Kappa Delta Pi

I'm Not Teaching...Now What?

Several programs help people in careers other than education transition into teaching, but what about teachers looking to leave the profession or who cannot find a position in their career choice? Whether certified educators are leaving the field or looking for jobs outside education only until they can return to the classroom, it’s important to recognize that the training and skills developed as an educator transfer well to other job fields.

Teaching-Related Careers
Before discussing how to recognize those transferable skills, let’s look at a few obvious work options for teachers not in the classroom. Natural options might include tutoring, either privately or at a tutoring center. For educators willing to market themselves and their services, there is good money to be made by starting your own business of this kind. Of course there also are risks, as with any business. For example, consider that it can take up to two full years to develop a sufficient client base. Paying for one’s own medical benefits also can be extremely intimidating.

Like any other entrepreneurial activity, there are as many failures as successes. For the adventurous, however, the autonomy and satisfaction of starting one’s own business makes this option very attractive. And no one says that tutoring has to be the only income stream you develop. Let your interest areas, skills, experiences, as well as current trends or needs help you tune in to potential areas to pursue. Career coaches often recommend these areas to former teachers:

• Children’s Party Planner
• Teaching Abroad
• Writing Articles and Books on Education
• Grant Writing
• Adult Education

Transition from Teaching Resources

Books
What Can You Do with a Major in Education: Real people. Real jobs. Real rewards. (What Can You Do with a Major in...)
by Jennifer A. Horowitz

101 Career Alternatives for Teachers: Exciting Job Opportunities for Teachers Outside the Teaching Profession
by Margaret M. Gisler

Tutoring as a Successful Business: An Expert Tutor Shows You How
by Eileen Kaplan Shapiro

Transferable Skills Survey

KDP/Experience.com Career Site

Skills Inventory

To take a teaching vitae into the rest of the world, it’s good to identify skills and experiences that readily apply to other fields. Consider various classroom and school responsibilities, including obvious duties, such as lesson planning, as well as the less obvious. For example, a common responsibility for educators is recess duty, a position that may require managing groups of people, negotiating skills, and a knack for being an activity director. Take this survey to help determine transferrable skills. You may be surprised at the various areas of expertise you have acquired. Examples of transferable skill areas include:

• Communication
• Management and Leadership
• Computer
• Administrative
• Organization
• Problem-solving
• Decision-making
• Interpersonal
• Creative
• Marketing
• Project Planning

Example Skills Chart of an Experienced ESL Teacher

Communication Skills	Leadership Skills	Interpersonal Skills	Organizational Skills
Writing lesson plans, reports, and school blog	Coaching teachers and students on the value of teamwork	Patient and approachable	Time management– prioritizing lesson activities
Editing student projects and essays, teacher proposals, company brochure and Web site	Providing feedback in monthly meetings	Good motivator in reading skills	Ability to balance single and group learning
Interpersonal skills	Teaching and promoting safety, nutrition, and physical health	Understand the value of active listening	Daily and monthly lesson planning
Icebreaking skills	Open-minded listener	Consistently bring a positive, cheerful attitude from home to the workplace	Punctual and ready for a variety of attendance scenarios
Excellent command of grammar and usage	Adapt easily to changing environment	Develop strong rapport with students/colleagues	Create and maintain reusable files
Experience communicating with many cultures	Experienced negotiator	Operate with open- door policy in my office	Developed logical level system for teaching usage and grammar rules
Volunteer reporting for local newspaper	Head of extracurricular activities	Interviewing students	Grade and student progress tracking for report cards
Clear and effective speaker	Able to resolve conflict rationally and fairly	Sensitive and open to personal needs	Meet company deadlines
Writing	Expert at task allocation	Parent-teacher interviews	Daily documentation for administrators

Non-Teaching Careers
With a list of transferrable skills in hand, it’s time to compare them to qualifications sought in non-teaching careers. The possibilities are as varied as there are teachers and career fields. Corporate employee training, writing, non-profit organizations, child service providers (e.g., fitness centers, resorts) are a few ideas. The crucial factor is developing a strong résumé that markets skills and abilities acquired in the classroom that translate to non-teaching job functions (e.g., bookkeeping, records management, data collection, project management). Note that some areas may require additional knowledge and certifications, such as certification in Project Management.

However, the educator would be wise to keep his or her teaching certificate valid and participate in continuing education courses in the event he or she decides to return to the classroom. The field of education is ever-changing and does so quickly; it is easy to become outdated on practices and strategies used in today’s schools.

Expert Help for a Career Transition
Seeking the expertise of a professional résumé writer can help you develop a quality résumé for jobs outside the field of education. Investing in the counsel of a career coach can further help you identify your skills and interest areas for potential professional options beyond the classroom. Their familiarity with various professions and career trends, as well as knowledge in helping people identify their skills and interests are great assets to draw on when building a résumé and practicing interview responses that will attract employers in non-teaching fields.
Taking a few online courses or attending workshops in a field other than education also can greatly benefit the unemployed educator in becoming more marketable and well-rounded.

About the authors

Dave Booram is a career counselor, life coach, and founder of Direction 4 Life Work, a career counseling service for high school/college students and adults looking to clarify their educational and career plans. Dave also works with the Harrison College Career Service Initiative, matching online students with potential employers. Learn more about Direction 4 Life Work or e-mail Dave. Jama McCawley is currently working as a Young Adult Advisor in Indianapolis, Indiana where she advises at-risk youth ages 18–21 on education and career goals. Prior to this position, Jama counseled adults transitioning jobs or returning to post-secondary training, a job she transitioned into after teaching for 12 years.