HOT JOBS : Recreation Job Offered Change to Hairdresser
After 20 years of working as a hairdresser, Christine Litchie decided it was time for a change. When she heard about an opening at Northwood Community Park in Irvine for a recreation worker, she applied immediately. She got the job and embarked on a new career.
Though the park offers recreation activities for all ages, most of Litchie’s time has been with children’s programs. In addition to beginning soccer, basketball clinics and science workshops, there are Circle Time, where preschool kids and their parents gather for stories; and Play Brigade, an afternoon crafts and play time for older children.
“We also use the park facilities to put on children’s birthday parties, and I am involved in scheduling and planning those,” Litchie said. “It’s a great job, and it has allowed me to spend more time with my daughter, who was 7 when I started. I enrolled her in many of the programs I was involved in. Now that she’s older, she hopes to begin working here pretty soon.”
Litchie, 38, is applying for a program coordinator position at the park and plans to study recreation at Cal State Long Beach.
While Litchie oversees numerous programs, her co-worker, Ed Kaleikini works specifically with Kids Klub, the park’s year-round after-school activity program.
“I wish more men would get involved with recreation and working with kids,” said Kaleikini, 29. “They definitely need lots of male role models around them at all ages.”
Kaleikini started working part time at the park seven years ago. He obtained an associate of arts degree in criminal justice but decided to stay in the recreation field. Like Litchie, he will also enroll at CSULB this Fall.
OCCUPATION: RECREATION WORKER
* Outlook: One of the 10 fastest-growing job fields in Orange County.
* Prospects: By 1998, the number of recreation worker jobs is projected to increase 18.5%, to 3,530 positions.
* What’s involved: Recreation workers plan and implement activities for children and adults in community-based recreation programs, nursing homes and youth facilities. Experienced leaders conduct the workshops and oversee the work of volunteers and aides. Program coordinators are involved with administrative aspects such as facilities management and administration.
* Qualifications: Recreation aides may be as young as 16 and need little previous experience. Leaders have usually worked in the field for several years as volunteers or aides. Many have a college background in recreation or education. Administrative positions require at least a bachelor’s degree in either of those fields.
* Salary range: Recreation aides earn $5 to $7 an hour. Recreation leaders earn $8 to $12 an hour, depending on experience. Program coordinators and administrators earn between $16 and $21 an hour, and community services superintendents earn $3,566 to $4,815 a month.
* Pros: Opportunity to work outside the usual office setting, satisfaction of seeing others learn and enjoy themselves.
* Cons: Evening and weekend work is required. Summers and holidays are busy times, especially for those involved in children’s programs. Recreation workers are often required to schedule their vacations during the off season.
* Advancement: Recreation workers often start as program aides and advance to recreation leader, then program coordinator. After several years’ experience they may move into managerial and administrative positions.
* Quote: “The relationship between the staff and the people in our programs is very rewarding. It’s great to see the look on a kid’s face when he cracks his first egg in one of our cookie-making classes. The job is about learning and enjoyment.” --Christine Litchie