What are the New Career Paths in Education? Tips for Transitioning and Versatile Teachers

By Zainab Cheema 

What are the top emerging careers in Education? The Teacher Quitting Crisis and the explosion of EdTech means that a shift is underway in the way education is being done. This means that professionals in Education can access new opportunities to reinvent their careers, find side ventures, expand their professional networks and gain access to cutting-edge Ed Tech technologies. This benefits companies looking to tap into the skilled labor leaving public schools, as well as transitioning teachers who want to leverage their core skill set but who are also willing to upskill and reskill.

A good strategy for teachers seeking to leave public schools is to look for jobs that require transferrable skills that they already have. Of course, before looking for new positions, teachers should first take stock of just what skills are in their toolkit. Reading posts from transitioning teachers on LinkedIn, I was struck by their expressing a lack of confidence and sense of worth for the job market. Given how much teachers know and how skilled they are in what they do, it felt wrong that they should feel so devalued. This is certainly not a reflection on teachers, but rather on toxic work environments that do not support them in cultivating a sense of value. In this post, I want to help teachers and educators develop a sense of confidence by showing them their marketability for some of the most in-demand education and education-adjacent fields. 

Teachers have a wealth of skills that translate to other career tracks, as this helpful LinkedIn Career Guide points out. Teachers have expertise in public speaking and presenting, given that their careers require them to share information with others (students as well as colleagues, supervisors, parents, etc.) Teachers also have a high degree of emotional intelligence and communication skills from managing classrooms with diverse students. Teachers interpret how students feel and calibrate their instructional activities. They have exceptional organizational and time management skill required to develop lesson plans, manage grading and coordinate material with state- and national tests. Increasingly, they have to master data management and EdTech tools as a way to bring 21^st century learning into the classroom.

These skills mean that teachers are well-suited to careers that focus on providing customer service; delivering presentations; organizing and leading workshops and meetings; program and event management; as well as a range of jobs in instructional design and curriculum development that bank on their Education degrees and tech skills. Here are some of the top career tracks for teachers looking to transition out of traditional teaching jobs towards in-demand jobs in education.  

Instructional Designer

Instructional designers use theory and research-based methods on how people learn to design learning materials that enhance the productivity of their customers (whether students, professors and teachers, or professionals). As Purdue Online points out, they can employed in a wide range of industries, including K12 schools, universities, business, the government and military.  According to the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth for this role is anticipated to increase by 13 percent within the next ten years. On a day-to-day basis, Instructional Designers design instructional management systems; evaluate eLearning materials; create educational podcasts, videos, and content; train others on how to deliver learning material; and research new innovations in both learning design and education. Instructional design is an optimal career track for educators interested in how learning takes place and who want to build systems and materials around those processes. The median salary for Instructional Designers ranges from $68,775 to $87,954.

How to Upskill: Instructional Designer positions require a Masters in Education and teaching experience, which most teachers already possess. If they wish to apply for these kinds of positions, teachers should consider expanding on the theory and processes for integrating technology in the classroom; learn how to adapt curriculum into digital formats; be familiar with the range of EdTech tools and applications on the market and know how to integrate them in lesson plans.

Curriculum Developer (or Instructional Coordinator)

While Curriculum Developers have a degree of overlap with Instructional Designers, they tend to be more centered in the Education industry. Also, in most organizations, “curriculum developer” and “instructional coordinator” are synonymous, though in some places these roles may diverge. Essentially, curriculum developers help a school develop and implement a teaching plan with lessons designed to meet the educational standards of the school or district. Their input shapes the schools’ delivery of the learning from textbooks to the optimal methods and processes of classroom instruction. They create or improve curricula; review or develop course content like textbooks and eLearning materials; observe teachers and provide feedback to help improve their teaching practices; analyze student test results to make changes to school wide curricula, and more. Curriculum developers also take on a teaching role by organizing and leading staff training programs and workshops on instructional techniques for teachers. The median salary for Instructional Designers ranges from $50,434 to $69,627.

How to Upskill: Curriculum Developer positions require a Masters in Education and teaching experience, which most teachers already possess. If they wish to apply for these kinds of positions, teachers should consider expanding on the theory and processes for integrating technology in the classroom; learn how to adapt curriculum into digital formats; practice leading workshops for other educators; and master course objectives and assessments. For teachers who feel that they lack experience in any of these areas, consider taking courses in Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment.

Education Consultant

An Educational Consultant is a professional who is work with educational institutions and their stakeholders, helping them develop the core and emerging competencies to create healthy and functioning organizations. Educational Consultants wear many hats, including parts of the duties of Instructional Designers and Curriculum Developers. However, they also have broader skill sets that qualify them to work the multiple stakeholders of educational institutions—not just educators and administrators, but also families, communities, and educational organizations more broadly. Educational Consultants must be experts in data management, using hard and soft data from classrooms and national tests to develop plans to boost students’ performance on reading, writing, mathematics and subject areas. They must master different assessment approaches. Finally, they must have skills in developing community partnerships and interpersonal abilities to help navigate parent-school relationships. According to Payscale, Education Consultants make an average of $65,444 a year, with the top consultants netting six figure incomes. Ed consultants will be able to work with traditional schools as well as accept salaried positions in Education Consulting firms such as Education Elements.

How to Upskill: Educators who are more senior in their fields, and who have worked in administration as well as teaching, could consider branching out as education consultants. A Masters or Doctorate in Education is a must for the consultancy track. Educators looking to transition into education consultants should master informal and informal assessments. If they work in K12, they should be familiar with No Child Left Behind (NCLB), Race to the Top (RTTT) and the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) assessments. They should learn data analysis and visualization techniques to be able to narrate the data and curricular and program suggestions. They should also gain skills in community development and partnerships by taking part in service learning, community outreach initiatives and more. It’s also a good idea to be knowledgeable about emerging debates and approaches in distance learning.

Educational Sales Representative

Transitioning teachers may also consider joining EdTech companies as educational sales representatives. As EdTech companies come to grow their presence in the Education landscape, they are developing some of the most in-demand jobs. Education Sales Representatives work to promote and market the educational products (books, textbooks, eLearning programs) developed by EdTech companies to K12 schools, colleges and universities. Education Sales Representatives should develop a robust network with school and college administrators. They should be familiar with traditional and online sales and marketing skills. Teachers with command over digital production skills such as blogging, podcasting and video production (all of which translate into knowledge of the basics of social media campaigns) will be a particularly good fit for these positions. The median salary of an Educational Sales Representative ranges from $57,002 to $85,001.

How to Upskill: Educators looking to land a Sales Representative job with an Education or EdTech company should begin polishing more sales and public relations oriented skills. As teachers, they are already possess strong skills in public speaking, communication, emotional learning, and group organization. Taking on entry level positions in sales and brushing up on the latest skills needed for online marketing will be a smart move. See this helpful article on things to do to get marketing experience when you have none.    

Resources:

Here is a list of helpful resources for teachers looking to pivot, transition or even expand their roster of skills:

• Listen to this Interview with a Transitioned Teacher

This episode from the Teacher Career Coach podcast centers on the experiences of Claire Bossert, who transitioned out of teaching at a public school to working at an education company. It offers good tips in mindset and strategy needed to land the job of your dreams.    

• So You Want to Work in EdTech? What Educators Can Do and Where to Go to Explore EdTech Careers

This helpful resources from EdSurge lists tracks, pathways and a wealth of resources for educators who wish to expand into EdTech careers.

• 40 Alternate Jobs for Teachers Wanting a Career Change

This Indeed article offers a helpful list of alternate careers for teachers who want to step out of the Education Industry.

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