Best Jobs for Former Teachers: 10 Exciting Ideas for This Career Change

If the appeal of a career change interests you, then you’ll want to read our roundup of the 10 best jobs for former teachers.

There are thousands of jobs available! It can be tough to navigate it all. You want to utilize your teaching skills and benefit from transitioning into a job field where you can shine.

So, we’re going to share the best former teacher jobs to look into where your transferable skills will be best used.

Let’s get into it!

10 Best Jobs for Former Teachers

Here are some of the best jobs for former teachers. Some jobs are teaching-related. But others will lean on your teaching skills in a completely different job field!

1. Blogger

Bloggers write online about a passion or interest they have. It’s like getting paid to write for your own website! Your content will attract an audience.

You will monetize that website traffic through:

• Advertising
• Sponsored posts
• Product sales
• Selling services
• Affiliate marketing 

Top bloggers make up to $100K+ per month! This is a lucrative, rewarding job. It comes with the perks of working from home and designing your dream flexible schedule.

Transitioning from teaching to blogging can make a lot of sense. You don’t necessarily need to start a teaching blog, either.

Your teaching skills, like organization, adaptability, and creativity, lend well to blogging, regardless of the topic you blog about.

To start, read our guide about how to start a blog that makes money with WordPress.

Alternatively, if you prefer a comprehensive video guide that takes you from beginner to expert, consider checking out The Affiliate Lab.

This highly acclaimed course covers blogging, SEO, and affiliate marketing, providing you with all the knowledge you need to launch your website, scale it into a profitable venture, and eventually sell it!

2. Freelance Writing

Freelance writers get paid to write copy for clients.

It can include:

• Content writing
• Copywriting
• Short-form content creation, like writing product descriptions

Writers can work in various niches, too. Anything from fashion to finance, food, interior design, and more.

You'll use transferable skills like organization, subject matter expertise, problem-solving, and creativity.

This is a good option for teachers transitioning into a new career field. Teachers who enjoy writing can pursue their interests and make money writing about their passions.

To start finding work, I recommend you check out these 23 sites for freelancers to find consistent work.

3. Nanny

Teachers have a ton of experience working closely with kids. Being a nanny is the best career to keep you working with children but at home versus in school.

Nannies are like long-term babysitters. You’ll watch children over extended periods of time, like all day on weekdays and/or weekends.

You may work with kids of all ages, including babies, and do things like:

• Supervise play activities
• Cook meals and prepare snacks
• Coordinate nap time and bedtime routines

Working as a nanny can be very fulfilling and a natural transition for a former teacher.

4. Librarian

When considering the best jobs for former teachers, what’s better than working as a librarian?

As an ex-teacher, you probably have experience going to the school library and interacting with the librarian. This gives you a leg up compared to other job candidates coming from unrelated fields.

Librarians have job duties like:

• Maintaining the library’s collection of books
• Supporting students and faculty in conducting research
• Managing the library’s technology resources like computers, tablets, etc.
• Cataloging and organizing the library’s books, reference materials, and resources

5. Guidance Counselor

A guidance counselor works in a school setting, providing guidance and counseling to students. You'll wear many hats in this job, ultimately working with students to guide them through adolescence as a school counselor, mentor, and career counselor or career coach.

This includes:

• Academic and social counseling
• College counseling
• Crisis intervention and support
• Career counseling

Your job plays a major role in the academic, social, and emotional development of students. It’s an important job that is personally fulfilling and a natural choice for transitioning out of teaching. 

You’ll still be working closely with students. But you'll provide guidance, support, and mentorship. And you'll help students overcome challenges and make informed decisions.

6. Selling Courses

One of the best jobs for former teachers is course creator, believe it or not! You can bundle the knowledge and skills you’ve acquired in your teaching career into a course and sell it online.

Course creation is a massive industry worth over 12.5 billion dollars in 2022. It’s really becoming the new way to learn. Online schools and universities are thriving. Experts are able to monetize their knowledge and teach their audience through an online course!

You'll combine many teaching skills in course creation and play multiple roles like:

• Education consultant
• Teacher
• Instructional coordinator
• Project manager
• Private tutor

Shane Sams became a millionaire doing this! He was a high school teacher ready for something different from “job life.”  He created products about what he knew - teaching and coaching.

His site began earning tens of thousands of dollars per month by serving a select niche audience. It made him a millionaire!

For a detailed guide on how this works, read our post on how to start a 7-figure online course business.

7. YouTuber

YouTubers are video bloggers. Instead of writing blogs on a website, you’ll create video content that you publish on the YouTube platform.

Make money with YouTube in the same ways you would through blogging:

• YouTube Partner Program (ads)
• Sponsored partnerships
• Selling products and services
• Affiliate marketing

YouTube creators can earn a very lucrative living. Eric Worral makes $40,000/month with YouTube affiliate marketing alone!

Becoming a YouTuber is one of the cheapest businesses to start, too. You can literally start this business with a free YouTube channel and your smartphone!

8. Marketing Coordinator

This is one of the best jobs for former teachers who are well-organized and interested in getting into something more sales-driven. It’s the role of the marketing coordinator. You’ll play a major role in supporting marketing strategies.

Some of the tasks marketing coordinators do include:

• Creating and managing content: Handling multiple marketing channels like social media, websites, etc.
• Coordinating marketing campaigns: Organizing and managing marketing events and promotional activities.
• Collaboration and coordination: Working alongside internal and external teams to ensure the efficient operation and execution of the marketing strategy.

9. After-School Care Coordinator

An after-school care coordinator heads up after-school care programs at schools or daycare facilities. You will oversee and support the activities and operation of the after-school program.

You’ll have responsibilities like:

• Develop programs
• Supervise and manage staff
• Implement the educational and recreational curriculum

In this job, you’ll still work alongside children, but you’ll be more of a support role as a coordinator for after-school care programs. So, it should be a nice transition from teaching. 

10. Principal

Many former teachers become school principals. This is one of the best jobs for former teachers! It's great for people who want to be in a leadership role while overseeing and managing school operations.

In this school administrator role, you’ll have work tasks like:

• Developing school policies and initiatives
• Student discipline and behavior management
• Managing the daily school operations like budgeting and scheduling
• Observe, mentor, and supervise teachers

Principals play a major role in supporting the school’s successful operation. They help create a positive school culture and environment.

How Do I Transition From Teaching to Another Career?

Here are 5 steps to take:

1. Self-assess
2. Start researching alternative career paths
3. Identify skill gaps
4. Update your resume and cover letter
5. Network and start job searching

Self-Assess Your Strengths and Skills

The first step is to take a self-assessment. Uncover your strengths, interests, passions, and skills. Think about:

• Your work
• Transferable skills
• Identifying what you like most about teaching

Also, consider what may have led to teacher burnout if that's a reason you're switching careers. You don't want to repeat the same cycle in this new career.

Research Careers

Next, start researching alternative career paths, like this list of the best jobs for former teachers we put together in this post. Look at industry trends, job requirements, and growth opportunities.

Identify Skill Set Gaps

Identify gaps in your skills, training, or education. Then, be prepared to take additional training, like taking courses or workshops.

Review Your Resume

Update your resume and cover letter. Take advantage of networking opportunities. Then, start your job search!

Try to stay positive throughout this time. Job transitions can be tricky to navigate sometimes.

What's Next?

A job change is a major life event. It can be stressful, so remain persistent and give yourself some grace as you go through this process.

You’re not alone in this.

The average person changes jobs 12 times in their life, and nearly 30% of workers go through a career change, switching industries.

There are support groups, online communities, and forums for people seeking an alternative job to teaching. These are places where you can connect with others going through a similar transition.

It can be helpful to share your experience, learn from others, and seek mentorship and guidance through this process.

How Can I Make Money After Being a Teacher?

There are plenty of ways to make money after being a teacher (as well as great online summer jobs for teachers). If you are transitioning into a new career, your new job will be a source of income for you.

You may want to move into a teaching-related or education-related job or pursue something totally different. Either way, your new venture will be your income stream.

If you’re a retired teacher and looking for income opportunities, these 15 home businesses for retirees will give you some ideas. These are work-from-home jobs that complement your teaching experience nicely.

Setting out on your own and becoming an entrepreneur is an adventure in itself.

It’s also a chance to experience benefits you didn’t have in your traditional 9-to-5 job, like:

• Flexible schedule
• Work-life balance
• The ability to work remotely.

Bottom Line

Transitioning from being a former teacher into a new career field is an exciting change! There are many directions you can go, and the entire process can be a lot, honestly.

I hope our list of the 10 best jobs for former teachers has proven helpful so you have a better idea of what you want to do next with your career.

For even more ideas, this article on 31 side hustles for teachers is worth a read!

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