Joining teaching as a career change means you can bring all your life experiences to the table, as well as the skills you’ve learned in your previous job.
Whether you are a paramedic or work in PR, the list of previous careers many great teachers have had is long and varied. Here are the top transferrable skills which you can apply to teaching, according to the people whose job it is to shape and recruit great educators.
Communication skills
Something teacher trainers and schools will look for is your ability to communicate complex ideas in easy to understand and interesting ways. Jobs where you’ve had to communicate with a variety of different people, some of whom might have been challenging, will stand you in good stead.
“You also need to be able to communicate at different levels – from talking and writing to parents about their children to talking to colleagues and managers about professional matters,” says James Williams, a lecturer in science education at the Sussex School of Education and Social Work.
Teacher recruitment agency EduStaff has found that people who have worked in the business world can often be good at communicating in an accessible and engaging way.
“All good sales people learn very quickly that good communication is a key part of what will make them successful. Nearly everyone who works in the business world will be expected to sell to some degree, and it is obvious which of our teachers come from a sales background,” says Declan Spinks, digital engagement officer at EduStaff.
Interpersonal skills
“The days of a classroom where the teacher closes the door and nobody knows what goes on inside the room are long gone,” says Williams. As well as work with children and parents, teachers today need to be able to work with colleagues – team teaching, coaching, mentoring, as well as perhaps leading teams of people on projects or within departments.
Someone who was previously in a managerial position should have good interpersonal skills.
“Like teachers, good managers will know how to quickly build a rapport with their team and manage them tactfully without micromanaging but just giving them the freedom to be creative,” says Spinks. “This is a vital skills for all teachers who must give their students instruction without turning them into robots who cannot think for themselves.”
Being able to handle difficult people and situations is also a very good transferable skill. Yes, children can be difficult and you will need to learn about behaviour management, but sometimes the parents can be quite tricky too. If you have good people skills, it’s a real bonus in teaching.
The ability to work under pressure
Teaching does have long holidays but don’t be deceived. The teaching day is stressful and involves working long hours. Teachers work to constant deadlines and you’re not just answering to one person. You are accountable to at least 30 people, points out Jen Rosati – a teacher and co-founder of teacher recruitment agency Impact Teachers.
“The ability to work efficiently and effectively under pressure in the education sector is paramount, you can have a million tasks to do at once and constant demands,” she says.
In teaching everything is always a top priority and you will need to show your ability to work under tight deadlines – exams don’t shift so the curriculum has to be delivered – and lessons cannot be postponed, adds Williams. “Those ‘holidays’ by the way are often times for catching up and advance preparation.”
Leadership
Leadership skills are a must, says Williams, whether it’s guiding the learning in class, motivating the disaffected student or leading a team or department. “The ability to lead by example, to be authoritative but not arrogant, or the skill of developing learning skills in children and teaching skills with colleagues are all important.”
It is useful to have experience presenting and motivating a team, no matter what the size, says Spinks. It will prepare you for teaching lessons to students, who can be the harshest audience of all.
Problem solving
If you are a creative thinker, but also good at critical analysis, then teaching has lots to offer, adds Williams. Planning is a vital part of teaching, so ensuring that the curriculum is delivered in a timely but engaging and exciting way will mean that your students get the most out of school. Jobs where you learn to manage outcomes as well as your time and the time of those around you can be perfect preparation for this.
Problem solving also requires flexibility because children are notoriously unpredictable and no amount of planning as a teacher can prevent that. Previous roles where you have had to think on your feet and act accordingly can help prepare you for the challenge.
And you’ll face new problems everyday, points out Spinks. “Whether you are an engineer designing new structures in alignment with the plans of architects, or an administrator streamlining processes in a recruitment company, there are skills you will learn there that will put you in great stead for a career in teaching.”
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