Changing careers is a huge life decision that takes a lot of time, patience and learning.
For one reason or another, you have decided that teaching is no longer the right career choice for you and that you need to transition into a different role.
For many people, career changes are about following a dream they’ve always had but never properly realised. Whether you’re leaving teaching to start your own business, pivot into a more lucrative field, or simply do something you’re more passionate about, preparation and market research is the key to smooth sailing and success.
How to Make a Successful Career Change From Teaching
Unfortunately, you can’t just snap your fingers and be established in a new career that you love. It takes work and dedication to make it there. But that’s part of the adventure!
Let Go of Your Teaching Identity
Walking away from a career you trained in for so long plus all of the money you spent attaining that training and all the energy you put into it is no easy task.
There are mental, emotional and financial consequences of walking away from what you thought would be your life's work. Before shifting your talent and skills to another profession, it would be best to first deal with the grief of letting all that you already invested go.
There is a grieving process for a reason. Allow yourself to go through it so you can move forward without the weight of unprocessed emotions weighing you down and clouding your experiences.
The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. -Amelia Earhart
Deciding on a New Path
What interests you? What have you always wanted to do? Do you have any skills/experience in that field?
First, make a list of jobs that interest you. Then, research them:
- What type of skills and education do you need?
- How physically/mentally demanding is it?
- How easy it is to find a position in that field?
- Does it pay well?
- What do former and current employees have to say about working in that field?
Decide which aspects are most important to you and put them in order from most important to least important.
Do you want to do something that earns you a lot more money, even at the expense of your time and energy? Or would you rather do something you love even if it doesn’t pay very well? How long and hard are you willing to work in your new career to shape it into what you want it to become, and is it possible?
Talk Things Over
Unless you're single, any career moves you make will impact your partner and children, if you have any. Even if you are single, you likely have family and friends who are concerned about your happiness and well-being and may be impacted by your actions. They too need to be apprised of your plans.
You also need to discuss things thoroughly with yourself to ensure you are really happy and committed to your decisions.
You might need to change arrangements and figure out new ways to organise your life during and after the transition into a new career.
Seeking Guidance
Even with support from your family and friends, and even with hours spent thinking and researching yourself, you might still wish to seek an outside perspective to help you on your way.
Look for a career or life coach, therapist, or other person whose job it is to provide professional support to clients. They will be the most likely to give you unbiased opinions and advice from experience. They might also have valuable connections, contacts, and resources for you to utilise.
Seeking an audience with someone from your prospective field is also not a bad idea! See if there is a way to have a 10-minute chat with someone in the field(s) you are considering. You can also look for seminars and webinars and live streams from people in the industry.
Transitioning Into a New Role
Deciding exactly what new career path to aim for can be daunting. You’ve already spent all that time becoming a teacher, and you are likely worried about repeating the same process again with another career.
The important thing to note is that even if your work history doesn’t look “traditional” or measure up to someone else’s standards, it doesn’t mean you are a failure. Life is an adventure!
The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. -Steve Jobs
Here are some actions you can take to clarify what you really want, what will be good for you, and how to get there.
Personality and Work Style Quizzes
You need to build up a clear idea of what it is you want to do. Saying ‘I want something less chaotic’ or ‘I know I want to work in business’ is not enough.
It’s important to remember what you want to gain from a new career, and how you wish to develop as an individual.
You might also find that it's the organisation itself or the exact job role that you don’t like, so a change of scenery or a different teaching position within a similar organisation might be the change you were after.
Even if you find them cheesy or bunk-science, taking quizzes can be really helpful to help you find clarity. It’s not about the result you get; it’s about how you feel about the result you get. Use this information like a personalised journal prompt to help you learn new insights about yourself and get clearer on what it is you need and want out of your career.
Check out these quizzes for inspiration:
- Meyers-Briggs
- My Next Move: O*Net Interest Profiler
- 123Test.com: Career Aptitude Test
- What Career Is Right For Me?: Career Aptitude Test
- Truity: The Big Five Personality Test
- MyPlan.com
- Career Explorer: Career Test
- CareerFitter.com: Work Personality Analysis
- Assessment.com: MAPP Career Test
- Self-Directed Search (SDS)
- The Enneagram Institute: Rise-Hudson Enneagram Type Indicator
- Gallup: Clifton Strengths
Gaining Experience
You can bulk up your CV and gain experience in a new position before you leave teaching permanently.
See if there is any way to get a part-time job or internship that allows you to get a foot in the door of your newly chosen profession before you resign.
Alternatively, your new career choice might require you to take more education courses which means you need to secure a new schedule that allows you to study. In this case, you’ll need to secure a temporary job that provides you with what you need monetarily and time-wise.
Re-Entering Education
If you are choosing a career that requires you to complete more formal education before you can enter, explore your options before resigning from your post.
Can you take some or all of these courses while keeping your teaching job, or do you need to completely commit all your time to them?
Night courses are an especially good idea if you need to keep your day job. These tend to be available for more vocational and creative courses, such as massage, floristry or electronics. Even some intensive careers like law, accounting, and finance will have night courses available.
It can be scary to think of the financial implications of disrupting your income, but if it’s the right move for you then you may have to make peace with taking on some debt.
Budgeting and saving are imperative to keep yourself stable in an unstable time.
There may be some social programmes available for you, so check online at www.govt.nz to see if there are any benefits you may be able to utilise while you transition careers.
Lastly, see if there are scholarships or grants available from your chosen educational institution or other organisations which can help you cover educational and living expenses.
"Your career is like a garden. It can hold an assortment of life's energy that yields a bounty for you. You do not need to grow just one thing in your garden. You do not need to do just one thing in your career."—Jennifer Ritchie Payette
Starting Your New Career
Evaluate how you’ll break into your new career: do you need to apply for a completely different job, or do you have connections to help you on your way?
Either way, you’ll want to have a current and solid CV to provide and show your aptitude, competency, and professionalism.
Update Your CV
Start by identifying the advantages you already have. What strengths, qualifications and experience do you have? Perhaps your current credentials could be applied in ways that will suit new professional roles. Thinking about your skills acts as great preparation for interviews.
Think about what makes you stand out. As an ex-educator, you will have a degree, a vast knowledge of your subject area, and many transferable skills which you used to teach and communicate with pupils. So write them down and analyse how they could be put to use in a new and different professional role and work environment.
Look back at your work experience and identify where you have developed, what you have accomplished, and what skills you have learned.
Cite evidence of times when you have met certain targets, worked under pressure or handled a difficult situation and think about how you could apply this to the roles which interest you.
Start tailoring your CV, removing anything unrelated or irrelevant, and show that your focus is the target career.
Doing plenty of research on each role and highlighting the areas of your skills and expertise which apply to it on your CV is key to landing an interview.
Remember: your CV should simply act as a taster and invite further questions at an interview - so keep it snappy! And ensure that the layout is modern and appealing to the eye.
Craft Your Cover Letter
What your letter details is important. Far from the generic 'I saw your advert and my heart just leapt' sentiment, you should emphasise why you are the best fit for the job and the company.
Hinting that you researched the company is a major selling point. You might write something like 'With production facilities in multiple countries, XYZ company is fast becoming the leader in ____.'
Sell your experiences as a teacher in a light that can be beneficial for this new career, like management experience and planning and scheduling.
Ace Your Interview
If it's been a while since you've interviewed for a position, take some time to research updated interview questions and how best to answer them. Psychology drives these events; giving the wrong answer, even most sincerely, may cost you your place.
You should also prepare for a phone or video interview before being invited to the Human Resources office for a face-to-face discussion of your skills and abilities. These days, it's far more common for hiring managers to pre-screen candidates over the phone and, if that test goes well, you will be scheduled for further interviews.
Top Jobs for Ex-Teachers
Few teachers undergo rigorous training and certification processes for the money. On the contrary, low wages serve as an insult to the injury dealt by all of the other reasons teachers leave the profession. Still, one doesn't train as a teacher just because; they have a love of teaching that will likely follow them in their future endeavours.
If your heart still lies in education but would rather not lead a classroom, you might consider a position related to education, such as school counsellor, instructional coordinator or admissions consultant.
Here are some careers you may consider as a former teacher:
Careers Related to Teaching
- School Counsellor
- Academic Advisor
- Instructional Coordinator
- Admissions Consultant
- Test/Exam Developer
- Private Tutor
- Librarian
- Coach/Trainer (personal or corporate)
- Museum Educator
Careers Many Ex-Teachers Choose
- Human Resources (HR)
- Financial Advisor
- Dental Hygienist
- Writer
- Artist
- Registered Nurse
- Marketing Specialist
- Public Relations Specialist
- Paralegal
- Event Planner
- Radiologist
- Real-Estate Agent
- Social Worker
- Personal Fitness Trainer
- Actuary
- Statistician
- Researcher
- Editor
- Curator
- Interpreter or Translator
- Activities Director
- Au Pair or Private Nanny
- Sales
- Probation Officer
- Administration
- Programming
- Project Management
Walking away from teaching takes quite a bit of courage and resolve; it's not something done on a whim - especially as teaching might have been the career you have wanted your whole life. Instead, you might think of it as a stepping stone to further learning and discovery.
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