Not every activity-director position in Ohio requires a degree, but in this competitive job market, having a degree in therapeutic recreation or earning your certification as an activity professional provides you with an advantage against your competition, according to one resume posted by Columbus' Wexner Heritage Village on Monster.com. Many universities and colleges offer degrees or programs specifically designed to meet the needs of the growing rehabilitation and senior-care market.
Most activity-director positions require at least two to three years of work experience in organizing recreational and social programs. Previous activity-director experience at a senior living center, rehabilitation facility or group home should get your resume noticed among the pile of applicants, indicates a resume posted by Ohio's CommuniCare Health Services on CareerBuilder.com.
When managing the social and physical needs of a diverse community, it is essential that an activity director be creative. Not every resident is going to want to participate in armchair yoga or in landscape painting 101, so you must be able to assess the needs of all residents and to create an assortment of activities that will eventually appeal to each community member. Beyond being fun and innovative, some activities should also feed the mind and body---which is essential to keeping a resident healthy.
The activity director for a facility can quickly become a friend and confidant to the residents. Someone who engages the spirit is often seen through appreciative eyes. Therefore, possessing a strong set of listening and communication skills will anchor the role of the activity director as someone to be trusted and who has the overall health of the community at heart. Creating a bond with residents through consistent communication encourages them to participate in their own path to wellness.
Passion goes hand-in-hand with communication. Most residents can sense when an activity director isn't fully committed to improving their lives. Happiness spreads much more fully when it is genuine, and a genuinely passionate activity director is a successful one, says TheActivityDirectorsOffice.com.