Are you a teacher who is feeling stressed out and overwhelmed? do you worry that you're feeling symptoms of burnout - or are you sure you've already gotten there? Have you started to dream of doing something different or a new job or perhaps pursuing an entirely different career - but you don't know what else you're qualified to do? You don't know how to start a job search and you just feel stuck. If that sounds like you, I promise you are not alone. my name is Vanessa Jackson; and I am a career transition and job search coach and I specialize in helping burnt out teachers just like you deal with the overwhelmingly stressful nature of your day-to-day job and to consider what other careers might be out there waiting for you. You might ask yourself, What tools do I need to find a new career? Are my skills valuable outside the classroom? How and where do I even get started? These are all questions you deserve answers to, and I can help you find them. I’m Vanessa Jackson. Come and join me for Teachers in Transition.
***Hi! And Welcome back to another episode of Teachers in Transition. I am your host, Vanessa Jackson – I’m a career transition and job search coach specializing in teachers. I am here to help you reach your goals and figure out how to navigate the journey from stressed overwhelmed and burnt-out teacher to the next chapter in your life. I provide tips and suggestions to help with stress and mental health, hacks to help your day, and of course, job-hunting and career transition tips. If you are frustrated with your current teaching position, if you are stressed, overwhelmed, and burned out you are in the right place – Welcome! Today on the podcast, it’s a little shorter., We’re going to talk a little about some of the jobs that teachers can do that are outside the classroom and I have a very bingeable recommendation
In the movie Encanto, there is this great song where the “perfect” child with the power to make flowers gets angry at sister. During the argument, a cactus pops up. Isabella is so interested in this new development and off launches the song “What else can I do?”
At one point, it asks the question “What can you do when you are truly, madly, deeply in the moment?” If you’ve never heard this song or seen the movie Encanto, I recommend it! (but that’s not my official recommendation for this week! Lol). I’ll put a link to the singalong video in the show notes
Keep that in mind as we talk about other careers are out there. What Else Can You do?
Let’s start with one of the obvious ones: corporate training and development. As a teacher, you already have the skills to design and deliver engaging lessons. In the corporate world, these skills translate perfectly into creating and conducting training programs for employees. You'd be responsible for developing materials, leading workshops, and ensuring employees have the skills they need to succeed. It's a role that uses your skills for teaching, planning, and creativity. Good corporate trainers have good communication skills, good presentation skills, are familiar with adult learning theory, have excellent time management and problem solving skills, and are flexible and adaptable.
There is also human resources. Teachers excel in communication, organization, and conflict resolution, all of which are crucial in HR roles. You could find yourself working in recruitment, helping to find and onboard new talent, or in employee relations, ensuring a positive workplace environment. You might find yourself problem solving, mediating, and making sure that people are taking care of required paperwork in a timely manner.
Sound familiar?
Another one is Writing and Editing. Many teachers have strong writing skills, and this makes writing and editing a natural fit. You could write content for websites, create technical manuals, or edit articles for publications. You could proof the writings of others. You could even grow a wild hair and write down all your stories from teaching in either a comedy or a horror novel depending on how you see your experiences.
Project Management is another field where teachers can thrive with a little training. Your experience in planning lessons, managing classrooms, and meeting deadlines translates well into coordinating projects, managing teams, and ensuring project goals are achieved. It's about bringing your organizational skills to a different setting. Project managers have to look at the end goal and work backwards to make sure that all tasks are done in the correct order and within the correct time. There are also moments in which you’ll have to go to bat for your team and advocate for them. All of these things are in a teacher’s wheelhouse – you just have the learn the new terminology and pick up the correct certification – either start with the CAPM or go all the way in for the PMP. In fact, you’ll want to make sure you tune in next week so that you can hear a very special guest, Tamara McLemore talk about project management. She helps people move into that space.
Sales and marketing roles require excellent communication, persuasion, and creativity, all skills teachers possess, although I find that teachers have to really believe in the product in order to be effective. This makes them naturals for Education Technology products. Other sub-areas of sales in sales strategy, customer relations, or developing marketing campaigns. There are a lot of different opportunities to explore under the umbrella of sales and marketing
Event Planning is perfect for those who love organizing and coordinating activities. It’s a little like project management, but for events. It requires skills in planning, attention to detail, and creativity, and also relies heavily on being able to communicate well and get along with diverse groups of people. Often, your mediating skills and your skills in problem solving on the fly will be very handy. A former teacher can shine in roles where managing events, conferences, or corporate functions. An effective event planner becomes a master networker who is flexible and calm in the face of chaos. Sounds like a teacher to me!
In public relations, you'll manage communication between organizations or an individual and the public. You might handle media relations and manage crisis communication. You might manage social media for someone It's about using your communication skills to shape and maintain a positive image for clients. This may mean using some creative spin. I know that many of you have become masters of creative spin – especially those elementary school and special education teachers who have had to write things like “Student continues to be challenged by boundaries and excels at finding creative ways to accomplish goals” when what you wanted to say was “Hey, your kid acts like a jerk and is constantly finding new ways to not do their work!”
Next up: Customer Service Management. Oh, teachers are so good at this. Customer service management involves overseeing customer service teams, improving customer satisfaction, and managing service operations. Your ability to handle diverse personalities and resolve issues is crucial here. Your ability to stay calm is invaluable.
Lots of teachers find themselves in Real estate, although this is a tough market for that right now. Real Estate offers opportunities to work as an agent, property manager, or in real estate development. Your skills in communication and organization as well as your ability to handle complex paperwork in a timely manner can help you succeed in this field.
A relatively adjacent area to this might be to work as a notary public. You can do general notary work and you can get the additional training needed to go to real estate closings and handle the paperwork. A teacher’s attention to detail, neat handwriting, punctuality, and ability to work with diverse people all make you a success as a notary. Other real estate adjacent fields include working in a title company or for a mortgage lender.
Healthcare administration involves managing healthcare facilities, working in patient services, or handling administrative roles. Your organizational skills and ability to work in high-pressure environments are key assets, although this one is tougher to break into than you might think. They really prefer someone with nursing skills in many cases. Then again, if you wanted to go into nursing, that is a growth market too, but they’re treated the same or worse than teachers often are.
Another option is The non-profit sector. Here there are roles in program management, fundraising, or advocacy. Your passion for making a difference and skills in organization and communication are highly valued here as well as your skills in grant-writing~
Technical support and IT services roles include providing technical support, managing IT projects, or working in IT customer service. Problem-solving skills and patience are crucial in these positions. There are many places where you can gain certificates and learning in order to gain skills in the IT arena at a low or zero cost to you. Tech is in a slump right now, but it never stays there. I was just hearing today that McDonalds is starting to realize that AI may not be the answer to their staffing woes.
And I am going to end with Entrepreneurship. Starting your own business allows you to follow your passion and apply your skills in a field that excites you. You can take the things you are interested in and watch it grow. Whether it's opening a tutoring center, a coffee shop, or an online store, the possibilities are endless. Check out your local Small Business Administration office and they can help.
In my case, when I left teaching, I went into a job that was a little bit of training, a little HR, and a little customer relationship management. It was in the tech industry, so I was laid off a couple years in. But What I learned in those couple of years gave me the confidence necessary to explore entrepreneurship. I don’t think I would have been able to do that immediately – well, I could have, but my heart and soul had forgotten just what I could do and I needed to heal a bit first.
Sometimes you might spend time in a bridge job – one that just fills a gap and pays the bills between teaching and your dream job - and sometimes you might need to spend a fair amount of time in a rebound job. Something you thought you wanted and later learned you did not want that.
I have a teacher friend – who I am leaving nameless for the moment for their privacy – who had to leave teaching for health reasons. My friend taught computers, yearbooks, etc. Those sorts of classes in the computer lab. And they find themselves now dipping a toe into entrepreneurship in the world of art. Art!! I guarantee you if you’d asked this person 5 years ago if they saw themselves making money while making art in their near-future, they’d have hurt themselves laughing as they fell off the chair. And here we are. I am awed and inspired by my friend!
Once you embrace the idea that you CAN do something, you realize you can do almost anything!
I want you to take a moment and think about who you were when you were young – not even graduated from high school yet. What did you want to do? Was it different teaching? Is it something you want to explore now?
Most of us are afraid to try something with no guarantees. But honestly – nothing really has a guarantee. You deserve the life you want – working in a place that pays you your worth, and treats you right. Maybe you want to explore what that could look like for you – you can schedule a complimentary discovery call with me we can talk it through.
Now I’m going to share my quick recommendation with you – my teacher hacks have turned into recommendations of things I think are amazing and are worth sharing. This week, I am sharing a very bingeable TV-series called Leverage. Leverage aired from 2008-2012 and has recently picked up again with Leverage: Redemption in 2021. Sometimes bad guys are the best good guys to help even the odds for those taken advantage of by those who are so wealthy or corrupt that the law can’t help. They provide, well, Leverage. This show always leaves a good taste in my mouth. It stars Timothy Hutton, Gina Bellman, Christian Kane, Aldis Hodge among other very recognizeable character actors and stars. Leverage: Redemption brings in Noah Wylie as a New Orleans Lawyer seeking – redemption. If it’s too hot to go out, or too rainy, or if you’re just having a cocoon kind of a day, this is a great show! Streams for free on Free-Vee with ads, and is also on Amazon Prime.
That’s all for today. I’ve already spotted school supplies in the stores, so summer days are numbered. Although honestly, what bothered me the most was spotting HALLOWEEN candy. Come on! It’s JULY!
If you’re stressed at just the thought of going back to school or if you’re overwhelmed with everything that being a teacher requires now, maybe it’s time to think about something else. I know you are going into the next school year hoping things will be better – but in case they aren’t. I am here to help.
I am super-excited to be able to say that I was able to regain access to my Facebook, so I again invite people to join Teachers In Transition Podcast Club as a place where you can interact with other teachers and talk about the challenges of teaching and of leaving teaching.
Remember: The best time to start working on your transition plan was about six months ago. The next best time is now!
That’s the podcast for today! If you liked this podcast, tell a friend, and don’t forget to rate and review wherever you listen to your podcasts. Tune in weekly to Teachers in Transition where we discuss Job Search strategies as well as stress management techniques. And I want to hear from you! Please reach out and leave me a message at Teacher in transition coaching at gmail dot com. You can also leave a voicemail or text at 512-640-9099.
I’ll see you here again next week and remember – YOU are amazing
