The Importance of Community Building for Teachers Leaving the Classroom

You are embarking on an exciting, challenging, and potentially lengthy journey to find your dream position. You should not have to do it alone. In fact, finding a community of like-minded educators, and receiving guidance and support along the way, can make it faster, easier, and less stressful to land the right job at an education company, or any company.

The article "The Importance of Building a Community During a Job Search" by Be the Change Career Consulting provides some spot-on insights into why community should be a central part of the job search process. For educators looking to transition to a career in education technology, community is even more important. 

Read on to dig a little deeper into how the ideas proposed by Be the Change can impact your EdTech job search, and get a look into how the Classroom to Boardroom Community can help you find that space for yourself. 

Leverage the power of social media and online resources to find a community that can help you along your edtech job search.

Carrie Conover with two of her friends from her previous role at eSpark Learning, one of the EdTech companies she transitioned to after leaving the classroom.

Networking

As the article points out, the term "networking" makes some people feel uncomfortable and suggests reframing the process as "community building" instead. 

Community building is not only a more approachable term, it’s also a more accurate reflection of what actually happens when you create relationships that support and empower you along your EdTech job search. 

Building professional connections doesn't have to be scary or hard. If you know how to use social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok, you already know how to build and interact with a community of like-minded people, and you know just how powerful that community can be. 

Leverage the power of online resources to find a community that can help you along your EdTech job search.

Creating a LinkedIn profile is one of the first things we ask educators to do as part of our Community to Boardroom course and coaching program because LinkedIn is the ideal platform for finding a job with an education company. Once you are on LinkedIn, you can find educators who, like you, are looking to transition from the classroom to an EdTech position. Join one of the many existing communities on this social media platform or build your own community.

While LinkedIn is great for networking with those in your desired field and potential employers, networking with other teachers looking to leave the classroom is just as beneficial for your job search. I recently launched a brand new, limited-availability community just for teachers in transition where you can connect with one another, celebrate your highs and mourn your lows, learn new skills, and catch one-of-a-kind lessons from industry leaders.

Regardless of what you choose, you should prioritize relationships with other educators. Many teachers try to connect with recruiters and tech companies, but building relationships with other teachers who want the same things you do can be even more powerful. Why? Because, as the article points out, community creates powerful motivation for the job seeker.  

Motivation

Your transition from teacher to EdTech employee is going to take time, and it will have its ups and downs. Some weeks, you will work on your resume, land interviews, and discover exciting new opportunities. Other weeks, you may experience setbacks, such as a difficult interview or being turned down for a job. 

While no two journeys are ever the same, a strong community will help you navigate these ups and downs more successfully. In particular, your community will encourage you in the tough times and motivate you to keep going when you feel discouraged. 

The ability of a community to motivate is powerful. We see it consistently within the Classroom to Boardroom Community as our members find people and spaces they can confide in and depend upon to support them during the EdTech job search. 

Find your community. Lean on your community. Discover the motivation that comes from knowing that other like-minded professionals are cheering you on. 

Brainstorming

The article from Be the Change suggests that brainstorming is one of the most important benefits of a community because of its ability to build participation, commitment, loyalty, and interest among members. 

In EdTech job searching, a strong community is a wonderful resource for ideas and advice that can make the job hunt more productive. Who do you turn to when you need help crafting a resume that shines? How do you decide what to wear to that all-important interview? How do you decide if your teaching experience applies to the requirements in that job posting you just found? 

Find the answers with brainstorming and support from your EdTech job search community. It happens all the time here in the Classroom to Boardroom Community. We have private circles based on region, field of interest, and more for you chat and learn within. In the full C to B Course and Coaching Program, we also offer monthly coaching calls where we talk about everything from job postings to interview requirements. 

If you need help brainstorming, take your questions to your community. As you come up with answers, you will find that professional relationships, meaningful support, and rewarding participation make the entire job hunt easier. 

Self-Esteem and Confidence

When members of a community feel heard and seen, they enjoy greater confidence. Give your community the chance to build that confidence, and build some yourself, by getting people together every month to share ideas or talk over relevant topics. Make sure everyone has five minutes to share and be heard. 

These online connections do more than help you feel like a welcome part of a group of professionals like yourself. They will also prepare you as you look for your place in an education company. 

During this process, you often have to be prepared to get online, and in front of a camera, very quickly. Screenings, interviews, presentations, and more require you to be comfortable speaking in front of the camera. Use time with your EdTech job search community to practice your virtual speaking and listening skills and gain confidence in abilities that will help you to present yourself well.

You have many choices for where and with whom you build your community as you look for an EdTech position.

We'd like to encourage you to consider joining the Classroom to Boardroom Community. We offer live learning lessons with industry leaders, circles for private chats with other transitioning teachers, private and group coaching, friendly competitions, support and brainstorming, and above all, the benefits of being part of a community that understands and empowers you along the way.