Career Pivot from Teaching

Hi all, I'm looking to transition from teaching to something else. I'm a current science teacher and athletic director. I'm inspired by jobs in athletics, education management, or learning and development. I'm wondering if anyone has advice on how to get started.

I know that I have so many transferable skills and would be an asset to any company or organization.

Your tips and insight are GREATLY appreciated.

Iynna·Mar 23

Hello! Exciting times ahead for youSuper interesting to see the work you're doing now and what you might want to do later. You could look at it from an industry + function perspective ie. work in the sports industry doing a role that's around Learning & Dev which is very fit for someone who used to be a teacher, same things with sales, partner development, even marketing if that's of interest - but this really depends on what your skills / superpowers are that you can go apply to other field of work. As for the industry itself, I shared sports because you mention you're interested in it and it's super vast so you could go for a place like Nike/Adidas or a Major Leagues (or even roles at individual teams which the MLB offers) or more broadly a career in fitness, fittinsider.com is a fantastic resource for that! But before you start going there, I really would suggest digging more into the things you're very good at, you want to do, and then go from there to find what type of roles fit that JD you wrote of yourself (we can help you jam on that and i'm sure the rest of the internet can do wonders) separately @moniseseward is in your boat and shared a piece here which got some good nuggets of wisdom https://elpha.com/posts/yw323jih/i-m-finally-ready-to-leave-k12and on a different note, @deniselevine shared this recent post https://elpha.com/posts/q4620rg4/shifting-your-focus maybe it will resonate?

aworbetz·Mar 23

Thank you so much for this! L&D roles in a sports or fitness industry makes me super excited! I’m thrilled to dive into it more and see where it leads!

Iynna·Mar 24

right! sounds so exciting! Now those aren't roles that are published ALL the time so you'd need to follow closely and of course build relationships internally! but that's secondary right now!

cjmarcolini·Mar 25

Amazing! I made the pivot in 2019. Here's what I learned:1) Read up on different job titles. I thought I wanted to be a project manager (after reading, I realized, no way!) I ended up in Customer Success and love it.2) Don't be afraid to take an entry level role to learn more about the corporate side of things.3) Be active on platforms like LinkedIn (and here!)Commit to the search. If you want to transition, you'll be successful! It takes tenacity, but you can do it.

Ruthie89·Mar 25

Start with your contacts in your field. For instance, as an AD, you have probably interacted with equipment vendors, trainers and even donors. Are any of them at organizations you would like to join? Set up brainstorming coffees.

heatherkenvin·Mar 25

Hi @aworbetz - My friend Chelsea Maude Avirett is the founder of Skip's Job Board for educators transitioning to ed tech jobs https://edskip.com, if you aren't familiar with that resource already. Chelsea's a great person to follow on LI, too. Good luck to you!

lisajohnson23·Mar 29

Thanks for this share! It's an amazing resource.

aworbetz·Mar 25

Thank you!!!

laurarose5·Mar 25

I am doing the same! Leaving education to enter into the corporate world. We should connect as I've done a lot of work thus far and have some thoughts and recommendations!

aworbetz·Mar 25

Yes, I would love to connect! How would you like to go about that? Looking forward to it!

carrieadler·Mar 25

@aworbetz Check out Daphne Gomez and Erin Lewber on linked in. They help teachers revamp resumes and narrow their search to a focus role. They helped me move from classroom teacher to Learning Designer in edtech in 2023! Warning: the job market for such roles is even tighter and has even more competition due to Edxiting teachers than I experienced last year. You can totally do it! But you might have faster success focusing on your athletic background and not limit yourself to only familiar edtech companies.

Raguel17·Mar 25

This webinar was in my email today, maybe it will be helpful? It's tomorrow, but they usually send a recording link if you register and can't attend live.Teacher Transitions: Leveraging Transferable Skills to Successfully Change Careershttps://www.flexjobs.com/events/event/858

vanessakverdugo·Mar 25

Ed tech roles or roles within sports industry! If you like talking to people to help then, try customer success roles within those industries. If you like working with numbers/data, check out data roles. If you like research, look into ux research. Posting on here is a great way to get started, reach out to people to set up 1:1s with those that have recently transitioned into those roles, most many not answer but be a sponge with the ones that do - listen for the pros and cons, the unexpected, where your skills could apply-- that's effective networking virtually. Depending on where you live, start searching LinkedIn and sites like this for in-person events. Don't be afraid to reach out to folks for mentorship or coaching (free and/or paid), it's a big transition and you have to analyze what areas of the transition you'll need the least and most help with! You don't need to post on LinkedIn regularly but definitely remain active! Know that it can feel overwhelming and stressful at times, but you are putting yourself first - go you!

aggarwal·Mar 27

I would suggest to lauch your favorite course and sell whitlabeelled course

KQ·Mar 31

I would get clear on what lights you up + move forward in that direction. instead of approaching it like "how can I fit my skills into this role," maybe start looking for something that includes your passions (no matter the title). or, perhaps find a company that you love + pitch your ideal role to them. I am a purpose guide + have worked in this space a lot (plus, transitioned from corporate into healing/coaching); if you want to chat more, grab 20 minutes on my calendar here: https://kqunplugged.as.me/givefirst

rachelserwetz·Jul 12

Hi @aworbetz ! The key to pivoting is first getting clear on what direction you want to go in - be sure you do a full process of career exploration to understand and clarify which role/industry is the best direction for you – and then optimizing factors like updating personal branding materials, pursuing reputable upskilling opportunities, networking and researching to understand the role and how people break in, and having a coach/mentor/peer/etc to see any gaps and areas for opportunity.Here are some resources – https://www.iamwoken.com/post/your-next-career-step-isnt-permanent-how-to-see-your-career-as-an-informed-experimentand https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kr9QMUOgaCk&feature=youtu.be. Additionally, on my website I have a 7-step guide focused on how to successfully make a career pivot which will have a lot of helpful tips for you - https://www.iamwoken.com/resources/job-searching#downloadables.PS, I’m Rachel. If you want to discuss further, check my profile to book a call to dive deeper into your goals/challenges.