Is your teaching career in a rut? Have you lost the passion you had when you started your teaching career? Are you looking to make a career change and have no idea how to get started?
There are several different career choices for teachers you can follow if you have an educational background and relevant transferable skills and accomplishments.
Several of these second job options are quite unusual and ones that you may not have otherwise considered. You may ask the question:
What can I do with a teaching degree if I don’t want to teach? There are many significant career changes for teachers to research and identify what best suits their passion and strengths.
Teachers can use their transferable teaching skills for opportunities in human resources, marketing, sales, journalism, information science, publishing, childcare administration and higher education, and many more.
Or, maybe you are thinking of transitioning into school administration as a principal or assistant principal.
Different Career Choices for Teachers
If you are trying to determine the best jobs for teachers who don’t want to teach, it depends on the individual.
Consider these new career options if you are looking to make a career change within education or outside the education field.
School Administrator
As was just briefly mentioned above, a transition into school administration may be all you need in terms of a career change. Are you tired of teaching but still want to help students? Perhaps applying for a promotion to Vice/Assistant Principal or Principal is the move for you.
This career transition will allow you to maintain your education career while helping a larger population of students and staff to a greater degree. You can also put your leadership skills to work as you collaborate with your peers to maintain an inclusive and harmonious school community.
Over the last 16 years, I have helped many teachers transition into an educational leadership role. Other administrative positions include District Superintendent and Curriculum Coordinator.
Higher Education – College or University
Teachers and educators can transition into higher education human resources, alumni relations, curriculum development, student affairs, instructing, and college administration with relative ease. With an education master’s degree and teaching skills, you can efficiently work in school administration and as a faculty member.
You can even consider working as a college instructor or university professor, or dean of a department. There are endless possibilities for different career choices for teachers in higher education.
Instructional Coordinator
With a teaching background, you may have been involved at some point with preparing class syllabi, coursework, and instructional planning. If you enjoy the profession of instruction and want to shape students’ learning process on a larger scale, you can become a curriculum specialist or instructional coordinator.
You can choose textbooks, train teachers, evaluate current programs, and implement technology in school systems. An instructional coordinator career will give you the feeling of a new job while remaining in the school system.
Information Science
Information science is currently a fascinating field, and it involves how people use, access, and present information. Blogs, websites, and digital libraries often rely on educators’ knowledge to learn more about how people access, respond to and retain information. There are several opportunities for distance learning, online publishing, and new media for teachers today.
Human Resources / Personnel Coordination
Human resources or labor and personnel relations may be the right field for a teacher. This exciting field brings together personnel development, economics, financial planning, management, and psychology. Therefore, you may be able to find an inspiring career opportunity in this field while using many of the skills you’ve attained as a teacher.
Museum Curator or Guide
If you have always loved museums, then you should know that museums often seek those with education degrees as technicians, curators, guides, and archivists. Jobs in museums offer a fascinating and educational alternative for educators.
Archivists research, classify and catalog electronic data, books, letters, sound and video recordings, film, news articles, and photos. Curators deal with tangible items such as historical objects, collectibles and art, and coordinate programs and displays.
Social Worker
While you were a teacher, you more than likely came across struggling children and families. Did you ever wish there was something more you could do for them? As a social worker, you can work closely with families to ensure children are provided a safe and nurturing home environment.
This could be a good option for a career change as you will still be able to shape and help children or teenagers while working toward the root cause of potentially life-long problems.
Corporate Trainer
One of the most popular alternative career choices for teachers is a corporate trainer. The focus is on job-specific duties and development. Your goal is to impart knowledge and build upon the skills of the corporate professionals you are working with. This is an excellent career option for educators because it is still very similar to teaching, but in a completely different environment and at a higher level in the business sector.
Business Owner / Entrepreneur
If your passion for education still runs strong, what about building your own business around that field?
For instance, you might want to create a business focused on after-school programs, tutoring, adult literacy education, or early childhood development. Or, you may have a passion in a completely different area that you’d like to pursue as a business owner.
The worldwide web allows creating your own business quicker. There is a whole world of customers out there waiting for your expertise.
This career option will allow you to build a business from the ground up, be your own boss, and establish your own policies, procedures, hours of operation, mission statement, etc. You can pretty much create anything your imagination allows.
With so many different career choices for teachers available, you will have plenty of routes you can take to branch out of the classroom, whether while remaining within the education field or by entering an entirely new industry.
There are many other job options for teachers or administrators to research.
Once you decide on changing your career, you will need to develop a new resume and cover letter geared toward your new job target!
Writing a Career Change Resume
If you are thinking about changing your career, then the resume you want to write will be entirely different from your original teaching resume.
It will be vital to communicate how the teaching skills, education, and work experience you have will transfer over to the skills, training, and experience needed for the new position.
There are a few research and writing steps and strategies to follow to create a resume and cover letter that exhibits how you are qualified for the new targeted position.
Analyze the Skills Needed for the Targeted Position
Research the requirements for the job thoroughly. Ensure you understand what the position entails, including required skills, education, or experience to perform the job. If you aren’t sure, or the details are not precise, call the personnel department or the contact information listed for the job posting and ask a few questions to clarify the job’s scope.
List Information Under Headings
After you have all the information, you need to see what skills, education, and experience you have that fit into the jobs’ details. Divide the requirements into three or four categories, and then under each category, list what skills, education, and experience you have that fits that category.
Add Work History
After you have shown what skills, knowledge, and experience you have that meet the targeted position criteria, list your work experience reverse chronologically with your most recent position first. Be short but detailed, pointing out aspects of your previous jobs that would qualify as relevant areas to succeed in the new place.
Recognition / Awards
If you have received recognition for school involvement from your present school or prior positions that point out skills or attribute that the school recognized as having improved or helped it in any way, you will want to have these listed. For example, the school recognized you for your organizational or communication skills; you would want to list those.
Employers or Professional References
After you have your new skills resume ready, you will want to get your recommendations finalized. Do not present these until you go for an interview. Get permission first from your references to use them and ask them to mention any special skills or attributes you have that would help you qualify for the position you are seeking. Ask if they will write you a letter of recommendation highlighting these skills.
Additional Recommendations
If you are involved in any neighborhood, community, or volunteer activities where you have used these skills, you may want to get references, preferably in writing, from the heads of these organizations. Additional recommendations will show employers that you can use your skills and experience in all aspects of your life. It will improve your chances of getting the position you seek the more qualifications and expertise you can bring to the table.
You Are On Your Way!
Now that you know what type of position you’d like to pursue outside of the classroom, you are ready to make the big transition into a new career. Additionally, with the above tips on how to change your resume for a career transition, you will create a strong and eye-catching resume that will help you gain interviews and get your foot in the door of your new career.
Need help with your career transition? If you’d like assistance with any aspect of your career change job search, I’d be happy to help! I offer resume packages, interview, and career coaching, LinkedIn profile development, and more to help you on your way. Please email me or give me a call toll-free: 1-877-738-8052 today!
