The path you chose in the early years of your career doesn’t have to stick! You could lose interest in your current role or find something more fulfilling along the way.
If you’re feeling discontented in your teaching career, you don’t have to keep pushing through. There are several career paths you can choose from by leveraging the transferable skills you’ve developed in your career so far.
Today, we’ll guide you on crafting an impressive teacher resume when changing careers so that you can land the job you really want.
What Are Some Jobs For Former Teachers?
Here are some new career paths available to former teachers based on desirable skills requirements.
EdTech Professional
Turning to EdTech is the easiest career transition one could think of, as it allows you to continue impacting education but on a larger scale!
Start from an entry-level role and fill the skill gaps by developing other relevant skills such as coding, design, product management, and data analysis. Course designing and content creation are some EdTech domains you could easily tap into as a former teacher.
5 key skills requirements:
- Strong communication
- Problem-solving
- Web development
- Knowledge of programming languages
- Data Analytics
See this example job listing for a Learning Experience Designer at Columbus State University. It’s a perfect opportunity for experienced university teachers with a passion for course creation.
Instructional Design
Instructional design is a division of EdTech that mainly focuses on creating effective learning experiences, including courses, manuals, learning simulations, and more. Your lesson planning and curriculum development skills will come in handy for this role.
5 key skills requirements:
- Understanding of learning models
- Project management
- Presentation technology knowledge
- Visual design and storyboarding
- Assessment development
See this example job listing for an Instructional Designer to direct adult learning in a workplace. If you’re looking to work in a corporate setting and have deep knowledge about workplace practices, this role could be perfect for you!
Librarian
The love for reading and learning is second nature to most teachers, which is why a career as a librarian is a good next step for former teachers. They are skilled in creating and delivering course curriculums, which translates well to a librarian’s responsibility of curating collections and resources to meet the needs of diverse readers.
5 key skills requirements:
- Organizational skills
- Community engagement
- Basic computer literacy
- Research skills
- Customer service
This example job listing for a Reference Librarian is ideal for someone who is great at research and has a knack for handling software related to library database management.
Writer/Author/Editor
One of the most important skills a teacher possesses is the ability to articulate their thoughts and words effectively. If you’re great at this, you might want to consider writing or editing as your next career. You could try magazines, newspapers, websites, books, and any other publishing mediums that pay to write.
Additionally, you can tap into copywriting or advertising if consumer psychology and marketing excite you.
5 key skills requirements:
- Excellent writing ability
- Critical thinking
- Branding
- Storytelling
- Creativity
See this example job listing for a copywriter, which is perfect for someone who excels at storytelling and editorial writing.
Recruiter
Assessing and evaluating a person’s skills are a daily part of teaching, and you can translate these skills into recruiting candidates for a company. All you need is an eye for good talent, and you’re gold.
5 key skills requirements:
- Interpersonal skills
- Negotiation skills
- Problem-solving
- Sales and persuasion
- Sourcing
This example job listing is for Recruiters in the financial services space, perfect for former teachers with a commerce background.
Corporate Trainer
How about teaching, but in a different setting and to a different audience? Offering training in a corporate environment allows you to experience a whole new world and expand your horizons. This role also allows for flexibility to set your own schedule—something that is a welcome reprieve from the rigid schedule of most educators.
5 key skills requirements:
- Presentation skills
- Technical literacy
- Analytical skills
- Cultural sensitivity
- Networking
This example job listing for a Corporate Trainer is ideal for you if you love helping individuals perform better in their roles.
Teacher Career Change Resume Example
Your resume plays a critical role when switching from teaching to a more corporate role—it’s all about how you present your experiences and skills in a manner to make them attractive to any potential employer.
Here’s one resume example that has the potential to get attention:
Why does this resume work?
- Using numbers and percentages to talk about results and transformations. This shows that the candidate is data-driven (which is perfect in the corporate realm) and the ability to drive results and productivity with their work.
- Employers love resume keywords such as “goal-setting,” “planning,” “strategy,” and “feedback.” These show the applicant knows the industry skills required and helps form a positive first impression.
- The work history tells how the applicant has been more than just a teacher and has been involved in the development of their previous institution. This involves other relevant responsibilities such as leading a team of instructors, building partnerships with local schools, collaborating with faculties, designing training programs, and more.
How to Write a Resume When Transitioning from Teaching
1. Make the Most of Transferable Skills
Transferable skills are the experiences and qualities you develop in your teaching career that can also be applied to your new career.
These skills not only include your hard skills (i.e., your expertise) but also include all soft skills (problem-solving, analytical skills, team-leading abilities, etc) you pick up along the journey.
How to identify your transferable skills:
- Reflect on your teaching journey and note all your achievements, milestones, and the skills you demonstrated in those times.
- Review job descriptions of the roles you’re interested in and translate your skills per the specific job requirements.
- Network with people from the industry you wish to join outside of teaching to learn about the potential roles you can apply to with your skills.
- Consider all the training and courses you’ve done in your teaching career and use them to create a portfolio. You can create a mock project to showcase your skills in a real-world scenario.
Suggested reading: Resume templates for various industries
2. Customize Your Resume for a New Field
One resume will not fit every job role. You must adapt the jargon, formats, and language specific to each field. Align your experiences and achievements with the requirements of your new field.
Here’s an example:
“Prepared and curated lesson plans for students.”
This line from a teacher’s resume becomes….
“Oversaw curriculum development to maximize learning for students while collaborating with team members and leadership.”
The updated version shows you’re a team player who likes taking end-to-end initiatives.
3. Address Career Change Concerns
Transitioning from a teacher to a corporate role may raise objections and concerns from employers.
Some of these concerns could be:
- Lack of experience in a corporate setting
- Being overqualified for entry-level roles
- Your ability to transfer and translate skills
You can address these concerns using the following strategies:
- Share instances from your teaching journey where you applied your transferable skills. For example, instances where you led a team and contributed to the development of your past organization. Or where you navigated a change that increased students’ performance by a significant percentage.
- Talk about the technical tools you’ve used in your past role and how they’ve helped you in the job.
- Prepare a solid answer to the question, “Why should we hire you.” Use your skills like adaptability, team player, problem-solving, critical thinking, etc, to lead the argument.
- Mention any courses, certifications, workshops, or additional education you have pursued or are pursuing to enhance your skills for the corporate role.
4. Showcase Accomplishments and Impact
Numbers speak louder than words, and quantifying your achievements emphasizes their impact. For starters, it shows the employer you really care about achieving results rather than just getting the work done. Secondly, it makes you look more credible and encourages the employer to trust you.
Here’s how to write a resume that highlights quantitative achievements:
- Avoid vague statements and be highly specific—always specify who you helped, how you helped, and the results you produced.
- Highlight metrics relevant to the job you’re applying for, not just your old job.
- It doesn’t always have to be a percentage—you can include the number of people impacted or a range of data in case you don’t have the precise figures.
Here are two examples of showcasing impact:
- Led and managed a student mentorship program for senior students and helped 15+ students achieve scholarships to attend prestigious universities in Germany in 2022.
- Aligned with key stakeholders to manage additional events in the organization to drive student engagement and learning. Raised $20,000 from trustees for this cause.
5. Include Professional Development and Upskilling
It’s good practice to focus on training and upskilling when transitioning to a different career. It helps you close the skill gaps between your old and new role and make you more qualified for corporate.
Here are some places you can search for courses and certifications:
- Udemy: You get a huge library of courses for every field imaginable, at affordable prices.
- LinkedIn Learning: This comes with your LinkedIn premium subscription. Showcase the course certification as you finish; it’ll act as a huge employer magnet on your profile!
- Look for courses and certifications available in your local area.
Don’t forget to highlight ongoing learning and upskilling on the resume. It shows the recruiter how invested you are in adapting to a new career path and the effort you put into making it happen.
Here’s an example of how to highlight it on your resume:
Currently pursuing a certification course, “Email Marketing Fundamentals”, on Udemy after finishing “Digital Marketing 101”, and “Basics of Branding” successfully.
Key Takeaways
Transitioning from teaching into a new role can be a smooth ride if you know where to look and how to apply and position yourself. Your resume is your entry ticket into another role—make sure you create an excellent first impression!
Tailor your resume for the field you’re applying to and show off your transferable skills. Remain calm during the job hunting process and continue upskilling for new roles to complement your existing skills and experience.
And if you want to fast-track the resume writing process and increase your chances of landing your dream job, consider giving Rezi’s resume builder a try!
FAQs
How do I write a resume for a career change from teaching?
Identify your transferable skills that fit the requirements for the role you’re applying to and follow these resume tips.
What do you put on a resume when leaving teaching?
Mention all your relevant experiences from your teaching background in your resume and tailor these experiences to the new role.
How do I switch to a career in teaching?
Get clarity about who you want to teach and what should be your subject, and apply for all the necessary certifications to complete the process.
