Teacher Career Change

🔄 Feeling stuck in your career but unsure how to pivot after years in one field? You’re not alone. Many professionals crave a new challenge but don’t know where to start. Here’s how to make a smooth transition: 1️⃣ Identify Transferable Skills Your experience is more valuable than you think. Even if your industry is different, your core skills—problem-solving, leadership, communication, project management—are universal. ✅ Action Step: Make a list of your key skills and match them to roles in your target industry. 💡 Example: If you’ve worked in finance but want to move into tech, your analytical skills and data interpretation experience are still highly relevant. 2️⃣ Reframe Your Experience for Your New Audience Hiring managers in a new industry won’t automatically connect the dots—you have to do it for them. ✅ Action Step: Rewrite your resume, LinkedIn profile, and elevator pitch to highlight how your background applies to the new field. 💡 Tip: Focus on outcomes, impact, and skills rather than job titles. Instead of: ❌ "10 years of experience in pharmaceutical sales." Try: ✅ "Experienced relationship builder skilled in consultative sales and market expansion." 3️⃣ Expand Your Network & Learn From Insiders Changing careers isn’t just about applying online—it’s about getting in front of the right people. ✅ Action Step: Connect with professionals in your target field and request informational interviews. 📩 Example message: "Hi [Name], I’m exploring a career transition into [Industry] and really admire your experience at [Company]. Would you be open to a quick chat about your journey and insights?" 4️⃣ Gain Targeted Experience (Without Starting Over) The biggest fear in career pivots? “Do I have to start from scratch?” The answer: No. ✅ Action Step: Look for ways to gain relevant experience while still in your current role: ✔️ Take on cross-functional projects ✔️ Volunteer for industry-related work ✔️ Freelance or take short-term contracts 💡 Example: If you’re transitioning into marketing, start by managing internal communications or social media for a nonprofit. 5️⃣ Be Ready to Tell Your Career Pivot Story Hiring managers will ask: “Why are you making this change?” You need a clear, compelling answer. ✅ Action Step: Craft a confident pivot story that focuses on why this shift makes sense and how your skills align. 📌 Formula: ➡ Past: What you’ve done so far ➡ Present: Why you’re making this change ➡ Future: How your skills translate & add value 💡 Example: "After years in operations, I realized my passion lies in product management—solving customer pain points and driving innovation. My experience in process optimization and stakeholder management gives me a strong foundation, and I’m excited to bring these skills to a product-focused role." Making a career pivot is challenging—but absolutely possible with the right approach. 💬 Have you ever pivoted careers? What worked best for you? Share your experience below! 👇

Advice for #transitioningteachers heading into 2025: Some of these are hard pills to swallow, but stick with me–– 💡 "EdTech" is not a role. It's a whole field/industry that encompasses a host of actual roles. Do some research, pick a lane, and network within that lane. 💡 Study the upskilling required to transition into the type of role you're focusing on; you may have a wealth of general skills and experience, but Instructional Design, L&D, and curriculum roles require specific experience and knowledge that classroom instruction alone may not provide. More importantly, you also need to learn to discuss your experience in ways that will translate to people in these fields. I speak from experience when I say that folks who have never taught don't usually understand how that experience will translate into these positions. 💡 Chances are good that you haven't actually designed curriculum; you've delivered curriculum (or lessons/materials), but most K-12 teachers haven't actually designed curriculum at any sort of scale. Research how to discuss your actual experience honestly but persuasively. 💡 Much of the work you've done outside of the classroom is what's going to land you your next role. I taught for 15 years, but most teachers have similar classroom experiences. What landed me my current ID role was more than a decade of working directly with SMEs on assignment and course design, designing and delivering hundreds of workshops to audiences beyond students, and designing and delivering training and professional development for my staff of 50+ tutors; those skills and experiences differentiated me from hundreds of teachers whose work happened almost exclusively in the classroom. 💡 Networking entails a whole lot more than building a follower count on LinkedIn. Just because you're connected with someone doesn't mean they're going to have a meeting with you or offer you a referral; no one owes you anything. Conversely, there are plenty of incredibly helpful folks on this platform who create insightful, educational content for job seekers. 💡 Don't get sucked into the echo chamber of transitioning teachers. You know the phrase, "Dress for the job you want and not the job you have"? The same applies to networking when you're on the job market. If you want to be, say, an Instructional Designer, you should be concentrating your time on this platform learning from experienced Instructional Designers. While I have immense love for transitioning educators, they can also be a pretty insufferable bunch sometimes. I've been in too many online groups of transitioning teachers that quickly devolve into grousing, blaming, and generally cringe-y whining. Stay as far away from that nonsense as possible.

🍎 Former Educator Honesty—Instructional Design Isn’t for Every #TransitioningTeacher 🍎 I know it’s often talked about as the next step for teachers leaving the classroom… But here’s the truth: instructional design isn’t for everyone. And that’s 🆗. Instructional design is incredible work. I love it because it’s creative, strategic, and often highly technical. But it’s also… 💻 solitary—much of your day is spent behind a computer, not with learners or SMEs. 📈 corporate—the goals are about ROI, compliance, and performance, not growth or potential; the need is immediate, not down the line. ⚙️ technical—you’ll spend hours in tools like Storyline, Rise, Camtasia, or LMS platforms troubleshooting things that used to just “work” in your classroom. (I can find myself looking for that extra space or missing } in code for the LMS to make the course work correctly...even though it did in the test environment without any problem and the SCORM downloaded perfectly.) Some teachers thrive on that mix of creativity and systems thinking. Others find it isolating, rigid, or too far removed from what they loved about teaching. And that’s completely normal and perfectly 🆗. If you love collaboration, fast-paced environments, and live interaction, you might be happier in corporate training, L&D facilitation, or project management. Perhaps content development, curriculum writing, or communications might be a better fit for you if you enjoy writing, research, or telling stories. 🗃️ The goal isn’t to leave the classroom and fit into a new box. It’s to find work that fits and fulfills YOU. Your training is strong, and your next move should match your skills and energy, not just trends. Many teachers I know have left the classroom only to return because their next step didn't suit their skills and interests. Don't just jump into something because you know others who have done it, and you think it is best for you. 💬 If you’ve left the classroom, what surprised you most about the work you chose next?

Everyone researches job reqs when planning a pivot. Almost nobody does this instead. If you're trying to pivot, the worst part isn't updating your resume. It's sitting there thinking, "Where do I even begin?" I've seen this happen a lot with senior professionals who want to move into a different lane. - They're capable. - They've built rock-solid careers. - But a pivot still feels like starting from scratch. Here's the LinkedIn search almost nobody runs. Let's say you're a teacher who wants to become a project manager. Your brain immediately goes to certifications, courses, and if you're "qualified." And suddenly it feels overwhelming. There's a simpler way. Find others who've already made that move. 1. Go to your LinkedIn homepage. 2. Type "Teacher" into the search bar. 3. Then click on "People." 4. Then hit "All filters." 5. Add "Project Manager" to keywords. Now you're seeing people who used to be teachers and are now project managers instead of guessing or building some imaginary bridge in your head. You're looking at proof. That makes it real. Let's go one step further now. Open a few profiles and look at their timelines. - What role did they take first? - Did they move straight into PM? - Was there a stepping stone midway? - What are they using in their headlines? - What did they emphasize from teaching? You'll start to see patterns. And once you see patterns, your pivot stops feeling like a leap into the dark. Now, at some point, you're going to think, "Okay… but how do I actually reach out?" Keep the message short. Tell them you found their profile while researching the pivot. Ask one question about how they did it. I dropped a template in the comments. You're not trying to impress them, you're just a person noticing someone a few steps ahead on a path you're considering. Sometimes that's enough to start a real conversation.

People often ask me: How did you transition out of the classroom? They expect a dramatic leap. But the truth is much smaller and much simpler: I started volunteering for committees. While I was teaching, I raised my hand to help with our school’s marketing projects. Marketing and communication design was something I dabbled in at that time, so I raised my hand and spearheaded social media and branding subcommittees. A small group of school parents joined as well and they happened to be highly experienced marketing professionals. I ended up learning from the best! (And the first time they tossed around the term "straw man" I felt very lost!) It wasn’t a promotion. I didn't get paid extra. It wasn’t even part of my job description. It was just something I was curious about. But that tiny step led me to a part-time role and then a full-time role as Director of MarCom for the school. Volunteering → On-the-Committee Training → New Role → Confidence to get my MBA → VP of Marketing for HireEducation, Inc. → Learned recruiting → Whole New Career 💡 If you’re a teacher (or anyone) thinking about a pivot, here’s my honest advice: you don’t have to blow up your life to start. Pick one thing outside your lane. Offer to help. Follow the breadcrumb trail. Pursue retraining from non-traditional sources. Sometimes the bridge to your next career starts with raising your hand for work outside your job description–or learning from those around you. #CareerPivot #TeacherTransition #EdTechCareers #GrowthMindset #FutureOfWork

Making a career pivot can be exciting, but let’s be honest—it’s not always an easy sell in an interview. Hiring teams may worry that you’re not fully committed to this new path or might leave if it doesn’t feel like the perfect fit. You’ll likely face tough questions like: "Why are you interested in this job? Most of your career has been in XYZ field." The key is to show them that your pivot is intentional, well-thought-out, and valuable to them. Here’s how to make your case: 𝟭. 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 Show how you’ve gone beyond your primary role to develop relevant skills. For example: If you’re in Sales and pivoting to Content Writing, share how you volunteered to write blogs for your company and provide specific examples. 𝟮. 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗩𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 Talk about how you’ve proactively built skills outside of work. For example, if you managed social media for a professional organization, explain how it helped you learn digital marketing and SEO. 𝟯. 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 Let them see how this role aligns with your passions. Explain how related projects or activities energize you and give you purpose. What’s pulling you toward this pivot? What’s lighting you up about this role? 𝟰. 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 Help them connect the dots. If you’re moving from Marketing to HR, highlight how your strengths in communication, conflict resolution, or technology align with their job requirements. 𝟱. 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘁 Share the effort you’ve put into preparing for this pivot: What courses, certifications, or workshops have you completed? What new knowledge or skills have you gained? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - BONUS IDEAS! 𝟲. 𝗗𝗼 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 Share how you’ve interviewed people in the field or researched the role to understand what it takes to succeed. 𝟳. 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗛𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗹𝗲 Explain your willingness to put in extra effort during the learning curve. Will you stay late, come in early, or study at home to get up to speed quickly? 𝟴. 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘁 Position your previous job duties, problem-solving skills, or customer/vendor expertise as unique advantages you bring to this role. 𝟵. 𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗣𝗶𝘃𝗼𝘁 Let them know how proud you are that you are making this move. Own it and celebrate it! Your job in the interview is to show them you’ve done the work, you’ve thought it through, and you’re ready to add value.

Pivoting careers? 🔄 Your "unrelated" experience isn't a liability. It's your biggest advantage: The problem isn't your background. It's how you're describing it. Hiring managers don't see transferable skills automatically. You have to translate them. Use The Translation Matrix™: Map your old skills to your new role. Then rewrite every bullet to speak the language of your target job. Here's how: 🎓 Teacher → Product Manager ❌ Before: "Developed lesson plans for 30 students across multiple subjects" ✅ After: "Created structured learning roadmaps for diverse user groups, adapting content based on performance data and feedback" ❌ Before: "Managed classroom behavior and student engagement" ✅ After: "Led stakeholder alignment across competing priorities, maintaining engagement through clear communication and expectation-setting" See the difference? Same skills. Different language. 🏪 Retail Manager → Operations Manager ❌ Before: "Supervised team of 12 sales associates" ✅ After: "Managed cross-functional team of 12, optimizing scheduling and workflow to increase productivity 23%" ❌ Before: "Handled inventory and vendor relationships" ✅ After: "Oversaw supply chain operations and vendor partnerships, reducing stockouts 35% and cutting costs $47K annually" The work is the same. The framing is everything. 🪖 Military → Project Manager ❌ Before: "Led squad of 8 soldiers in training exercises" ✅ After: "Directed team of 8 through complex, high-stakes operations under tight deadlines and resource constraints" ❌ Before: "Coordinated logistics for equipment and personnel" ✅ After: "Managed project logistics across multiple workstreams, ensuring on-time delivery of critical resources to cross-functional teams" Remember: You're not lying. You're translating. The AI shortcut: Paste this into Teal's AI Resume Builder: "I'm pivoting from [current role] to [target role]. Rewrite this bullet to highlight transferable skills: [your bullet]. Focus on [leadership/data/communication/operations] skills that translate." For example: "I'm pivoting from Teacher to Product Manager. Rewrite this bullet to highlight transferable skills: 'Created curriculum for 30 students.' Focus on leadership and data skills that translate." Here's the truth: Every skill transfers. You just need to reframe it for your target audience. The goal isn't to hide your background. It's to help hiring managers see what you can do for them. Translate your experience for your next career → https://lnkd.in/gJSNk4FN 👍 To let me know you want more content like this. ♻️ Reshare to help someone pivot into their dream career. 🔔 Follow me for more job search & resume tips.

"You don't have experience in our industry." The first time I heard this in an interview, I froze. Then said the worst possible thing: "You're right, but I'm a quick learner and I'm willing to work hard." I didn't get the job. Here's what I learned to say instead, and it changed everything: "You're absolutely right. And that's exactly why I might see solutions your industry insiders have missed. Let me share how my teaching background solved a similar challenge..." The framework that finally worked: 1. Own it, don't defend it "I don't have utility industry experience. But that means I'm not stuck in 'this is how we've always done it' thinking." 2. Bridge to what matters "What I do have is 7 years of designing development programs for diverse learners with different motivations and learning styles. That's exactly what your employees need." 3. Prove it with specifics "In my classroom, I took a struggling group and increased their performance by 40% by redesigning how I delivered information. I see the same opportunity with your training program." 4. Show you've done the work "I've researched your company's challenges with employee retention. My background in engagement and development directly addresses that." The result? I got the job that launched my corporate career. Your "weakness" is actually your differentiator. You just need to reframe it. You got this! #InterviewSkills #CareerTransition #JobInterview #CareerChange #TeacherToCorporate

"How did you go from teaching to project management?" Teachers can become project managers. No, it doesn’t happen overnight. Here's what I did: ✔ I listened to every #transitioningteacher podcast from Daphne Gomez and Ali Parrish Cheshire that included interviews with #projectmanagers ✔I worked extremely hard to translate my experience into #projemanagement language on my resume and on LinkedIn ✔I changed my headline and LinkedIn banner to reflect project management 👉 I took out all mention of #teaching in my headline. It’s always going to exist in my experience, of course, but it was time to showcase what was NEXT, not where I was coming from. ✔I enrolled in a program to earn 35 hours of PM education ✔I upskilled by learning PM tools and systems (Asana, Monday.com, Jira) ✔I sought out project management leaders on LinkedIn and connected ✔I applied to take the #pmp exam 👉 Teachers and others without the job title "Project Manager" can translate their experience into project management language. I now offer an ebook that walks through the entire PMP application process. ✔I joined my local PMI chapter (and went to my first networking event!) ✔I was confident in how my experience translated to project management and knew how to articulate it ✔I practiced answering interview questions in the car when I was alone ✔I added a Highlights section to my resume and started getting multiple interview offers ✔I showed value in every interview and eventually got a job offer ✔I passed the PMP! 🔥 If you are looking to pivot into Project Management, which of these items can you cross off your list? Where do you need help? 🔥Project Managers, what advice would you give to someone pivoting into project management? 🔥 Be sure you are following PM leaders like Logan Langin, PMP, Jeremiah Hammon, PMP, Ethan Schwaber, MBA, MSA, PMP, Benjamin Chan PMP, P.Eng, CMC, ASM, Beth Grace, PMP, and Kayla McGuire. ____________ -Check out my resources, including a free resume template and PM resume example in my Featured Content