Transitioning Teachers: How to effectively prepare for your transition

 So you are ready to move forward with transitioning from your teaching position but you have no clue what your first steps are. You may be asking yourself...

1) What do I want to transition to?

2) How do I update my resume to reflect the transition?

3) Do I need a portfolio of my work and what should that look like?

If you want to be fully prepared for your transition, let's talk about the groundwork that needs to be done first. Here are three main components of a career transition:

What jobs do I want to apply to?

To figure this out, we need to brainstorm and pick out the aspects of teaching that you loved. Was it designing lesson plans? Being in front of a classroom? or something else?

Once you figure this out, you can explore what positions still have your favorite aspect of teaching. Start saving jobs that spark your interest online. Once you have these jobs saved this leads to the next step.

How do I update my resume to be tailored to the career transition?

Remember, your resume is the first point of contact the employer has so you want to reflect your transferable skills the correct way. You want them to know you are the best candidate for the job. 

Here are three things you should ensure are happening on your resume as a transitioning teacher:

1) Ensure you have a competitive template that catches the reader's eye.

2) Include a Summary of Experience section at the top. This section tells who you are, how long you have been doing it, and what value you add to any company that hires you. You can tie in everything with the last sentence and speak on what you are looking to transition into. 

3) Include measurables in your job tasks. Let the employer know how big your classroom was or how many lesson plans you created. You can even talk about improvements you made to the curriculum. 

Should I have a portfolio of work?

You generally need a portfolio if you are going to be facilitating or leading projects in your next position. If you need this, be creative! Be unique! As long as your links work and it's easy to read, there is no right or wrong way to do this. Your portfolio should express your personality and how you create. Be you!

Even though it can be intimidating applying to jobs outside of the classroom, when you ensure that every document effectively shows your skills you become a lot more confident in your job search. 

If you need one-on-one assistance with your transition, please click here to sign up for a free consultation T. Lassiter Services is always here to support you in your career transition!