A few weeks ago, I wrote about crafting an escape plan, but as I looked over it, I realized it was a bird’s-eye-view kind of post. Good info, but very “big picture.” Today, we’re going to focus more on the details of getting out of teaching and into another career.
Do your research
Once you have figured out what job titles you are interested in, research what qualifications companies are listing for that position. (Quick reminder: You do NOT need to have 100% of the qualifications to apply. Many people advise that you apply if you possess 60-70% of the desired “required” qualification.”) Often, you’ll see skills that you already have, but that don’t show up in your resume, partly because it just comes so naturally to you.
Look, I know teachers can design curriculum, and you know teacher can design curriculum. But sometimes there’s got to be a line on your resume that states you can design curriculum. So as Natalie Merchant says, “Hey, give ‘em what they want.”
You have a couple of options here. First, you can re-work your resume to make those skills more obvious. For example, add a line that states, “Designed and implemented a complete physical education curriculum for grades 1-6, with a focus on age-appropriate activities and reinforcing and re-entered previously-acquired skills.” Obviously, you’ll need to tailor it to your specific situation, but ensure that the words “design curriculum” are on the resume.
Second, you can fill that gap with volunteer, contract, or part-time work. For example, if you keep seeing “supervisory experience” as a required qualification, you can either make it clear that in supervising your classroom you demonstrated the necessary skills: providing feedback, monitoring progress, assessing work, etc. Or, you could ensure that summer and volunteer activities include a supervisory component. Which brings us to our next point.
Build your resume and make $$
When I am considering which job postings to share in my weekly newsletter, I love to include contract or part-time opportunities that provide a specific job title. If you want to go into corporate training, your resume will look stronger if you have at least some experience teaching adult learners. Volunteer work counts, but if you can build the emergency fund up a bit WHILE you are building your resume, that’s even better, IMO.
And in case you are thinking, “How can I even consider doing anything outside of what is required at school? I can barely manage now!” I understand. Keep reading.
Limit your teaching hours
This one is tough for so many of us, but I just keep hammering on it. You are paid to do a job. Do the job. Then stop. If they require more, respectfully list the items on your to-do list that THEY are requiring, and ask which you should de-prioritize.
For decades, teachers have sacrificed their personal time to create engaging lessons (that are often not appreciated), provide meaningful feedback (which recent studies show doesn’t significantly improve student outcomes) and do all sorts of “above and beyond” work. I was cool with that for a while, but when the commitment is all going one direction (from teachers to the system) and never the other way, it becomes an unhealthy relationship. Start distancing yourself now. Do your job, and protect your personal time.
Be open to pivots
I have now started 3 different businesses. One of the maxims of the small business community is “You don’t have to get it RIGHT; you just have to get it GOING.”
In other words, no matter how much research you do, there are certain things you can learn only by taking action. For example, I originally thought I wanted to run Classroom to Home 5 days a week and quit teaching. But I realized that I missed teaching horribly, and wasn’t as happy when I sat in front of a computer all day. Even though I love this blog/business, I still need time in front of a classroom to be truly happy. There is no amount of research that would have told me that, because I could only learn that by trying it.
You may be convinced that you want to be a corporate trainer or a real estate agent, only to realize once you get into that position that it isn’t what you thought it would be. That doesn’t mean you made a mistake. It means you learned something. As Chandler from Friends says, “PIVOT!!!!!!” And don’t beat yourself up about it. It’s 100% part of the process.
Network in person and online
Get in touch with people you haven’t talked to in a long time. No, I don’t mean in a creepy way, as if you are selling something. But all those people that you have been thinking, “Wow, I miss so-and-so. I need to shoot them an email,” and then you get busy and don’t. Well, do!
Ask them how they are. Remind them of a memory you have together. But again, do it because you genuinely like and miss them, not because you want to gain something.
I once interviewed with a woman that I really clicked with. Unfortunately, because of a change in my personal situation, I had to turn down the job offer when it turned out I would not be moving to that city after all. But during the next 3-4 years, I would drop her a quick line every year or so when something in my classroom made me think of her. By chance, I DID move there a few years later, and she had a position open. Martha Finneran was one of my best bosses ever, and even became a dear personal friend. Come to think of it, I need to give her a call!
Believe in yourself
I am currently listening to Everything is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo, who I just adore BTW. If you ever need a pick-me-up, you’ve got to check her out! One of the things she hammers home is “The Magic of Belief” which also happens to be the title of chapter 3. And I am 100% with her on this one.
As teachers, we see this all the time in our kids. There are some who just don’t believe they will ever be any good at ________ (math, writing, art, sports, whatever!). And as a teacher, it is really hard to help them with the skills until they have the belief that they can do it.
Guess what! We are the same way.
But overcoming those negative perceptions of ourselves is harder for some people than for others. I am an adoptive mom, and I know that early experiences can make it super hard for some people to trust themselves – to believe that they are good and capable and worthy. But I’m going to tell you right now that I believe so much in you! Honestly, even though I don’t know you. Because I have never met anyone who didn’t have a superpower, and I know you do, too.
Here is a trick that helped me when I was struggling so much with my self-image. I decided what I “wanted” to be that I didn’t believe I was. Then, as I was falling asleep every night, I told myself again and again that I was that. For example, I might repeat to myself, “I am a patient and intuitive mom who trusts herself and her children.” Or, “I am an excellent test-taker. I just seem to get all of the answers right.” One simple sentence, and I would repeat it 100 times.
It sounds so goofy, but your brain doesn’t know the difference between these manufactured thoughts and your “real” thoughts about your abilities. Every single time I do this, within about a week, I notice a change in my confidence level.
So whether you are looking to change careers ASAP or 5 years from now, you will feel better and get farther by implementing these strategies. What do you think? Did I miss any? Let me know!
One of the worries I see from teachers who are conflicted about leaving is “What if I miss it?”
And there is a remarkably, incredibly simple answer: Go back.
You CAN go back, and I’m proof
In the vast majority of cases, you can go back to teaching. Maybe not to the same role or the same school, but often to a position you like just as well, or even better. Let me tell you about how I “went back” to the same school on two separate occasions.
The first time, I was able to return to my exact same position after taking a break of two years. After my first year of teaching, I had a chance to study in France for a year. Yes, please!! It was an absolutely incredible year, and I am so happy I didn’t miss it. When I came back to the US, I worked at my college for a year, and then the person who had been hired for my teaching position resigned. A former colleague called me and encouraged me to re-apply. I taught there for another 3 years.
The second time, I resigned from what I truly thought was my dream job – teaching French at a very diverse high school under an administration I adored and that treated me great! But I had a micro-business and 3 kids (2 under age 5). I felt burned out, and didn’t want to miss the last years before my youngest went to kindergarten. So I regretfully, but resolutely, turned in my letter of resignation.
(True story: The day I turned it in, I noticed at the end of the day that the toes on one foot were hurting. Looking down at my feet , I realized I had worn two different shoes all day long! I took that as I sign that I was at a breaking point and resigning was indeed the right decision!)
Again, it was a good decision to resign, but I missed the students and my amazing co-workers.
Two years later, I bumped into my former AP, who mentioned that they might have a position opening up. She wanted to know if I’d be interested. As it turned out, they hired me for my honest-to-goodness dream position – teaching and supporting students who had recently arrived in the US and had almost no English language skills. I took it and brought a renewed sense of excitement with me. It was wonderful to be back!
Keeping your options open for a return
The bottom line is that very few decisions in life are final. So let’s talk about some best-practices if you want to keep those doors open for the future, just in case.
Leave on a positive note.
This has been a hugely rough year for all of us. You might be leaving with great feelings about your admin or really bitter feelings. My advice is that unless the admin has done something super sketchy, keep that resignation short and sweet, and leave out the drama. (Unless you are leaving because of something illegal or unethical, in which case you may have a duty to report issues.) This isn’t the time to air grievances, especially if there is a chance you might ever want to return. Also, with the passage of time, you may realize that your admin were doing their best during a really sh*tty time in education, just like the rest of us.
Keep in contact.
Once the stress and anxiety have faded and you are once again in a healthy place, go to the occasional concert or sporting event. (Did I mention that it was at a school fundraiser that I ran into that assistant principal, which led to getting re-hired?) Keep in touch with former colleagues, and keep it positive. Let them know you are still with them in spirit. If they miss you, they’ll be more likely to share potential job openings and let you in on the news before it’s public.
Maintain your network of contacts.
Let’s say you’ve had a bad experience at your current school and you never, NEVER want to go back there. That’s cool. But don’t shut yourself off from the teaching community. If you think you’d like to go back one day, stay in your teaching FB groups, especially local ones. Consider volunteering at your state professional conferences, or even presenting, if you have something worthwhile to share. Even though I live on a different continent and don’t ever plan to return to the States to teach, I’m still in touch with a number of former colleagues from each of the schools I taught at, as well as an active member in FB groups for US teachers. It’s not because I’m planning to return; it’s because I genuinely like them. However, it also won’t hurt me to have a ton of active contacts if I ever did need to go back.
Rethink your vision of a teaching career.
When I started teaching, the ideal teaching career was seen as hiring on at a particular school, remaining there for 35-40 years, then retiring. But things do change, you know. Given the current demands on educators, I think a much more manageable career track is to plan for a number of shorter teaching experiences, separated by jobs outside the field of education. Besides teaching, I have worked as a university admission counselor, been a stay-at-home mom, and run a micro-business. These breaks allowed me to re-evaluate my relationship with education. Each time I left teaching, I had to ask myself, “Do I really want to go back?” So far, the answer has always been “Yes.” (But only after a couple of years away!) 🙂 No, there isn’t any guarantee you will be re-hired, but given the teacher shortage, I’d say your chances are pretty good at the moment.
There you have it! My story of returning to teaching and my best tips to make it possible. Have you returned to teaching? What are your best tips to get back into education after leaving?
Any major life change can bring up self-doubt and fears, but leaving teaching can be especially challenging, especially if it’s the only career, you have ever known, perhaps the only one you ever dreamed of.
Uncertainty can be overwhelming at times. What if I miss teaching? What if I hate my new position? What if no one will hire me? What about insurance? Will my kids be sad that I can’t spend the whole summer with them anymore?
Our Big worry: What if I regret it?
That last question is, I think, at the heart of all the others. What if I take this huge, scary step, and then realize that I liked my life better the way it was before? In all honesty, I think it is sometimes the feeling of regret that we worry about more than anything else. What if I realize I made a mistake? What if I feel stupid?
It’s an understandable fear, isn’t it? We have a ton of proverbs and aphorisms that tell us to stay where we are. “Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t.” Out of the frying pan, into the fire.” “Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.”
But never taking a chance is also a path to a ho-hum (or worse) life. And that’s not what you want, nor what I want for you.
If you are thinking about leaving teaching (or have already decided you need to), but are still plagued by these worries, I want to share a couple of guidelines with you that helped me stop worrying, and even better, kept me from regretting any well-informed decision I have made.
#1 I will make the best decision I can with the information I have now, and I will not expect myself to know the future.
Let me tell you a little story. As you know, we moved to Norway in 2019, and our kids were a huge reason why. We love the fact that our kids have more freedom, more safety, and less pressure in school (no standardized tests!) than we could have dreamed of in the US. We love the fact that as long as they live here, they will never, ever go bankrupt trying to pay for a medical procedure or have to choose between paying the rent and buying necessary medication. We love the fact that even if they don’t go to college, they can earn a living wage and have a good life. So it’s fair to say that we are pretty happy with the choice we made.
For the record, we didn’t rush into the decision, either. We spent over 2 years planning, researching, talking, and preparing. At one point, I could probably tell you more about apartment availability and food prices in Oslo than anyone who hadn’t lived there!
But you can’t research the future. So when Putin invaded Ukraine, and I was running around looking for iodine tablets for the kids in case – well, you know – I could have had an absolutely huge meltdown/guilt trip/beat up on myself extravaganza.
I’m going to be honest, decisions don’t get a lot more serious than that. Did I move to Norway trying to give my kids a better life, only to put them in proximity to a nuclear disaster? I don’t know. No one does. No one knows what will happen in the next year or two or ten.
You don’t know the problems that would have come from the decision you don’t take
But I also don’t know what would have happened if we had stayed in the US. Would one of the kids been injured or killed in a car wreck? (Traffic fatalities are exceedingly rare in Norway.) Would my daughter have had to learn not to make eye contact with men because they might catcall her? Would my child with test anxiety have spent their school years in a state of “quiet desperation” trying to pass state tests and compete for a place at a top university?
I don’t know. I don’t know how any of this will turn out. But I do know one thing: my partner and I made the best decision I could with the information I had at that time. And it was a LOT of information.
Knowing that, I’m going to be gentle with my present and former self. I’m not going to let myself – or anyone else – make me regret making the best decision I could with the information I had.
Even if the day should come when we do, indeed, need to leave Norway for safety or other reasons, I will always honor myself and the decision I made.
What does that do?
What that does is actually massive. It frees you from guilt and regret. As long as you have done your research and acted on it reasonably (Please note: we would NOT have moved to Ukraine in the middle of a war. That would not have been prudent!), you don’t have to feel bad. You shouldn’t feel bad.
Honor yourself and the decision you made with the information you had, knowing you made the best decision you could at the time.
#2 I will pursue this course of action until it no longer makes sense to do so.
This part came from one of my absolute favorite business coaches, Bevin Ferrand. If you have never heard of her, I highly recommend her “Take the Damn Chance” FB group. So good!
But here is the genius in guideline #2. You don’t HAVE to continue just because you have started. Now, granted, there are points at which it is a LOT easier to put on the breaks than others, and I highly recommend listening to your gut here. (I know a woman who cried herself to sleep the night before she got married. She knew it wasn’t going to work out, but she couldn’t back out because everything was arranged and paid for. Please. Don’t. Do. That.)
Let’s say you turn in your letter of resignation. You search for jobs outside of education – no luck. You have already crunched the numbers and know exactly how much you need to make each month. You can make that working part-time at Starbucks, so you start there. But you don’t love it. You miss teaching. There is no law that says you can’t apply for teaching jobs again, possibly at your former school, and possibly at a different district.
This is coming from a teacher who not once, but twice returned to a former school. So I know that of which I speak! But that’s another story.
So let’s say you leave teaching and you miss it horribly. There is nothing that says you can’t go back. True, it can be more difficult as you earn more. Schools don’t like to hire expensive teachers. But there is also a “teacher shortage” of epic proportions, so use it to your advantage.
The bottom line is, almost no decision is truly final. In most cases, you can pivot more easily than you think, especially if you can be flexible. And goodness knows, if the past two years have taught us anything, it’s to be flexible.
There you have it folks, two ideas that will help you manage your transition trepidation.
OK, let’s get real. The last couple of years have been hard for most people, but they have been absolutely brutal for teachers. In other words, a lot of teachers who never thought they would be leaving are suddenly staring a job search in the face.
That can be more than a little anxiety-inducing (as if any teacher needs more anxiety at the moment!!). Especially if you haven’t applied for jobs for years or perhaps never imagined applying for jobs outside of education.
There are so. many. options. Ed-related or new career? Remote or in-person? Full time or part time?
If you are feeling intimidated or even paralyzed, here are 5 questions to help you cut through the overwhelm and focus on positions that are the best fit for you.
What’s my timeline?
When I coach teachers who want to get out of teaching, this is one of the first questions I ask. You don’t need to be exact, but you do need to know whether you are thinking in weeks, months, or years.
If teaching is causing you unmanageable anxiety or serious health issues, you need to get out ASAP. So the priority is going to be finding a job that can reduce your stress and still meet your needs financially.
On the other hand, if you are feeling a vague sense that this isn’t the right career for you long-term, but you still enjoy teaching and want to give it a few more years, that’s a very different situation. You have time to explore your options. Maybe try on different part-time jobs to build your resume and see what you enjoy.
What are my financial needs?
Let’s face it. Most of us work because we want to get paid. So, a big question is “How much money do I need to make short-term and long-term?” You might be able to struggle along for a while on a low salary, but doing it for years can put your retirement at risk. (Going back to question #1, if your mental or physical health is at stake, you are mainly looking for something to get you through a year or so – maybe only several months – until you can recover a bit, so don’t stress too much about long-term if that sounds like you.)
Money details aren’t fun most of the time, but if you are applying for jobs, it’s essential to know how much you need to bring in. You don’t want to eliminate a potential dream job because you “think” you can’t take a pay cut. By the same token, you don’t want to accept a position and then realize you just aren’t earning enough.
Lucky for you, money stuff is my JAM! Yes, I am a dork, but I LOVE it!
If you aren’t sure how much you actually NEED to earn to pay your bills each month, that is our first step. Go through your bank and credit card statements and figure out how much you spend each month for essentials like mortgage, student loan payments, car payment, credit card payments, gas, food, and utilities. Then take another look through and see what recurring charges you have that aren’t essential, but you don’t want to part with, either. Think Netflix, a budget for clothes and treats.
If you’d like to do this WHILE cutting your expenses (and not give up anything you enjoy!) check out the 5-Day Found Money Challenge. It’ll walk you through getting a handle on your finances one easy step at a time, AND help you find extra money you might not even have known you were spending!
Once you know what is going out every month, you know how much you need to bring home. This can be complicated, but fear not! The Money Master Spreadsheet is a ready-to go spreadsheet to help teachers figure out how various money scenarios work out. Just plug in your numbers and then fiddle with them all you want.
Where do I want to be 5 years from now?
I am a huge fan of the 2-year, 5-year, and 10-year plans, but if that is a bit much at the moment, just focus on 5 years. The great thing about the 5-year plan is that you can accomplish a lot in 5 years, but it isn’t so far away that it’s hard to envision.
I recommend that you either write or record this part. Imagine yourself at your dream job 5 years in the future. Now describe it in as much detail as possible. Start with the situation. Do you work alone or with others? In an office or from home? Set hours or variable schedule? Predictable tasks or always something new? Are you given lots of direction and structure, or do you figure out next steps on your own?
Next, think about the content of the job. Are there any things you do now that you want to be a part of your new job? For example, if planning lessons lights you up, include that. Are there talents you have always wanted to develop that you didn’t really get to focus on while teaching? I’ve always loved writing, and I’m so happy that my side-gig allows me to write every day.
Jot it down or talk it out into a voice recorder so you can come back to it in the future. However, just reflecting on what would make you most happy will give you some amazing insights when you are scrolling through job postings.
What gives my life meaning?
An infographic I came across recently defined meaning as either purpose or passion. What’s the difference? Well, they defined passion as more about developing your own potential (“I want to use my talent to create great art/music/literature.”) while purpose is more about making a difference for others (“I want to help kids/stop climate change/save the whales.”)
Of course, for most of us, it is a mix of both. I am passionate about creating learning experiences that move students forward and engage them. But I also feel great purpose in helping create a more just and equitable world and alleviating suffering.
Give some thought to how purpose and passion each add to the richness of your own life and how you would want to apply it in your career. Whether you are looking to pursue a passion, a purpose, or a little of both, you will be happier if your job has meaning for you, so give it some thought.
If this is a particularly important part of who you are, you might want to check out idealist.org to get an idea of the options that are available in the non-profit sector.
What are my personal preferences?
This probably falls into the “nice to have” not the “essential to have” category, but having moved to Norway a few years ago, I can tell you that we Americans really don’t take quality of life issues seriously enough.
I recently shared with a Norwegian friend how much I love getting up at 5:50 since in the US, I used to have to get up at 4:30 to get to school on time. (Three kids. Nuff said.) She about fell over. She couldn’t imagine a situation where getting up at 4:30 is OK long term. Granted, she isn’t a morning person and I am, but 4:30 was pushing it a lot, even for me.
If you are changing careers, you really owe it to yourself to take your own preferences into account. Like, seriously! Think about how absolutely lovely it is to get to go to the bathroom whenever you feel like it during the summer. Ah, bliss! Now imagine how much better your overall life satisfaction would be if you had just a couple more details that really made you happy every day.
Well, there you have it, folks. 5 questions you should ask yourself to cut through the overwhelm and decide what jobs you might want to apply for. But I promised you something more. 1 myth you should leave behind forever. And here it is (drumroll, please!):
Myth: Only apply for jobs that you are “qualified for.”
There is a theory that women take the “requirements” for a job much more literally than men. By some estimates, many women won’t apply for a job unless they meet almost all of the listed “requirements,” while men often apply for a job if they have 2/3 or so.
Now, I am NOT advocating that you go out and apply for jobs that you clearly don’t have the qualifications for. (Most of us are not qualified to do brain surgery or fly a plane!) However, I am going to encourage you to look at those “requirements” more as “suggestions.” A lot of more inclusive employers are even stating that they want people to apply if they match most of the qualifications because they want a larger variety of possible applicants.
Now, this does mean that you might get more rejections, because after all, you are going to be applying for “stretch” positions – positions you could do well with a few months’ experience, but which would take a bit of growth. But I also think you are a lot more likely to find a position you love, and where you are seen as a whole person, and not just a set of skills.
Do you have a question that helps you decide which jobs to pursue? Comment below!
