The Show Notes
Word connotation is a skill that we teach in English to help students identify the tone of text, either positive or negative.
So when I say the word “quit”, what comes to mind? Maybe “give up”? You know- the one thing, we tell our students to NEVER do?
If I had to guess, you are not a quitter. It’s just not in your DNA. My hunch is that there are parts of your job as a teacher that you love. What if you just needed a little more challenge or a change of setting? For just a moment, let’s set aside the negative connotation of the word “quit” and exchange it for the word “advance”.
Because sometimes as a teacher, you’re just craving a little bit more. In fact, according to Gallup, 60% of teachers said that’s exactly why they were leaving the classroom. Looking for a new job as advancing (and not quitting) empowers you to look for that new job with confidence and positivity.
In this episode, I’m going to share with you the 4 perfect jobs for teachers who want to advance, not QUIT.
Job Option #1: Corporate Training
For teachers who want to advance, not quit, being a corporate trainer could be an easy transition. This job is for someone who actually loves presenting in front of an audience or online. This person also has stellar communication skills and enjoys facilitating powerful discussions. Sound like you?
Depending on your personality or preferences, this job can also involve a lot of travel. Sometimes this is in a designated region nearby, that only requires an overnight stay. A lot of training can also be done remotely. Other corporate trainers travel farther distances, so it’s just important to inquire what’s involved if you are pursuing this type of position.
As a corporate trainer, there are a wide variety of topics you train on. Some might be content that you are already familiar with because of your experience in the classroom. If the content is new to you, then the company would provide training for you. In this position, you often collaborate with team members on the learning and development team. If you love working with teams, this also might be a great position for you.
Job Option #2: Educational Consultant
This opportunity is ideal for someone who loves teaching or mentoring other teachers. Much like a corporate trainer, the ideal candidate here would also love presenting in front of groups, would have great communication skills, and can lead great discussions.
An educational consultant is also someone who thrives with developing excellent strategies or resources for learning. You know this position is a good match for you if you’re often the go-to person in a specific content area or topic at your school.
The job can be extremely enticing because it’s actually a position that can be something you do part-time as a contractor, full-time as an employee, or as a freelancer. If flexibility is something you’re craving, being an educational consultant could be a perfect fit for you. Some other roles you might have in this position are advising, and creating or selling educational resources.
Job Option #3: Instructional Designer
Even in my position in higher education, I ran into some of the same limitations I experienced while I was teaching in the elementary classroom. I realized in both settings that the instruction and learning opportunities I offered were limited to the physical walls of the classroom.
If this is something you feel limited by too, being an instructional designer might be an ideal position for you. As an instructional designer, you are able to make the best learning resources available to anyone, anywhere, at any time. Your investment allows you to have a global impact!
If you are looking for this type of position, try using search terms like curriculum developer, curriculum designer, instructional designer, learning experience designer, or learning developer.
You know you’re a great match for this position if you love creating educational resources and you love finding ways to improve resources that already exist. You might like this position if the idea of helping teachers and professors teach more effectively is appealing. People in these positions also have a natural ability to understand how students learn best.
Option #4: Project Manager
Now before you write this position off because it sounds too vague, hear me out. Have you been recognized for your leadership skills? Are you good at collaborating with a team? Then this position might be for you.
This person is also great at planning, scheduling, and helping a team execute on a deadline. A project manager is a whiz at being able to reverse engineer a project with specific benchmarks in place so that things get done on time.
Additionally, a project manager is an excellent communicator and very organized. And the best part of this type of role? A project manager is needed in just about every company! This person is responsible for ensuring that goals are met, so you can imagine how critical your influence would be in this position!
Now Are You Ready To Advance, Not Quit?
My hope is that after hearing the specifics of each of these jobs that you are feeling more encouraged about jobs that are available to you right now.
Which one of these positions stood out to you most? Which one sounds like it would be the best match for your strengths? Still not sure? Let’s connect so I can help you identify how your experience and skill set is a great match for one of these positions!
A Breakdown of This Episode:
- [1:57] What replacing "quit" with "advance" does for your mindset in your job search1
- [4:35] The travel that may be involved for trainers
- [07:08] Why educational consulting could be perfect if you love mentoring other teachers
- [8:30] Why instructional design can be incredibly fulfilling after the classroom
- [12:25] Discover why project management might be a role you never considered before
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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Resources Mentioned in the Show
- Teacher Transition Website
- Ready to Find Your Dream Job?
- Take the Teacher Transition Quiz
- Want to become an Instructional Designer? Check out the course here!
