Career Change From Corporate To Teaching

Keep Your Cover Letter Honest & Short

Cover letters can be intimidating whether youre transitioning into a new career or not. Instead of feeling overwhemled, use the following standard cover letter guidelines to help you write a short and simple cover letter:

• Paragraph 1: Who are you?
• Paragraph 2: What have you done?
• Paragraph 3: Where do you want to go with your career?

Make sure that your contact information appears in the form of a signature line that includes your name, phone number, and email address, and get ready to be called back for an interview!

Brush Up On Interviewing

When youve been in one industry for a long time, you may not know what to expect in an interview for a new career path. For example, Carla quickly realized that in a corporate interview, it was important to present her relevant skills not just scientific knowledge.

So to prepare, Carla wrote down the specific abilities she wanted her employers to recognize in herand made sure to cover those skills in her interview answers. She also brought business-specific knowledge into the conversation by reading relevant articles and becoming an expert on industry trends prior to her interviews. So, even though she hadnt been part of the industry before, she showed she could quickly get up to speed in her new role.

You may never be able to fully anticipate the interview questions of a potential employer until you actually go through one, but by researching , highlighting the key skills you want to get across, and brushing up on your interview techniques, youll be able to adapt quickly.

How To Make A Career Change To Teaching In 6 Steps

When considering a career in which they can help people, many professionals think of pursuing the role of teaching. In this role, you can share your skills and knowledge with students of different ages. Knowing how to make a career change to teaching can help you prepare for the process and determine whether this is the next step in your professional life.

In this article, we discuss six steps you can follow to make your career change to teaching, including factors to consider as you transition careers.

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What Is A Career Change To Teaching

A career change is when you decide to take on a role different from your recent work experience. Changing to teaching is an option many professionals consider because they can use their expertise within a specific field to help students learn topics using a mixture of theory and real-world experiences in a field. For example, a physicist who changes to a teaching career may take on a position as a high school physics teacher and can offer their students the theory to understand physics concepts and examples of real-world solutions the teacher created while they were in other professional roles.

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What Do I Need To Know About My Pension/retirement

Many teachers refer to their pension as the golden handcuffs. They express that they are not able to leave until X amount of years due to waiting to vest into their pension. In actuality, many teachers would be better off financially leaving before they vest into their pension if they do not intend to retire as a teacher. If you are much later in your career, it may be wisest to stay in your position to receive your full pension.

I know this is a huge factor in your decision making, and not one that should be taken lightly! There are factors that make this not a one-size-fits-all answer. The Teacher Career Coach Podcast has episodes specifically on financial literacy for teachers to help you evaluate whether or not its the right time or decision for you. You can find them linked here:

• Teacher Career Coach Podcast Ep. 24: Financial planning for a career change from teaching

Specifically for those who are thinking of leaving but worried about where they are in their pension, I created this video to help you understand how leaving will impact your financial situation depending on how many years you have as a teacher and when you plan to retire.

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Form Relationships With Current Teachers

Another way you can learn about the teaching profession is to make connections with current teachers. You can do this in a variety of ways such as online forums, emails, calling schools and writing letters. When you form a relationship with a teacher, ask about how and why they became a teacher, what skills they wish they had before becoming a teacher and what their favorite and least favorite parts of their jobs are. You can learn about how they see the classroom in a realistic and relatable way. If possible, find a teacher who changed their career to teaching.

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From Law Firm To Classroom

I always wanted to be a teacher, but my father said I’d be a “glorified babysitter” and wouldn’t be “maximizing my economic potential.” He thought I should work in the legal field, so I became a paralegal. I spent 11 years in that field, and while all the overtime I worked meant the pay was great, I felt unfulfilled. I went back to school, and at the age of 36, I accomplished my dream of becoming a teacher.

The switch was a bit of a shock. I certainly was not used to paying for the supplies I needed to do my job. I wasn’t used to the endless paperwork, only being able to go to the bathroom at certain times, or needing to eat lunch in just 24 minutes. I miss working in a sleek office now when I get home, I pull plaster out of my hair because my classroom has a crumbling ceiling. And, of course, I miss that overtime pay. But despite it all, I love teaching. I treasure the opportunity I have to work with my students, who have truly taught me as much as I’ve taught them.

Further reading: This Book Will Show You How to Change Careers

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What Do To When Companies Dont Post The Salary

While a few companies opt to post the salary range, its not as common for roles outside of the classroom to do so. I know its a change from having the posted salary schedule. There are many reasons why companies decide to do this, whether its to avoid competition between current/new employees, or avoid competition with other companies in their industry.

There are a couple things you can do here to see if it a career path is right for you based on salary: First, try to find the average salary range for the position on Glassdoor or using a Google search of average salary . Please note that this is just an estimate. Salary range is going to vary from company to company depending on their budget and the duties of the specific role.

If it is a role that you have researched and are excited about, or a company/opportunity you are interested in, there is no harm in applying. Its up to you if it is worth your time to apply and interview, but if you are serious about this position I encourage it. While it may feel defeating to interview only to find out the role is under the amount you are willing to take, you have practiced your interview skills for this role, and will only be better for the next opportunity.

Should I Break My Teaching Contract For A New Position

Ideally youll wait until the end of the school year. But we all know that sometimes life happens, and sometimes teachers need to break teaching contracts for a variety of reasons . Ive created this blog to help you understand what you need to know about breaking a teaching contract.

Ive also created templates to help you draft a professional sounding teacher resignation letter.

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Connect Your Experience In Another Industry To This New Career

List positions you have held that relate to the career you are looking for, and use the rest of the space on your resume to highlight areas of competence, education, knowledge and character traits that point to you as being the most desirable person to hire. For example, if you may be able to change the phrasing or skills that you include in your job descriptions to better match the ones common to your new field or are included in the

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Financial Advisor Resume For Someone With Experience As A Stockbroker

SummarySuccessful stockbroker with an Ivy League education and 29 years of money management experience. After my son graduated from college with a degree in Social Work, I have become inspired to empower others with the tools and resources to thrive financially.

Work ExperienceSenior Partner, January 2015 PresentAdams & Crew Advisers

• Maintain a robust client network and portfolio

• Study market trends and make daily portfolio changes accordingly

• Design asset management plans for individuals and organizations

Vibrant Financial ServicesSenior Specialty Broker, August 2010 January 2015Specialty Broker, January 2010 August 2013

• Increased client portfolio by 35% in 2014

• Studied market trends

Master of Business Administration – 2013University of PennsylvaniaBachelor of Science in Economics- 1991

Awards:

• Winner of the Professional Trader Award – 2015

• Salutatorian of graduating class – 2013

• Recognized in Forbes Magazine as 40 Under 40- 2011

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What Can I Do Now To Help Me Change Careers Later

Whether you are waiting out your contract or still on the fence about leaving, you can start preparing yourself for a new career right now. After youve identified roles you are interested in pursuing, see if there are any ways to build experience at your school. For example, if you are interested in instructional design, you may want to perform a needs analysis and then create interactive training materials for other teachers. You will want to continue to upskill and reskill towards specific careers. Another excellent way to build your resume and earn extra income at the same time is to freelance during the school year or in the summer. This post: Start freelancing to earn extra money and add new skillsets will help you understand how freelancing now can help you land your dream job later. And if finances is the main concern, here is another blog about summer jobs for teachers.

Find The Right Career

If you aren’t leaving teaching with a specific field in mind, this provides an opportunity to choose a career that suits you. Applying for jobs in a field where your teaching skills are transferable makes a switch easier. The more applicable your teaching experience is to your new field, the more convincing you can make your resume.

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Tip #: Research Different Programs

There are many education programs out therefrom standard early childhood, elementary, middle, and high school programs to more specialized degrees in reading instruction, special education, or teaching through the arts.

Kate Harney 12 left a career in advertising to earn her masters degree in Elementary Education through Lesleys Collaborative Internship Program at Buckingham Browne & Nichols School in Cambridge. She recommends that potential career changers explore their options. Do your research to find the program and the setup that makes the most sense for you, whether you do part-time, a collaborative program, etc. There are many avenues for getting your masters in education, she says.

Kate now works at Birches School in Lincoln where she co-teaches the schools kindergarten and first-grade class.

Tips To Move From A Business Career To Teaching

As a teacher, you assume many roles, such as a classroom manager, a counselor, role model, and disciplinarian. These functions need skills not always taught in college. Developing these skills to enhance your career takes time and usually happens over the span of several years. Becoming a teacher requires you to have an appropriate temperament as well as personality. You must also be willing to make sacrifices for your students.

As a teacher, your workday doesnt come to an end when the students leave for the day. A meticulous teacher will stay behind after hours to assist the struggling students, grade and assign homework, and be involved in after-school meetings and committees.

Teacher training programs are present in every state. Various online courses and degree programs are available for those who might not be in a position to enroll in classes. As you decide which program to take, you must be careful because there are many options offered. Select a program that has a strong base regardless of whether you prefer to teach at the elementary, middle, or high school level.

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Writing Positions: Best Jobs For Ex

Your expertise of running a red pen through essay after essay can help you. Consider a transition to the world of professional copy editing or copywriting. The basics of being an editor are simple youll read content and edit it with a sharp eye for clarity, conciseness, and evocativeness. There are a variety of different ways you can find employment with editing jobs. Former teachers can start with traditional positions with newspapers or magazines or try freelance positions from the comfort of your coffee table.

Also, you may also be interested in learning copywriting. Copywriting is a specific style of writing that is most commonly used for sales, sales pages, and emails. Check out my interview with a former teacher turned copywriter here.

Launch A Career Of Impact

As a corps member, youll serve as a teacher in a school in a low-income community in one our 51 regions. Youll gain firsthand context around the systemic barriers students growing up in poverty face. This experience will empower you to continue making an impact throughout your career.

Youll engage with rigorous training, coaching, and professional development, allowing you to further develop as a leader.

After the corps, youll join a powerful network working to shape the course of our nation. While many TFA alumni continue teaching after the corps, others lead in the political, economic, and social sectors. As an alum, youll receive ongoing career and leadership support as you work to continue your own impact.

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The Benefits To A Teacher Seeking A Career Change

Making a career change is a major life choice, and it’s important to understand the benefits of changing careers when deciding if it is right for you. When a teacher decides to pursue a new career outside of education, it may be because of one appealing benefit or a combination of several. The most common reasons for pursuing a change of career when working as an educator include:

• Pursuing a passion: Having passion for your career is important both for maintaining personal happiness and providing motivation for your work. If your passion is something other than education, you may need to leave teaching to pursue it.

• Staying engaged: Some professionals need to keep their career fresh in order to remain motivated. Seeking work in a new career allows you to change your professional habits and inspires new enthusiasm for your professional career.

• Seeking increased compensation: Many financial situations can be a factor when considering a transition out of teaching. Changing careers may allow you to seek a more highly salaried position, greater benefits or other compensation not available in your teaching position.

• Reducing working hours: One of the biggest misconceptions about teachers is that they have short working hours. While teachers often have the opportunity for summers off and a formal finish of their workday while still afternoon, teaching comes with many hours of out-of-school work every week, and you may prefer to seek a job with more consistent and shorter hours.

When Youre Looking For More Adventure

If youve been in the same job a long time and you love the work but are starting to find it a bit bland, you might just be ready for a change of scenery. Teaching abroad provides a sweeping change in your life without changing your actual work that much.

When I moved abroad to teach in Sofia, Bulgaria, I quickly found that setting up my classroom and teaching my curriculum were not too different. But I was pushed to learn more about independent reading, English language instruction , and Bulgarian history and politics.

The biggest change in my life, however, was living in Sofia, a strange and bustling sprawl in the shadow of Mount Vitosha. Every month was an adventure as we headed out on trips to places like Vienna, Istanbul, Marrakech, Santorini, Paris, and Barcelona.

Applying to teach abroad will probably fill you with equal parts fear and exhilaration. Embrace the exhilaration if you really are ready for adventure.

Whatever wall you are facing, dont try to push the need to pivot away. If youre not happy, there is another path you could take. Why not give it a try and see if you wind up in a better place?

Do you have tips for making a teaching career change? Come and share in our WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.

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Freelance Writing Blogging Podcasting

If youre passionate about education but dont want to work in the classroom, working as a freelancer can open up many jobs in education field besides teaching. When you freelance, you get to talk, write, or create media in your areas of interest and expertise. Many educators begin freelancing while also working their full-time teaching jobs, and eventually segue into freelancing as a full-time career as they begin to gain a client base and/ or an audience.

While freelance pay rates can vary greatly, you can expect to make approximately $40,000 per year when freelancing full-time. As a freelancer, youre your own boss your education and continuing education requirements are your own decision.

Average Salary: $40,000