A Skills Checklist for Afterschool Work

Everyone has unique skills and talents, but only some have the skill set to work with children and youth after school. Use the checklist below to begin to guage whether you have the special knowledge, abilities, or capabilities to be a great match with an afterschool environment.

And if you can't check everything on the list, don't worry. Afterschool providers say much can be learned on the job--as long as you have the enthusiasm and willingness to learn to start with.

Inter-personal Skills
[ ] Work well with children or youth
[ ] Like to help others
[ ] Sense of humor
[ ] Friendly, warm manner
[ ] Good judgment
[ ] Good team member
[ ] Sensitive to others
[ ] Good listener

Instructing Skills
[ ] Ability to tutor or teach
[ ] Ability to motivate others
[ ] Ability to correct others
[ ] Skill in explaining things
[ ] Patience with slow learners
[ ] Ability to stimulate learning
[ ] Good group leadership skills

Organizing Skills
[ ] Ability to coordinate activities
[ ] Work well with groups
[ ] Handle various tasks and personalities at once
[ ] Ability to plan activities
[ ] Skilled in coming up with fresh new ideas

Other Skills
[ ] Knowledge of sports and/or fitness
[ ] Knowledge of art or music
[ ] Knowledge of drama or writing
[ ] Knowledge of cooking or crafts
[ ] Knowledge of math or science
[ ] Knowledge of other academic area: ______________
[ ] Other specialized areas of expertise: ______________