For the majority of you who are still in the thick of your job search, I know it can sting to see those “I’m so excited to announce….” posts on LinkedIn. You wonder what you’re doing wrong and probably feel some frustration and envy. Although this is the most natural reaction in the world, I’ll just remind you of two things: first, you’re seeing a highlight reel online — you’re not seeing the hard work, the doubts, and the countless rejections that preceded each job offer.
Second, other teachers’ successful transitions can serve as reminders that your goals are attainable and the change you seek is possible!So in today’s newsletter, let’s learn from some of the creative, hard-working, and resilient people just like you who landed new jobs this season. What excites them about their first role outside of the classroom, how did they find it, and what advice do they have for other transitioning teachers?
Ali Fendall is transitioning into Account Management!
What excites Ali most about her new role:
“I will be working for Renaissance Learning as a Renewal Account Manager. What excites me most are the opportunities it will open up for me now and in the future. I have only worked in schools for my entire adult career and I am ready to see what life is like outside of that world. I am also excited for a better work-life balance, and of course some financial growth!”
What Ali did to maximize her chances of getting hired:
“I made sure I connected with people who both worked in the field and had been teachers before. I was constantly gathering information in zooms, panels, calls with people in the industry to learn more about their role/path to it, and was pretty much speaking to anyone that I could to get more clarity on what interested me within the EdTech world.
I reached out to people on LinkedIn a LOT. I think it helped when there were low stakes conversations and it wasn’t all about just getting me a job at their company. A lot of those conversations led to them offering to refer me or help me through the application process at their own company, but it wasn’t initially my goal in each conversation.”
Ali’s advice for transitioning teachers:
“At the beginning of your search, be open to just learning about different types of roles. I thought I wanted to work in curriculum and very quickly learned about other roles that excited me even more! Make sure you ask questions from people about their day to day, and see what really interests you.
I also think it’s important to know if you’re willing to go remote or if you’re looking for something that will be in person eventually. As you gather more and more information, then you can begin to narrow down roles that interest you as well as locations.
And, as you told me, be patient! I was getting rejected left and right in the beginning, and once I started making connections with people I began to see my applications go further each time. That was key. By the end, I actually ended up having three different roles to decide between which I would have not thought possible two months earlier. Something will come!”
Ann Lopez transitioned into Instructional Design!
What Ann loves most about her new role:
“I’m a Learning Experience Designer for a SaaS company that helps clients with their education initiatives. What excites me the most is that I get to flex my creativity and technical muscles everyday. I love to learn about the challenges that others are facing so I can create learning experiences to help them.”
What surprised Ann about leaving the classroom:
“I’m surprised at how easily I have adjusted to working in a non-teaching role. I’ve been told by my manager that I have strong organization and project management skills, both of which are strengths I’ve gotten from being a teacher.”
Ann’s advice for transitioning teachers:
“Something that helped me get a job offer is leveraging the power of networking. I would have never found out about my current role if I did not initiate an informational interview with a current employee from this company.
Job searching can be very draining. If you’re stuck and getting discouraged, redirect your focus to something else such as volunteering or working on side projects. Also, help others help you. It’s more effective to tell others, “I want to be a customer success manager” instead of “I want to work in EdTech.” The more focused you are in your job search, the easier it will be.”
Amy Goodman is transitioning into Professional Development!
How Amy found her current role:
“I’m a Professional Development Specialist. I will be training and working with teachers, schools and districts to help them get the most out of the programs they purchased. I think that I was clear about what I wanted both in a job and financially. I knew I wanted a job that allowed to collaborate with people. I was also relentless in my search; I looked at everything and anything…anywhere!”
Amy’s advice for transitioning teachers:
“Spend the time doing the work. Whether that means scrolling job boards or networking with people, you have to put in the time, nothing is going to fall in your lap. And grown and use your network to give you advice as you go. I had people in my network give me feedback on my applications and projects and presentations. Even if they can just answer short questions, their advice and experience is invaluable!”
Maggie transitioned into Customer Success!
How Maggie determined the new role was right for her:
“I’m an Implementation Specialist at NoRedInk. I was excited about this role for tons of reasons!
- Before teaching high school, I taught adults, and I loved working with adults. This Implementation Specialist role is perfect for me because, though I’m not in a traditional classroom, I still get to use my teaching skills, work with teachers, and (hopefully) positively impact teachers and students across the country. I also love that I get to use my ELL teacher hat to help teachers figure out how to best support diverse learners in their classrooms.
- The company’s product! I really believe in it and think it’s a great tool for supporting students and teachers. As an Implementation Specialist, my job is to train educators on how to use the product, and it’s so important that it’s a product that I believe in and would use myself.
- The company’s values. Though I was ready to leave the classroom, it was really important to me to find a job working for a company that keeps students’ and teachers’ needs at the forefront of their values and mission. Throughout the interview process and during my first few weeks at the job, it is so clear to me that everybody at this company really embodies this value.
- The flexibility of the role. I realized during COVID that I loved working from home, and this job is fully remote. I’m more productive when I’m at home, and my mental health has improved. Post-COVID I will also be traveling around the country to lead in-person trainings. I love traveling to new places and meeting people from different parts of the country, so this balance of work from home plus travel is ideal for me.”
What a typical day looks like for Maggie:
I asked this question a lot during the interview process, and everyone told me that everyday looks different, which is very true! I crave variety, so this is perfect for me. Right now my day looks like a combination of meetings and preparing for trainings in August. In August and September, I’ll be leading multiple trainings per day and helping lead webinars. Eventually, I will also be helping districts and schools create professional development plans for the year, and supporting all aspects of implementation for these districts and schools. There are also a lot of other future projects I’m very excited about!
Maggie’s advice for transitioning teachers:
“Make sure that you are tailoring your resume and your cover letter to each job that you’re applying to, and that your resume shows how your skills can apply to careers that aren’t teaching. Also, just don’t give up! You will find something that is the right fit for you, but it may take time. Anything else you want to share: I thought that I was going to be a forever teacher, but I honestly have no regrets about leaving, and I am so happy in my new role. My time after work is now my time (rather than time to grade and prep), and it has improved my mental health and my relationships with family and friends. And no more Sunday Scaries!!”