The Show Notes
What was the last item you lost? Probably your keys or a cell phone? Typically the best strategy for starting your search is to go to…you guessed it, the last place you remember having it. If you can at least limit the search to your car or a specific room, the search is much simpler.
But what if you simply have no idea where to start looking? To scour your entire house or return to all the places you might have left the item is a lot more overwhelming and time-consuming!
The same idea applies to finding your next career move beyond the classroom! Have you ever thought to yourself….if I just knew where to find my new job, I’d just go get it! I just need to know where to look!
In this episode, I’m going to dive into 6 places for teachers to look for their new job!
Setting #1: Working for Your School District or Organization
If you feel at all uncomfortable about leaving the comfort and consistency of a full-time teaching position, looking for a position within your same school district is a logical next step. At the district level, there can be many opportunities to work in Human Resources, or maybe curriculum design. Working at an educational organization would provide you with very similar opportunities as working for the district. And you would still be able to draw upon your passion for education and influence, just in a different capacity.
But how do you know if this is a good option for you? If you value the security of the benefits like health insurance and a 401K, this type of work might be the perfect fit.
Setting #2: Working for an educational company
Perhaps you know that education is absolutely the field you want to be working in. You just know the classroom isn’t the ideal fit for you.
Do you enjoy a very specific topic or subject matter within education? Do you love being able to implement certain ed-tech tools into the learning process? Working for an educational company might be a perfect fit because it allows you to channel your passions and skill in a very specific direction.
Another sign that working for an educational company might be a great fit for you is that you are interested in teaching adults rather than school-age kids. A lot of teachers can get stuck here feeling guilty for “abandoning” kids in the classroom.
Think about it another way. Working with students one-on-one is a very direct way to make an impact. But so is creating tools and curriculum that enhance a learning experience that thousands of teachers and their students will benefit from!
Setting #3 Working for a community organization
If you are passionate about the educational resources your local community offers, there are often positions available at places like local libraries or museums. A background in education is usually required for curriculum and program development in these types of settings.
The best part of a job like this is that it allows you to teach and train both students and adults with much less pressure on student performance. Sometimes all that’s missing from your current job is the joy and excitement you had in the beginning. This type of position could restore some of that for you!
Setting #4 Working in higher education
This option is probably a path you’ve considered before, but dismissed because you didn’t have a PhD. But to teach as an adjunct professor, all you need is a masters in education. If you have that, this might be a good option to explore!
If you love the academic climate and the thought of influencing young adults is exciting, you should definitely look into teaching in this setting.
Setting #5 Working for a traditional business
Many teachers also dismiss the idea of working with a traditional business because they feel like they are not making good use of their teaching skill set. But if you are passionate about a specific product or service that business offers, your skillset can always translate. It just requires you to dig in a bit to identify what tasks you do as a teacher and what skills those tasks require.
Are you often commended for your communication skills with parents, students, or other colleagues? You could be an ideal candidate for a client-facing position in a traditional business. The other benefit of working for a business is that they often offer both remote and in-person office positions.
Setting #6 Working for yourself
Another possibility for your next career is working for yourself. If you have felt limited by the demands of when and where you have to be and how many hours you work, freelancing could be a great fit for you. A major indicator that you are ready for an opportunity like this is if you are someone who is very disciplined. You can also easily find the resources you need to teach yourself new skills.
There are a couple of ways you can approach freelancing with a background in education. You could offer any of the services or products that you would in an educational company as a curriculum designer or an educational consultant. You could even open a TeacherPayTeachers store and sell products you’ve created. You get to determine your own rates and when and where you work. The difference is that you are developing your own client base.
If this sounds exciting, then go for it! If the idea of setting up your own business feels overwhelming, freelancing may not be a good fit for you. Or perhaps you just need to find a great resource that will guide you through the basics of starting a business. For example, Micala Quinn has helped a ton of teachers set up their own freelancing businesses. Find out more about that in Episode 5. Listen here!
Other services you could offer as a freelancer are specific types of coaching or mentoring. The amazing part about working for yourself is that there are no rules. If people are regularly asking you for advice about a very specific topic, try to find a way to monetize that. It might feel difficult to think people would be willing to pay you for sharing your expertise because you are naturally skilled in that area. But for someone else, you are solving a big headache for them. People pay money to find solutions and relieve stress in their lives!
After You've Explored the 6 Places For Teachers to Look for Their New Job
Now that I’ve described the six “rooms” you could go searching for your new job after teaching, what are the two that stood out to you the most? Which ones made you curious and excited? Write those two down.
If you’re looking for a resource that helps you zero in on that search even more, the Next Job for Teacher Guidebook is a tool available to you right now. This will give you deeper insight into all six of these rooms. It will also help you identify which job you would enjoy most and shows you exactly where to find hundreds of CURRENT job openings in the roles that would interest you most.
Can you imagine? What if your dream job was looking for you right this very moment? What if you just never knew that job existed?
A Breakdown of This Episode:
- [5:33] Why working at your school's district can be a logical next move
- [8:11] Why you don't need to feel guilty about wanting to work with adults rather than students
- [10:57] Why working at a university might be an option you need to reconsider
- [13:55] Two possibilities you have as a freelancer with a teaching background
- [16:36] Why your next step might be the first a few stepping stones on this journey
If you enjoyed this episode I invite you to take a screenshot and tag me on your Instagram stories @teachertransition and tell me your biggest takeaway!
Want to know what other work opportunities you might love beyond the classroom? Click here to get the FREE Top Jobs for Teachers download.
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