What Are the Popular Jobs for Former Teachers?

When looking for a new career after teaching, it’s important to keep all your options open if you are unsure of what exactly you want to do. Jobs in the public sector offer different career options and benefits, so it is worth weighing up the pros and cons.

The public sector is part of the economy that is controled by the state, and it is therefore a huge employer. You might decide that you prefer the work available in the public sector and that this is where your teaching skills and character can be best put to use.

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Forms of Public Sector Work

There are many fields within the public sector, including:

• Local government and council
• Central government
• Civil service
• Education
• Healthcare
• Police, firefighting and armed forces
• International development

This list is just a few of the main examples of where you could consider launching a new career in the public sector. When searching jobs for ex-teachers, you might find that continuing work in the public sector is the right choice for you because of the many benefits and the security involved.

One of the main benefits of the public sector is that employees usually have job security in positions of long-term and stable employment. This does not mean to say that these jobs are invulnerable: economic factors can sometimes come into play, and layoffs are not uncommon.

That said, public sector employment is still much more secure and sustainable than that of the private sector in many ways. You will also receive government benefit plans and secure pensions, which often drives people’s decisions when deciding between sectors. Equally, you might feel as though you would prefer working in the private sector for a non-governmental organization or private business.

Exploring Different Options After Your Teaching Career

The public sector includes many practical careers that require a hands-on, logical approach. Jobs such as police, fire fighters and the armed forces are all a part of the public sector, and have many benefits involved.

They require specialized training, and are extremely selective career paths. In some cases, such as police special constables, voluntary firefighting or army reserves, these careers can be started on a part-time basis. Joining a public service such as the police force is a good option for former teachers who tend to have advanced people skills due to their time spent with children and their parents.

Alternatively, you might feel that your teaching experience has given you strength in communication. A role in local council, or local or central government, would require great communication and interpersonal skills, along with other strengths, such as organization and the ability to work under pressure - skills that all teachers usually have.

Perhaps you would like to put your public speaking to good use and get into politics. If you are passionate, strong-minded and consider yourself a great advocate for your community, you could start getting involved with your local party of choice. As an ex-teacher, you will have experienced all sectors of your local community by both educating its children and working at the heart of it. Teachers are community figures - everybody knows them - and this means that you will already have plenty of experience of being known to many people, so standing as a political candidate should come naturally to you.

Civil Service Jobs for Ex-Teachers

Perhaps you feel you are not destined for a politically-charged career and wish to remain more neutral whilst still working with and for the public. The civil service is a politically neutral organization which provides support and advice to the government in regards to delivering policies and public services.

The civil service is comprised of many different fields within various government organizations. Roles could range from support managers, administration, prison officers, occupational health, community support, administration, education commissioners – the list is wide and incredibly diverse.

Many careers within the civil service don’t require any specific qualifications or training – and most offer on-the-job training and development. Different roles involve different skills and qualities in a person, so identify which jobs might suit you.

So, where do you start?

There are certain hiring authorities that recruit people into the civil service.

Statistics were gathered ten years ago in the fiscal year 2014, when there were 105 hiring authorities used across federal agencies, with 91% of new appointments concentrated in the top 20 authorities. These range from standard competitive examinations to highly specialized programs targeting veterans, students, or those with disabilities.

For instance, vacancies are open to the public on platforms like USAJobs, which also provides a lot of different advice for getting into careers in the civil service, which is also the country's biggest employer.

What About Taking Your Talent Overseas?

Vacationing abroad is one thing, but have you ever thought of relocating overseas? A lot of people find this a good opportunity to see more of the world while earning money. There are a couple of ways to go about doing so...

“But... I’m a teacher!” you might wail.

Are you an IT teacher? A math teacher? What about economics? There are potentially roles around the world. It isn't always easy to get these opportunities as you may need a sponsor for a visa, but the US has certain schemes that help those with ambitions of going further afield.

One common avenue is through the U.S. government, which offers overseas positions in agencies like the Department of State, USAID, or the Department of Defense. These roles often include diplomatic posts, international development work, or positions on military bases. Another government option is working with U.S.-based companies that have contracts or partnerships with foreign governments. Additionally, federal employees in the civil service can sometimes apply for overseas assignments within agencies or through programs such as the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), which hires teachers for U.S. schools abroad.

The private sector also provides numerous opportunities for Americans seeking international work experience. Multinational corporations often employ U.S. citizens in managerial, technical, or specialized roles in their global offices.

Teaching English Abroad

I wanted to train as a doctor but my father said it would be better if I studied English

Zhang Li Jin AKA Berry, English major student at Wuhan Institute of Technology.

Unlike in China, where families often make all decisions for their progeny including what major to select at university and what career path to follow, we are spoilt for choice when it comes to what we will do with our lives.

In the US, many individuals choose to become teachers for the love of teaching, so why not teach English abroad! Hiring criteria vary from country to country (and from school to school) but minimum requirements include a Bachelor’s degree, a TESOL or TEFL, and teaching experience. As a (former) teacher, you are already in possession of two of the three requirements, and earning your TEFL would be a snap!

Of course, there are concerns. Let’s say you have a family; surely you would not abandon them to gallivant off to some foreign land to teach! You may be pleasantly surprised to find that many schools hiring foreign teachers also have an international school nearby that you can enroll your kids in. Furthermore, most are prepared to help your entire family get acclimated to their new surroundings: securing visas, school enrollment, health checkups, and so on.

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Community-Based Work

A career path that in many ways reflects the qualities of a school teacher is community-based work, such as youth work, caring for the elderly, and all sorts of charity posts. You could work alongside an educational organization, or indeed completely separate to it: the human traits and professional skills of an educator are well suited to this sort of role.

A background check is almost always a requirement in community-based roles such as these. Many people, especially ex-teachers, do find this work incredibly rewarding. Those who have an insight to state education tend to find that there is a significant lack of support and guidance. Experience of a tough classroom environment, and working with people of all walks of life would help in securing a role like this and tackling difficult tasks in the future.

With community-based support work, you get to put your skills of communication and relationships to work and help make a difference in people’s lives, particularly those from a disadvantaged background. You might even find that this work takes you out of the public sector if you decide to pursue a non-governmental organization.

The Steps Towards a Community Based Career

It really depends on the role you wish to pursue. Let's take a look at public sector youth work as an example. Youth Workers are usually employed by local authorities and work in a range of fields, taking on responsibilities including the organization of community projects, fundraising and working within schools to support students.

In jobs for former teachers, your developed communication abilities will give you promise in your pursuit of a successful career as a youth worker. Once you're qualified, applying for youth worker jobs is like applying for any other kind of job: you'll need to look for job vacancies and apply for them.

Becoming a youth worker is a fantastically rewarding alternative career for certified teachers, not only because of the way it draws on your communicative and educational skills but also because it will allow you to view your community from a new perspective and will, therefore, give you the opportunity to be dedicated to your community in a new way.

Jobs in Education

As a teacher, you will already be familiar with the rewards, benefits and challenges of working in the public sector. You might find that working for a government organization such as state education is a gratifying and enjoyable experience, and might therefore decide to explore other options within this sector, but outside of teaching.

Teachers have many important skills and qualities, such as:

• A strong work ethic
• The ability to work well under pressure
• A creative, innovative approach to tasks
• A good understanding of people and human behavior
• Working successfully in a team and independently
• The ambition to constantly improve and develop

With these skills and your education degree, you will be qualified for many jobs within the field of education in the public sector. If you feel that you wish to remain in this area, then think about what it is that makes you not want to teach anymore.

Schools and universities have special departments specifically focused on student well-being and development. If you feel that you would still like to remain in this type of work environment, why not try swapping the classroom for work in student support? You will likely still receive all the same benefits, and in many cases will also maintain your teacher’s vacation allowance, but your tasks and activities will be refocused.

A good way to find out more about the opportunities that may be available to you is to do plenty of research. Visit job websites and find out whether a behind-the-scenes job offers what you're looking for in a career.

Counseling: Alternatives to Teaching

Within the field of student support, there are careers in counseling to consider. Do you consider yourself a compassionate person? Are you a good listener? Do you have a problem-solving mindset? You could be just the right kind of person to help students by creating a caring, supportive environment to work through their academic, personal and social worries.

Counseling does involve taking a training course, but the level of training depends on the level of counseling you would provide. You do not necessarily need a degree to become a counselor – there are many further education courses available.

These courses are widely recognized and could make you eligible for a counseling role in a school or university, in a youth group or local counseling service that lies outside of education. They range from introductory courses to higher level qualifications, at both certificate and diploma level, depending on who you wish to work with and in what environment.

A surprising number of teachers choose to follow their passion for helping students with a range of issues throughout their education to become counselors, however, simply knowing that you want to 'get into counseling' isn't enough - you'll need to narrow down your goals before you put the wheels of your career change in motion.

Ask yourself plenty of questions. Would you prefer to work with adults or children? Do you want to specialize in a particular area or would you prefer to take a more general approach? You'll find that there are as many types of counseling careers as there are questions to be asked - but this gives you plenty of options.

Before you set out to complete your counseling qualification, make sure that is it accredited in your local area. If you're keen to get away from teaching as soon as possible, this may not be a viable option for you due to the duration of study being a minimum of three years. However, if you're absolutely sure of your calling to help others through talking therapy, completing these qualifications will open lots of doors to you in terms of learning experiences as well as job prospects.

Become a Tutor

Legally, you don't need any specific qualifications to become a tutor if you're offering your services as a sole trader, and while this may make the market for private tuition seem a little dodgy, rest assured that the demand for supplemental instruction in all subjects is incredibly high.

Being clear about your skills and specialisms as well as your hourly rates will make you an attractive candidate for students everywhere. So, if you're an English teacher, science teacher or special education teacher, there will always be something what makes you stand out from the crowd!

And if you're not quite comfortable leaving the public sector to be completely self-employed, why not look for student support jobs within schools? Elementary schools, in particular, have posts available for teachers who can guide select groups of students who may be struggling to keep up with their class or who are ready to move onto a higher level of the national curriculum.

Curriculum Writers

This is a job that a lot of teachers may slip into perfectly.

Curriculum writers play a pivotal role in crafting lessons, activities, and supporting materials for a variety of educational levels, from primary to higher education. Their work helps shape the framework for educational programs across diverse settings. This career path opens doors to opportunities with educational companies, non-profits, and even government organizations.

In this field, responsibilities often include creating, editing, and refining educational resources. These might range from teacher and student guides to assessments, practice exercises, and supplemental tools. Freelance and contract positions are also commonly available, offering flexible options for those seeking part-time work beyond the classroom.

Roles may include:

If you excel at organizing curriculum structures, mapping out educational content, and balancing time effectively, this career may be a perfect fit. Teachers with a passion for lesson planning, a sharp eye for detail, and a collaborative spirit can often transition seamlessly into the dynamic world of curriculum writing.

Become a Substitute Teacher

Do you love teaching in the classroom, but dislike the demands of being employed as a full-time teacher? A change that is quite challenging, but that many people find relieving, is switching from teaching to subsitute teaching.

This move is becoming more and more popular. You can continue to put your teaching certification and credentials to use, whilst maintaining a work-life balance to suit you.

Substitute teaching isn’t for everyone though – there isn’t the same level of security in supply work as there is in teaching, and you could face a sizable pay cut as you become a temporary figure. But if it’s the time and stress of teaching that’s getting you down, supply work could incorporate all the right elements for you.

An education degree can go a long way, and teaching has so many important and sought-after skills that are transferable to many different career paths. Review your career options, and your professional profile, and see how your credentials can be applied to other roles within the public sector - even if it means looking for familiar teaching opportunities as a start.