All-time highs have been reached with teacher burnout. According to the National Education Association, 55% of teachers have said they will leave the profession earlier than planned. If you are considering changing jobs, then you are not alone! This guide offers information on careers that value your teaching skills, as well as how to transition into those careers.
Why Teachers Leave and What They Take With Them
There are many reasons why teachers leave the profession. The most frequently cited is the amount they are paid versus their education level. Stress from classroom management, the burden of the administration, and lack of autonomy also contribute to teachers leaving the profession. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated all these issues.
While teachers have many other skills, they also have transferable skills to provide value to employers, including: curriculum development = training (staff) and/or some instructional design; classroom management demonstrates an ability to lead; and daily presentations build communication skills that most other professions do not develop.
Your ability to relate to students demonstrates emotional awareness. Being able to change a lesson in the middle of it shows problem-solving skills. Keeping track of 30 students in a classroom while also keeping track of each student’s individual progress is a sign of being organized. All three of these skills can be applied to other industries as well.
Corporate Training and Instructional Design
Businesses use instructional design professionals to create training materials within their organizations. An instructional designer also creates courses, creates content, and develops the learning experience. This is generally similar to developing lesson plans; however, classroom management will not be required. The average salary for an instructional designer is between $65,000 and $85,000; however, experienced designers can earn a higher salary.
Content for employees will usually come from a corporate trainer in the company. Large corporations require people with experience working with and teaching adults. The experience you gained through your own classroom experience will be helpful to you. You already have experience explaining concepts, managing groups, and assessing the level at which someone understands.
Here are related roles in corporate learning:
- Instructional designer
- Corporate trainer
- Learning and development specialist
- Training coordinator
- E-learning developer
- Curriculum specialist
A transition often necessitates the acquisition of new technologies. e-learning modules are created using Articulate Storyline, Adobe Captivate, and other similar software applications, and many teachers take courses on them during their summer holidays before they make this change. Online learning facilities such as LinkedIn Learning and Coursera can assist you in developing these abilities.
How to Position Yourself for L&D Roles
Your CV may require a translation. For example, “differentiated instruction” in the education sector will translate into “customized training methods” in the business sector. Similarly, the word “student achievement data” will become a learning outcome metric in business.
Make a portfolio that demonstrates your work. Create sample eLearning modules (even unpaid). Document training sessions you have facilitated. Give potential employers tangible examples of your abilities through examples you can provide.
Build connections in the learning and development field. There are Association for Talent Development (ATD) events and job boards available. There are also groups on LinkedIn that connect professionals in L&D together. Many teachers have transitioned to this profession and will help newer ones get started.
Project Management Careers
Project managers need to coordinate timelines, teams, and deliverables. Similar to this, when teachers plan units, coordinate with specialists, or manage classroom activities, they already coordinate timelines, teams, and deliverables; therefore, the transfer of those skills between the teacher and the project manager takes place
New coordinators can expect to earn between $50,000-$60,000 annually. However, if they are certified project managers, they might be earning $95,000 on average (PMI). The project management field has a well-defined set of advancement opportunities available to its practitioners.
To obtain the project management professional ( PMP) certification, one must have at least 4,500 hours of documented professional experience. As such, teaching can be completed within this timeframe as part of your requirement. Lesson planning, event coordination, and participation on committees all meet the criteria. Certification will enhance opportunities for moving up in terms of salary.
There are many types of firms and markets for project management, such as technology companies, healthcare organizations, and consulting firms. Your education could potentially benefit you if you were to pursue a career in project management with an education technology company or educational publishing company.
Sales and Account Management
You may think that selling is a different industry from teaching. However, great Salespeople are very similar to Teachers in how they educate customers about their products: they provide clear information about their products, answer any questions that may arise (objections) in an appropriate manner, and build rapport/relationships with their customers. The skill sets of both jobs are very similar!
Education sales is a great match. Curriculum publishers, EdTech firms, and assessment providers seek people who understand schools. Ex-teachers speak the language of customers. McGraw-Hill, Pearson, and Clever actively recruit PBEs.
Those in account management roles focus more on building relationships with existing customers than acquiring new ones. Account management positions tend to suit teachers who enjoy building relationships rather than cold calling. Salaries tend to differ widely depending on how commissions are structured; however, six-figure salaries are often found in the field of educational sales.
Other sales roles that value teaching backgrounds include:
- Pharmaceutical sales
- Medical device sales
- Technology sales
- Financial services sales
- Real estate
Commission-based earnings can cause considerable instability for an individual’s total income, yet, for high achievers, there is a great possibility of earning more than a typical teacher would receive.
For those who are willing to accept performance-based pay, there is little to no ceiling on the income potential.
Writing and Content Creation
All teachers do lots of writing: Lesson plans, assessments, feedback, and correspondence require clearly written communication. This skill will assist in their future occupations, which are related to their area of focus.
The people who write educational content for teachers to use to teach their students include things like lesson plans, quizzes, and instructional materials. There are a lot of publishers and EdTech companies that are constantly on the lookout for educational content writers. In fact, there is such a high demand for them that they are able to hire an incredible number of them (if you have a background in writing as well as subject matter expertise, you will do well). As an example, many Freelance Opportunities exist to help teachers move from classroom teaching into writing full-time at their own pace.
In addition to being able to teach, you should also be able to explain complicated concepts clearly, which is what will create good content marketing. There are various forms of content that all require this ability — blogs, white papers, and social media.
Both agencies and internal marketing teams use content creators for their content needs.
If you are able to convey complex procedures in writing, technical writing can offer a good salary. User manuals, software created by others as well as procedure manuals require patience and clarity to write effectively. According to BLS data, the median salary for technical writers is $78,060.
Education-Adjacent Careers
A lot of different positions exist to support educational organizations without having to teach people on a daily basis.
Instructional programs are developed and implemented by coordinators across schools/districts. Coordinators are required to have had prior teaching experience, which generally results in a wage higher than that of teachers working in a classroom. As a curriculum coordinator, you create educational opportunities for students without having direct contact with them.
Consultants who provide guidance to schools regarding improving their educational practice are called Educational Consultants (EC). Experienced educators who have taught for several years can offer tremendous insight into what works in the classroom. While the establishment of a consulting business may take time to develop properly, it typically results in high earnings and flexibility of schedule.
Other education-adjacent roles include:
- Academic advisor
- School counselor (may require additional certification)
- Education policy analyst
- College admissions officer
- Test prep instructor
- Educational technology specialist
Educators can find employment opportunities in museums, libraries, and other nonprofit organizations. Through these jobs, you will be able to teach in non-traditional settings. Teaching skills may be used in zoo educational programs, museum docents, and developing programming for libraries.
Making the Transition Successfully
Before leaving the house, think ahead and prepare as much as possible. Find courses related to your career of interest and take them before leaving; get experience in those areas through projects or volunteer work; and network with others who are already in those fields.
Make sure that all of your transferable skills are present on your LinkedIn account. Recruiters will perform keyword searches before selecting candidates and will allow you to search for those keywords that are common to your industry; these can be found on the LinkedIn website under job descriptions.
Think of a hybrid transition as an additional source of income while developing your new career as a teacher. For example, some faculty supplement their income by providing adjunct instruction, tutoring, and/or substitute teaching. Other faculty have taken advantage of corporate training contracts to support themselves over the summer months before making a complete career transition from teaching.
You should expect it to take anywhere from 6 to 12 months to complete your career change process. The transition process typically requires persistence. Throughout this process, you may experience many rejections; however, those teachers who do successfully change their careers claim an increased level of overall job satisfaction and compensation compared to their prior career.
Sources
- National Education Association: Teacher satisfaction survey data
- Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational salary data (www.bls.gov)
- Project Management Institute: PMP certification requirements and salary data
- Association for Talent Development: Learning and development career resources
- Glassdoor: Salary research for career transition planning
