A career change from teaching is a common occurrence that typically happens when educators grow dissatisfied with their jobs, whether due to low pay, an excessive workload, or other reasons. While it may seem daunting, switching careers opens new professional doors, often leading to higher earnings and a better work-life balance.
If you are considering a career change, keep reading as we explore the best career alternatives for teachers, the valuable transferable skills they can leverage in other fields, and more.
Key Takeaways
Some signs that you’re ready to move on from teaching include feeling dissatisfied with your job and struggling with teacher burnout.
Examples of transferable teaching skills to put on your resume include communication, research, conflict resolution, presentation design, and mentoring.
Event planning, project management, and human resources are among the best alternative career paths for teachers.
4 Clear Signs You’re Ready to Move On From Teaching
The four clear signs you’re ready to move on from teaching include an overwhelming workload, burnout, inadequate pay, and low job satisfaction.
Let’s discuss the key reasons most educators change careers from teaching in greater depth:
#1. Your Workload Is Overwhelming
An excessive workload is the leading cause behind teachers’ desire to leave their jobs and pursue a different career. A study by Tim Pressley et al. found that an excessive workload that extends beyond contractual obligations and infringes upon personal time is the main factor driving increased teacher attrition levels.
Ultimately, if you’re constantly overworked and have difficulty maintaining a healthy work-life balance, it might be time for you to make a career change from teaching.
#2. You’re Experiencing Teacher Burnout
Teaching is a highly challenging profession, and the burnout rates among educators are extremely high. Researchers from the University of Alberta suggest that between 25% and 74% of teachers experience burnout, and this estimate only considers clinically meaningful (moderate to severe) psychological conditions.
If you’re struggling with teacher burnout, exploring other career options can help you recover and prevent depression, anxiety, and other negative outcomes.
#3. Your Compensation Is Inadequate
Let’s face it: teaching is rewarding, yet the rewards rarely come in the form of a high salary.
Most teachers are severely underpaid, and the feeling of not receiving fair pay is what drives many to resign and seek alternative career paths. If you, too, believe that your salary is disproportionate to your responsibilities, you might be ready to make a career change from teaching.
#4. You Aren’t Satisfied With Your Job
According to a case study by researchers at Istanbul Kültür University, low job satisfaction is among the primary personal and environmental reasons why teachers leave the profession. If you don’t feel satisfied with your job, be it due to a lack of recognition, excessive paperwork, or any other reason, it might be time for you to make a career change from teaching.
15+ Valuable Transferable Skills From Teaching
Some valuable transferable teaching skills include communication, research, conflict resolution, and academic writing, among others.
To write a job-winning career change resume, you should only list skills that are relevant to the job you’re switching to. By tailoring the document to the job description, you can create an ATS-friendly resume that presents you as a strong candidate, even if you come from a different background.
Here are some skills you can leverage when making a career change from teaching:
Hard Skills That Transfer Well
Some hard skills that transfer well to other jobs include:
Research
Academic writing
Presentation design
Subject-matter expertise (e.g., math, languages, etc.)
Educational technology tools, such as Google Classroom
Soft Skills Developed in Teaching
Examples of soft skills developed in teaching that may be useful in non-teaching jobs include:
Creativity
Leadership
Adaptability
Motivational skills
Conflict resolution
Coaching and mentoring
Empathy and emotional intelligence
Time management and organizational skills
Communication (public speaking, presentation skills, etc.)
Quantifying Your Achievements
The key to making a successful career switch for teachers is to craft an impressive resume, which you can easily achieve by quantifying your achievements.
Using figures, percentages, and other metrics when describing your accomplishments shows the recruiter exactly what you’re capable of, allowing you to stand out from others. So, when listing your responsibilities and achievements in the work experience section, include numbers whenever possible to give more context and demonstrate the impact you had as a teacher.
Here’s a good example of teaching achievements that may be relevant across different industries:
Achievement Examples
Automated feedback processes using Google Forms and Google Sheets, which saved 8+ hours monthly.
Mentored 3 new teachers annually, achieving a 100% retention rate in their first year.
Developed a welcome guide for new and substitute teachers that reduced onboarding time by 60% and ensured 100% compliance with the school’s regulations.
Organized 3 large-scale events per year, including career fairs, within budget.
Implemented a student communication and conflict resolution protocol, reducing conflict escalations by 25%.
To grab the recruiter’s attention right away, don’t forget to list an achievement or two and highlight relevant skills in your resume objective, too.
Next, let’s examine some of the best careers for ex-teachers.
Top Alternative Careers for Teachers and Educators
Here are some top alternative careers for teachers and educators you might want to consider if you want to change your job:
Career Paths With the Easiest Transition
If you’re looking to make a smooth and stress-free career change from teaching, consider switching to:
Education. Not all jobs in education require teaching. Some examples of non-teaching jobs for professionals in this field include the roles of academic advisor, instructional designer, and guidance counselor.
Event planning. Given that teachers typically have top-notch organizational skills, it shouldn’t be surprising that many transition into the role of an event planner or event manager. If you enjoy public speaking, becoming a wedding celebrant could be an excellent option for you.
Business and marketing. Your options in sales, business, and marketing largely depend on your skills and area of expertise, but virtually all former teachers can excel in this field. If you’re an English teacher, for example, you could easily become a technical or content writer.
Complete Career Pivots
Looking to make a bold career change? Here are some career paths to consider:
Human resources. As a teacher, you likely have strong conflict resolution and interpersonal skills that could help you excel in the role of an HR specialist, for example. It’s also not uncommon to make a career change from teaching to corporate training or talent acquisition.
Project management. Making a career change from teaching to project management may seem like a significant shift. However, teachers possess many skills that transfer well into this field, including time management and problem-solving.
Mental health services. Do you prefer working with people one-on-one or in small groups, and want to continue making a difference in others’ lives? If so, becoming a school psychologist, substance abuse counselor, or therapist may be a worthwhile consideration.
Entrepreneurial Paths for Former Teachers
If you’re self-motivated and crave more flexibility, the following entrepreneurial career paths may be suitable for you:
Coaching. Most teachers possess nearly every skill needed to become a phenomenal coach: they know how to motivate people, listen attentively, ask the right questions, and guide them toward excellence. Therefore, becoming a life, academic, or career coach may be easier than you might expect!
Consulting. If you enjoy sharing your knowledge with others and helping them overcome problems, consider transitioning into educational consulting. Depending on your experience and area of expertise, you could also become a special education, curriculum, or another type of consultant.
Educational content creator. If you’re looking for creative jobs for former teachers, you might want to look into content creation. For example, you could develop e-learning materials or even create educational content on YouTube or another platform.
Virtual assistant (VA) services. Becoming a virtual assistant could be a great idea if you enjoy organizing and want to have more control over your time, as most VAs support businesses remotely and set their own schedules.
What to Know About Upskilling and Further Education
Here’s what you should know about upskilling and further education if you’re planning on making a career change from teaching:
Do You Need Additional Degrees or Certifications?
Whether you need additional degrees or certifications largely depends on the type of job you’re transitioning to. If it is within education or closely related to it (e.g., academic advisor), you probably have a good chance of getting hired without taking any additional courses.
However, if you're making a significant career change from teaching, further education may help you close any skill gaps, establish credibility, and demonstrate your commitment to the new field. In most cases, you won’t have to enroll in college and get a full degree; a short course or certification may be enough to show interest and dedication.
For instance, if your goal is to make a career change from teaching to HR, consider undergoing the SHRM Essentials of Human Resources course, which doesn’t require a degree in HR or prior experience in the field. Still, it can introduce you to U.S. employment laws and enhance your transferable skills, thereby boosting your chances of successfully transitioning to this field.
Self-Directed Learning Approaches
If you prefer self-directed learning over traditional approaches, there are plenty of books, podcasts, and online learning platforms you can explore to make your transition smoother.
At Resume.co, we offer a wide range of resources for job hunters, be they recent graduates or teachers making a mid-life career change. So, regardless of whether you need help crafting a powerful career change cover letter or preparing for a job interview, we’re here to help you navigate the job search process with confidence!
How to Financially Prepare for a Career Change From Teaching
To financially prepare for a career change from teaching, it’s best to keep your salary expectations realistic and create a transition fund. Here’s why:
Salary Expectations During and After Transition
It’s no secret that teaching isn’t the highest-paying job, and switching careers can increase your earnings significantly.
However, you shouldn’t expect high pay right away, even if you’re applying for a job with a high earning potential. In many ways, a career change is a fresh start, which means you might have to go through a short-term dip in earnings before advancing to higher-paying roles.
Another thing to consider is that entrepreneurial jobs (virtual assistant, life coach, etc.) usually require working as a freelancer. While this provides more flexibility, it may come at the cost of financial stability.
Creating a Transition Fund
A transition fund can help you minimize the financial strain that may initially occur when making a career change from teaching. As a general rule, your savings should cover 3–6 months of essential living expenses, including rent or mortgage, bills, food, insurance, and other necessary costs.
Here’s how you can create a transition fund:
Evaluate your monthly expenses.
Reduce non-essential spending to a minimum or temporarily pause it.
Put away a fixed amount of money every month (every penny counts, so make sure that’s where your bonuses, tax refunds, and other unexpected income go!).
Resume Builder and Templates for Career Changers
Writing a career change resume doesn’t have to be time-consuming. Our professional resume builder comes equipped with a dedicated AI writing assistant and eye-catching, ATS-friendly resume templates, enabling you to craft a winning document in just a few clicks.
And the best part? You don’t have to start from scratch.
Instead, upload your teacher resume to the builder, tweak it to make it relevant to the job you’re transitioning to, and you’re good to go!
Final Thoughts
Although rewarding, teaching comes with its own set of challenges. If you’re struggling with teacher burnout, an excessive workload, or simply no longer find your job satisfying, there’s no shame in leaving the classroom.
If you’re planning on switching careers, the last thing you want to do is present your teaching background as a shortcoming. If anything, the transferable skills acquired through teaching are what set you apart from your competition!
