to what level you want to get your education. So there's a lot of movement and flexibility within centres as to what you need and what they need. And then, yeah, so every time I studied, I could rearrange my working hours to suit and support me to be able to study. And a lot of flexibility, a lot of support when I had to do practice and placements through those processes as well. So, yeah, there's a lot of, a lot of ways that your centre can support you to get to the goals that you want to do.

Casey Goodman: I got into early childhood education and care through, um, a TAFE pathway. Was really great, and really valuable in my current learning. I did my diploma, my certificate three online. So I did a sort of distance education arrangement where I was being able to work, uh, almost full-time and study at the same time. It was a really great combination for me.

Charles Hipkin: Working through TAFE the teachers are really supportive, lots of contact time, um, lots of really comprehensive feedback and responsiveness to the work that I was providing as well, which I found really beneficial to then, you know, take it to the next step.

Ramesh Shrestha: After a couple of years, I would like to do my master’s in educational leadership as well. And when I have gotten that qualification and gotten some more experience, I would like to go back to my country and try to change the school system and the learning that goes in my country. The goal is definitely to nurture a more conscious global citizen in the future. And it's an opportunity for you to do that. So, um, if you have an opportunity to do change the world, then why not?

Megan Sao: The advice I would give to a student is definitely go talk to your careers advisor and then, um, try and get work experience at an early childhood centre. Everyone was so supportive and, like, with my traineeship, when I needed help, if I needed help, like, they're always there to help me.

Cassandra Davis: You wake up every day wanting to go to work. You enjoy going to work. You want to be there. The world is your oyster. And there are so many opportunities for you to grow and develop.

Rachel George: I recommend all students to explore this sector because of the pure joy. It's, it’s just so rewarding.

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