Confidence in Your New Career

It can be challenging to change from teaching to an entirely new career. When we first set up Did Teach we spent a year researching and contacting organisations to find out if they have ever hired ex-teachers, we were amazed at the variety of sectors teachers have gone into. Some, like tutoring, are a very natural fit for teachers, after all, that’s what we have trained to do.

Even successful teachers can lack confidence outside of the classroom and this is completely normal as many of us feel slightly institutionalised from a lifetime of being in school as a student first and then returning to school again as a teacher.

You have to remember that as a teacher you have to upskill each year, as new government and school initiatives are introduced, new technology is unleashed and new cohorts of students appear. All present new challenges so being agile is one of your key soft skills. You are very adaptable, you have to be! Therefore, have confidence in your abilities, anything you don’t know, you can learn, what a teacher doesn’t know today they make it their business to learn for tomorrow.

Transferable Skills

It can be particularly daunting after leaving the familiar environment of teaching but your transferable skills will see you through this change. You are already adept at communication, organisation, adaptability, and problem-solving.

Teaching equips you with a diverse skill set that is extremely valuable in a whole range of professions.

The National Careers Service emphasises that educators possess skills such as communication, organisation, and adaptability all of which are highly portable.

“Teachers possess a treasure trove of transferable skills that make them well-suited for a wide range of careers.”

We discussed these skills in our blog ‘5 Key Skills That Make Teachers Highly Employable’ Teachers possess a unique set of skills that extend beyond the classroom, making them highly sought after and very employable.

Understanding your transferable skills allows you to identify and assess your expertise and capabilities, to discover potential knowledge gaps or growth opportunities.

Embracing A Growth Mindset

Harvard Business School states that ‘Someone with a growth mindset views intelligence, abilities, and talents as learnable and capable of improvement through effort.’ They identify 4 areas of the growth mindset that enable you to succeed in new endeavours:

● It allows you to move into new fields - your past doesn’t define your future

● It fosters resilience - the capacity to recover from and move through difficult situations

● It enables you to iterate - test ideas, learn from the results

● It keeps you humble - there’s always more to learn

I am sure you will agree that these areas are very familiar for teachers and the growth mindset theory is something we foster in our students.

Building A Support System

It is important to seek support from colleagues, mentors, friends, or family during the your career transition. Has anyone in your personal network made a big career move? Do you know any former teachers who have transitioned? Pick their brains, ask questions about the realities of the career change.

Connecting with your new colleagues on LinkedIn can be reassuring. From their profile, you will see similarities with your experiences and skills which will serve to bolster your confidence. You may also identify opportunities for you to add value to the organisation by spotting skills gaps that you can fill in their workforce. It is also useful to research and join the same professional groups are they in? This will allow you to learn more about the sector you are moving into.

Self-Care & Confidence

Most teachers who have changed careers stress that their wellbeing has significantly improved. It is very hard to set professional boundaries with teaching as there is never enough time in the day or the academic year. Teachers who have left the classroom have spoken to us about the joy of shutting their laptops at 5 pm, having energy for hobbies and socialising with their friends.

Imposture syndrome is very common for career changers, doubting your abilities and thinking you are a fraud. Reframing your thought process is a good way to deal with imposture syndrome, for example, reflecting on your key skills and achievements or asking yourself ‘Where is the proof that I can’t do this?’ will help you realise that you do have the necessary skills and abilities and if you don’t there are hundreds on online courses where you can upskill for free or paid.

Celebrating your achievements from your teaching career, no matter how small, will help boost confidence and motivation in your new role.

Conclusion

Congratulate yourself for going into the teaching profession, you have played a big part in shaping young people's lives. Those skills honed in the classroom mean you have the capability to be highly successful in a new career.

You will always have a teaching qualification and the opportunity to return to the profession later in your career. The government has a Return To Teaching Advisory service where returners can access targeted support as well as courses to improve subject knowledge and teaching practices, such as National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) and useful resources such as the Early Career Framework (ECF).  

Best of luck in your new venture, be confident in the skills you have acquired and relish the opportunity to learn more.

‍(Written by Katie Stickley former teacher for 19 years and Co-Founder of Did Teach, the UK’s number 1 platform helping teachers change careers or diversify their income and experience whilst teaching.)