Planning Your Exit From Teaching? Start With These 3 Questions
“I’ve decided to unenroll.”, I told my advisor, though I’d only started the education leadership program about 6 weeks prior. When I decided to enroll in the program, I knew I was done teaching. Becoming an administrator seemed like the “right” next step. By mid-semester, it was clear that I’d made a mistake.
I enjoyed deepening my pedagogy and learning more about the inner workings of education administration. It was definitely interesting, but it wasn’t exciting. While teaching was definitely my Zone of Excellence, I’d been feeling called to take a big leap into my Genius Zone. I knew that would mean leaving the classroom for good. (If these zones don’t make sense, check Gay Hendricks’ The Big Leap or listening to him on a podcast.)
So, I did what we all do and Googled, “What can I do with an education degree besides teaching?” and “Jobs for teachers outside of the classroom?” and just started applying. Was it the best strategy? Definitely not, namely because it wasn’t actually a strategy at all. But it did give me momentum. It made me feel like I was actually doing something, and it gave me some feedback and insight into how to land my next role.
Looking back, there were a few questions I wish I’d asked myself before I started applying.
What do you actually want to do?
I thought that I needed to move into another education-focused role. I looked for learning and development or instructional design jobs, because I figured it made sense with my experience. Once I started applying to these roles, I realized pretty quickly that I didn’t actually want to work at these companies, and I wasn’t at all excited about the roles. I didn’t want to teach anymore; I wanted to use my other skills in an education-adjacent space. When I refocused my search in this way, it helped me to target roles that aligned more specifically.
Still figuring out your next step after teaching? Download my FREE workbook, Your Next Move, to help you start planning your career beyond the classroom.
What are your non-negotiables?
My “apply-to-everything-that-looks-remotely-interesting” strategy wasted a lot of my time.
I was spending hours on applications for jobs that didn’t meet my salary requirements, had a less-than-ideal work schedule, or were located in a city that was completely unrealistic for me to relocate to, simply because the job title included “learning” or “education.” If I’d gotten clear on my must-haves and deal-breakers from the beginning, I could have been more intentional with my time and focused in my job hunt that actually made sense for me.
Your non-negotiables might include salary, location, schedule, remote or hybrid work, travel requirements, company culture, or opportunities for advancement.
You don’t have to be willing to compromise on everything just because you’re trying to leave the classroom.
Who and what can help you get there?
I was able to access career coaching and resume services through my university. They helped me to upgrade my cover letter, resume, and LinkedIn pages, and offered tips for networking and informational interviews. My alumni network was so helpful in offering me insight into companies or roles that I found interesting.
I used the resources around me to help bolster my transition out of the classroom, and they gave me access to information and support I wouldn’t have had on my own.
You probably have more resources available to you than you realize. Your university, alumni network, former colleagues, professional associations, LinkedIn connections, and even friends and family can all be valuable sources of information as you figure out what comes next.
Leaving the classroom doesn’t have to mean that you already know exactly what you want to do next. But I did eventually realize that my goal wasn’t to find the “right” version of teaching. It was to figure out what I wanted to do with everything I’d learned from my background, including teaching, and then build a strategy to get there.
Ready to stop wondering what’s next and start making a plan? The Exit Year Playbook walks you through the steps to identify your next move and build a career beyond the classroom to make this your last year of teaching.
