Just because you want to leave your draining job in education doesn’t mean you hate every aspect of it. Here are some jobs that will allow you to use skills you already have to pivot into a new career.

You may be one of the 55% of people who work in the education industry and currently want to leave. With no growth in wages and the role of teachers becoming more and more stressful, leaving for a better paying and less stressful position only makes the most sense.

My story:
Leaving a toxic job and environment can literally change your life, and I’m proof of that. And I loved the impact I made while I worked in the education industry. I was able to get my Masters in Adult Learning, make meaningful impact and gain a plethora of skills. I saw that no matter what company or institution that pays me, I had to learn how to leverage and utilize my skills in a way that was enjoyable to me and got me paid!

However, it can be difficult to figure out how exactly to make a career transition out of education.  

If you are trying to escape the education industry..

You may feel drained, burned out, underpaid, or like your skills don’t translate to things that pay, but it does, it absolutely does.

Before we get into the jobs, you need to think about your strengths, your values and how you want your life to look after leaving the education industry.

For each job I’ll share the skills they require, how easy it is to land a job doing this, how much they pay. But if you stick around, I’ll share the strategy required to actually pivot into these jobs.

Job #1: Corporate trainer
$70,000 - $120,000

Corporate Training is a direct transition for someone who enjoys developing programs, providing mentorship and enriching the learning process. The role may vary between organizations but the key is knowing how to translate your skills from teaching to corporate.

Job #3: Educational consultants

$41,000–$203,000
While the specific work a consultant is tasked with can vary from client to client—whether those clients are school districts or individuals—it’s a job that’s a great fit for teachers, who have the most immediate and relevant experience necessary to do the job well. You may be asked to provide curriculum guidance, classroom management strategies, and/or insight into the socioeconomic and extracurricular needs of students. The most money likely rests in helping students prep and submit college applications.

Job #3: Learning Specialist

Up to $92,000 or even more in tech or larger companies
getting new hires up to speed when they first arrive in the workplace, training existing staff to use new technologies, and in some cases working directly with customers to share info on products or services your organization offers. These tasks are not dissimilar to drafting lesson plans, adapting teaching and communication approaches to different students, learning and helping students learn to use new education software and tools, and problem-solving with your fellow teachers.

Job #4 Curriculum Developer

Up to $100K
If you like making curriculum more relevant and tailored to students needs, this role may be for you. If you have advanced degrees this is something you could do for a university or in a corporate role and potentially make a salary.
You could also take these skills to a corporate role as a corporate trainer

Tips to make the transition easier

Identify your POP: Points of Passion

What is it that you actually enjoy doing? Pick apart not only what you are doing now, but what you enjoy in general, and ask yourself why you really enjoy it.

The next key to making any transition is to first understand that you can. After working with hundreds of clients, I see now that most people can do most things. If you KNOW that your skills are valuable then you are better are talking about them and articulating to others the value that you hold.