The job market in Education can be tough these days, as many school districts around the country have had to lay off teachers and leave vacant job openings unfilled. If you’re looking for Education jobs, you might consider some alternative career fields that make good use of the skills and talents of education professionals.
Even if you’re not in front of a classroom, you can still find fulfillment and fun and put your best skills to use. For example:
Sales. Selling is ultimately a form of teaching – it’s about listening to customers, building relationships, and helping people realize the advantages and “answers” offered by a particular product or service. If you have a background in the education profession, you might consider working in sales. If you’re outgoing, confident and eager to make an impact, with a healthy spirit of competition, sales could be an ideal alternative “education job” for you.
Advantages:
- If you’re good at selling, a sales career might pay a lot more than your old job in teaching.
- Sales is a constant learning process – you will always be learning “tricks of the trade,” new details about products, and new industry trends. If you love to learn, sales could be right for you.
Drawbacks:
- Sales can be a difficult job, and pay is often based on commission – you don’t sell, you don’t get paid. Not everyone is cut out for a career in sales.
- If you’re not that competitive, you might not like the day-to-day “game” of sales. Many education professionals are not as money-oriented, so depending on what motivates you, sales might not be ideal.
Training. Companies need teachers – but instead of calling them “teachers,” they’re called “Corporate Trainers.” The skill set is still pretty much the same – you need to be a good communicator, you need to have a commanding and engaging presence in front of an audience, and you need to be creative and able to create structure for your students.
Advantages:
- Companies tend to provide thorough training and guidance on how to teach their standard “curriculum.” This means less time spent on lesson planning!
- There are few problems with classroom discipline – everyone is getting paid to be there and is usually happy to listen and participate.
Drawbacks:
- The subject matter might be too “dry” or technical compared to your old job in teaching.
- If you prefer to teach kids, corporate training might not be right for you – since the students are all adults.
Production Supervisor. Another field that can be a good fit for out-of-work education professionals is working in a manufacturing supervisor role. If you have good attention to detail, strong abilities to negotiate and oversee the work of others, and a good sense of creating teamwork and “team spirit,” then you might find that working as a production supervisor can be a good fit with the skills of an education professional.
Advantages:
- Just as teachers supervise the work of their students and ensure that kids “follow the rules,” production supervisors also need to have this same knack for detail.
- Compared to maintaining discipline for a classroom full of rowdy kids, working on a production line might seem calm and orderly by comparison!
Drawbacks:
- Hours can be irregular. Be prepared to work a late shift, especially if it’s your first job in the production field.
- The work might be a bit more routine than you’re used to, with less room for flexibility and creativity.
By: Ben Gran
Ben Gran is a freelance writer based in Des Moines, Iowa. He is an award-winning blogger who loves to write about careers, personal finance and the future of work. Ben can be reached at http://BenjaminGran.com
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