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Career
Development

Explore Your Options. Prepare for Your Next Step. Advance Your Career.

The Early Childhood Innovation Center provides individualized career development support for Delaware’s early childhood professionals.

Whether you are beginning your career, exploring professional qualifications, pursuing a Child Development Associate® (CDA) Credential or college degree, or preparing for career advancement, we can help you identify a pathway that aligns with your experience, interests, and goals.

Our Career Development Coordinator works with early childhood professionals throughout Delaware to understand their goals, explore available pathways, identify potential barriers, and connect them with appropriate ECIC programs, resources, and partner organizations.

Explore • Prepare • Advance

Career development support is designed to help you understand your options, prepare for your next step, and move forward with purpose.

01

Explore

Understand where you are now and identify the possibilities available to you.

Career development support may include:

  • Discussing your professional experience, interests, and career goals
  • Exploring early childhood career and education pathways
  • Reviewing your current qualifications in Delaware’s Early Learning Career Development System
  • Identifying possible next steps toward a CDA® Credential, associate degree, bachelor’s degree, or career advancement
  • Connecting your experience and education to potential roles within the early childhood field

02

Prepare

Build the knowledge, tools, and plan needed to move forward.

Preparation support may include:

  • Developing an individualized career development plan
  • Navigating ECIC credential and degree-support opportunities
  • Understanding program requirements and application processes
  • Identifying resources that may help address barriers to participation
  • Receiving assistance with resumes, interviews, job-search preparation, and professional communication
  • Preparing for CDA® portfolio development, verification visits, and examination requirements when applicable

03

Advance

Take purposeful steps toward your professional and educational goals.

Advancement support may include:

  • Connecting with ECIC programs and appropriate community partners
  • Receiving follow-up support as you work toward your identified goals
  • Preparing for new employment opportunities or increased professional responsibility
  • Continuing along a credential or higher-education pathway
  • Identifying future professional-development and career-growth opportunities

Career Development Services

Individualized support can help you better understand your options and determine the next step that aligns with your professional goals.

Career and Education Pathway Exploration

Explore career possibilities and learn how credentials, college degrees, professional experience, and Delaware early childhood qualifications can support your goals.

Professional Qualification Exploration

Receive assistance understanding your current qualifications and exploring potential next steps within Delaware’s early childhood career-development system.

CDA® and Degree Pathway Navigation

Learn about ECIC-supported CDA®, associate-degree, and bachelor’s-degree opportunities and determine which pathway may be appropriate for you.

Resume and Interview Preparation

Strengthen your resume, prepare for interviews, and develop tools that help you communicate your experience and qualifications effectively.

Career Advancement Planning

Create an individualized plan for pursuing increased responsibility, new employment opportunities, continued education, or long-term advancement in early childhood education.

Referrals and Resource Connections

Connect with ECIC programs, educational institutions, workforce resources, and community partners based on your identified needs and goals.

Request Career Development Support

Career development begins with learning more about you, your experience, and what you hope to accomplish.

Complete the Career Development Request Form to request individualized support. After your request is reviewed, the ECIC Career Development Coordinator will contact you regarding appropriate next steps.

Career Development Request Form

Complete the Career Development Request Form

Please allow up to 48 hours for a response. Submitting a request does not guarantee eligibility or acceptance into a specific ECIC program, scholarship, credential pathway, or service.

Strategic Partnerships

The ECIC also collaborates with early childhood programs, schools, institutions of higher education, workforce organizations, and community partners to strengthen career and education pathways for Delaware’s early childhood workforce.

To discuss a potential career-development partnership, contact:

Charley Anderson

Career Development Coordinator
Early Childhood Innovation Center
Delaware State University
canderson@desu.edu
302-535-5654