The Best Fields for Teachers Looking for a Career Change
There is no denying that teaching is hard, and it only becomes more difficult with dwindling resources, low pay, and increasing demands. According to the National Education Association, between 20% and 50% of teachers leave the profession within the first three to five years. Then there are those teachers who are burned out, retiring, or just ready for a change.
Fortunately, teaching provides a plethora of transferable skills that can help educators transition into the business world. It’s just a matter of highlighting how past experience can contribute to future success. Yet many teachers are unsure about what types of positions would be a good fit. Here are six roles worth looking into:
Working with children in the school system versus working with adults in a corporate setting can be two different worlds but utilize many of the same skills. If you’re ready to get out of the classroom, an easy transition can be to shift into teaching adults. You’ll still be planning curriculum and activities, providing instruction, and measuring performance, but in a new environment.
Teachers are highly organized and great at managing time and delegating tasks. Project management may be a good fit because you get to coordinate a wide range of activities and work with cross-functional teams. You’ll be responsible for making sure things get done accurately, on time, and within budget. Plus, it involves a lot of communication, which teachers do constantly, whether in person or via email or phone.
Are your Language Arts skills top notch? Put your creativity to use as a writer or editor. You can often find jobs with education-related companies looking for former teachers to edit textbooks, create online resources, or develop other content. You could also find a writing position related to another field that interests you.
As a teacher, you’re constantly looking for ways to present information in interesting and engaging ways — hence the relevance to marketing. Use your ability to differentiate instruction, come up with ideas on the fly, and appeal to different audiences to support a company’s marketing efforts.
Teachers do a lot of data analysis and are always looking for opportunities for improvement. This can be a great segue into consulting as you conduct needs analyses for clients and create strategic plans to help them overcome challenges, improve operations, and increase efficiency and effectiveness. If you want to stay in education, look for an education consultancy; otherwise, explore your options and see what fits.
Go from planning activities and projects for your students to planning them for a non-profit organization, senior center, or other organization. Put your creativity, organization, and planning skills to use in a new way.
There are plenty of wonderful job opportunities available for teachers looking to transition out of the classroom, and sometimes all you have to do is look at your skills from a different perspective. If you’re struggling, ask a friend or family member for ideas and what they think your strengths are.
If you’re ready to shift out of teaching and change careers, the team at Grammar Chic can help you craft a resume that highlights your transferable skills and experiences. Position yourself in a way that appeals to hiring managers outside of education. Contact us today at (803) 831–7444 or resumewriting@grammarchic.net for more information or to get started!
Originally published at https://professionalresumewriters.net on August 20, 2019.
