Teaching is an interesting career. Unfortunately, the system purposely makes teachers believe they can’t do anything other than teach. To keep them trapped in a dysfunctional environment. But one thing I’ve learned in my transition out of the classroom is that teachers have a lot of transferable skills perfect for the corporate world.
When figuring out what to do next, think about your skill set. What skills do you have that make you unique? Do you write curriculum? Are you in charge of buying educational products for your school or district? Do you facilitate trainings or professional development for your team? Do you have experience entering rosters with educational products? In my search for roles outside the classroom, I have seen positions looking for these exact skills.
Companies are looking for people with your skill set. Below, I’ve listed a short list of roles that would be perfect for educators ready to transition out of the classroom. They are all entry-level positions that just may be perfect for you.
Sidenote: EdTech was my route out of the classroom; these are the positions I saw the most while looking at educational companies.
Professional Learning Facilitator
This position has many names, but it is a teacher for adults. These people come into schools and teach educators how to use a particular program. This is an easy role to step into if you only have teaching experience. However, it is an even easier position to obtain if you have some experience training adults.
Customer Success Manager
This is a role suitable for those who are instructional coaches or administrators. In this role, you will work with districts to help support their needs. You’ll often schedule trainings and be the contact person for districts. Typically they want you to have experience with making purchasing decisions and have experience communicating with district-level employees.
Educational Sales
If you’re into sales, this would be a good fit. You’d be in charge of selling EdTech programs to districts. Have you ever been to an educational conference? These are usually the people you’ll see representing products at the booths.
Content/Curriculum Developer
This role can go by many names. In the EdTech space, this may look like creating items (math, reading, science, etc.) for educational programs. You could be in charge of writing assessments, or it could mean you’re creating training documents for the professional learning specialist. Just know that the responsibilities for this role vary from company to company. So, be sure to look at the job description before applying.
There are entry-level jobs out there in EdTech perfect for K-12 educators. Think about your experience and what you’d be interested in, and you will find roles perfect for you.