Leaving Teaching? Now’s the Time to Make the Decision
If you are an educator contemplating leaving the classroom, now is the time to decide and start taking action. Spring is an exciting and potentially transformative time for teachers looking into leaving teaching. Whether you’re drawn to the possibilities of working remotely, seeking to transition into a different career field, or simply ready to pursue a different type of work-life balance, this moment in time is ripe with potential.
The first step in transitioning from the classroom is assessing your skills and interests. What are the things you are good at? What brings you joy and satisfaction? What do you want to be known for? Taking the time to answer these questions honestly will help you determine the direction of your next move.
Once you’ve identified your skills and interests, it’s time to explore your options. There are many paths you can take – from freelancing to starting a business to working at an education company; the choices are endless.
But one thing you must consider is that the competition is fierce. Teachers are leaving the classroom in historical numbers, meaning you must decide and pick a lane quickly.
Don’t believe me? Look at this recent poll I took on LinkedIn:
I’ve worked in the teacher transition space for years as a coach and recruiter, and I can tell you there has never been a larger pool of teachers trying to transition to customer success, sales, instructional design, marketing, etc.
This competition often sends teachers into a state of panic and back into the classroom, where they are unhappy. If you feel those feelings after reading the first portion of this blog post - please keep reading - I’ve got your back.
Last night I led a coaching call with 15 Classroom to Boardroom members. The theme of the evening was “pick a lane and stay in it.”
As teachers, we are great at a lot of things. I often find when educators enter my program, they have a tough time deciding what exactly it is that they want to do within an education company. I often find that transitioning teachers don’t want to pick a career path because they are scared they might leave an opportunity behind if they pick a career path and go for it. We spend a lot of time going through each career path, which skills align with each career path, and the reality of working in these roles.
I’m telling you from experience that you are harming your chances of being recruited by leaving yourself open to multiple career fields, especially regarding your LinkedIn profile and headline.
When recruiters (including myself) look at your LinkedIn profile or resume, they want to see that you are focused and that you KNOW what you want. It is confusing to recruiters if you have customer success, sales, and curriculum design in your headline.
If your headline is misleading, that is another big turnoff for recruiters. If your first words are Customer Success Manager, and I scroll down to your work experience and see zero histories as a CSM, I’m immediately taking you off my list of candidates. If I see “passionate about Customer Success” or something similar, I will dig deeper into your experience.
Ninety percent of the time, I’m recruiting for a position for a company within a particular region. So I will search for “teacher in Austin, Texas” or “principal in New York City” and start digging into profiles. If I can’t tell who you are, your work experience, and WHAT TYPE of role you are interested in finding, I will move on from your profile immediately. I don’t have time to ask you further questions.
To drive this point home, I’m going to “copy” a few headlines of transitioning teachers on LinkedIn that messaged me privately and give a little feedback (I’ve removed all identifying information).
Needs Improvement:
Teacher and military spouse exploring other career paths
Carrie’s notes: What type of career path? Way too broad. Do you move a lot? Do you need remote work?
Customer Success Manager | Tech Enthusiast
Carrie’s notes: You don’t have experience as a customer success manager. Also, what type of tech?
Elementary Educator at XYX Regional
Carrie’s notes: Are you looking for a new career path?
Customer Success | Onboarding and Training | SDR | Former Teacher
Carrie’s notes: Way too many interests. Do you want sales or CS? Or Onboarding? Or Training?
These top-notch headlines tell me exactly who they are and what they want. I’d be much more likely to reach out to them for a resume:
Professional Learning Specialist ➡️ Customer Success | Customer Experience |Training & Development | Relationship Builder | Problem Solver | EdTech Enthusiast 💻
Accomplished Learning and Development Specialist ➙ Curriculum Specialist » Instructional Design » EdTech » Delivers e-learning and face-to-face Training Program
Transformational Learning & Development Leader | Staff Development Expert | Driving and leading learning solutions using data to maximize staff potential and achieve sustainable results
Learning and Development Professional with 4+ years of Experience, seeking a position in Instructional Design and Technology, Corporate Training, and eLearning | Lifelong Learner
Leaving the classroom is a big decision but it can also be gratifying. By taking the time to assess your skills, interests, and challenges, you can create a plan that will help you make the transition in a way that’s aligned with your goals and values. By having a clear vision of what you want, you can land a job at your dream education company with the right mindset and a clear vision.
And one last thing - it is okay to change your mind later. But for now, pick a lane and stay there.
Are you an educator considering a move out of the classroom? You aren’t alone! Over the past two years, I’ve helped hundreds of teachers and administrators leave the classroom. As I’ve helped mentor and coach educators through this transition, I’ve had the honor of observing the various stages of the transition process.