5 Transferable Skills for Teachers That May Surprise You
Thinking back to my first year of teaching, there were so many skills I had to learn. As the years went on, I learned through the experiences I had in the classroom. But because the pace of teaching can be so frenetic, it was hard to take a moment and reflect on what I had learned. When I decided to leave the classroom and explore flexible work in education, I began to realize just how many transferable skills for teachers I had developed.
Working with hundreds of teachers through Educator Forever, I’ve realized that we all have so many valuable skills. But especially when you’re working in schools surrounded by other teachers, it can be hard to see just how transferable skills from teaching really are.
That’s why it’s so important to take a moment to reflect on the skills you have learned and how they could be an asset in different professional settings - especially if you’re considering other jobs for teachers besides teaching.
We all have unique skills, but there are common themes to the skills that teachers develop. Consider these 5 potentially-surprising transferable skills teachers have.
5 Transferable Skills for Teachers
Project Management
Recently, on a call with Beyond the Classroom students, someone asked about working as a project manager. As we discussed how project managers keep track of multiple work streams and deliverables, a teacher remarked on how similar that was to keeping track of students. “It’s like the projects are the students!” she said.
And it’s true— classroom teachers are keeping track of so many people and so many details all the time. This ability to manage multiple individuals and pay attention to so many small details is one of the most valuable transferable skills for teachers.
As a project manager, you will use these same skills to make sure projects stay on track. If you want to work outside of the classroom, project management is one example of great career changes for teachers.
Communicating Complex Information
Whether you’ve taught 5-year-olds to consider other people’s perspectives or high schoolers to understand calculus, you’ve likely gotten pretty good at breaking down complex topics. By being able to break potentially-confusing ideas into small chunks, you help people to access knowledge.
This may seem like second nature once you’ve been a teacher, but it’s one of the best transferable skills for teachers!
Communicating complex information can be an amazing asset when working as a curriculum developer, education writer, or instructional coach. As people work to understand and implement complex ideas, you can support them through properly-scaffolded action plans.
Public Speaking
So much of a teacher’s day is spent doing public speaking. Now that I’ve been out of the classroom for nearly a decade, I realize just how important this skill is (and how exhausting it can be!).
Not everyone feels comfortable talking in front of people. Your public speaking skills can come in handy when giving presentations, teaching workshops, leading webinars, or teaching online. If you feel nervous, just imagine yourself back in front of your students! I’ve found it usually does the trick.
There are few professions that prepare you for public speaking as well as teaching, making this one of the best transferable skills for teachers to bring to jobs outside of the classroom.
Interpersonal Skills
We have spent so long teaching students social and emotional skills, it’s no wonder that we’ve picked up some of these skills ourselves! These interpersonal skills are among the most in-demand transferable skills for teachers.
As teachers, we’ve learned how to get along with so many different students, colleagues, families, and community members. We’ve learned how to participate in tough conversations, support people in distress, and encourage students to be their best.
When you start to explore jobs for teachers besides teaching, these interpersonal skills are invaluable. You’ll be well positioned to get along with and collaborate with a wide range of people. As you try out roles beyond the classroom, you’ll find yourself using many of the same strategies you taught your students, from active listening to using talk moves in conversations.
Ability to Learn New Things
Above all, teachers know how to learn. This is incredibly empowering because it means that we can use our skills to learn anything! If you feel overwhelmed about learning a new skill or moving into a new field, remember that you have all the tools you need.
Treat your own learning as you would a student’s— set clear goals and break these goals down into small actions that you can take to reach your goals. Remember to cultivate a growth mindset, taking risks and learning from both your successes and your mistakes.
This ability to learn well is one of the best transferable skills for teachers who want to move into a new career. With a strong background in learning, you’ll be able to apply your existing knowledge to a wide range of new career opportunities.
Identifying Your Own Transferable Skills From Teaching
Whether you’ve been working in the classroom for 5 years or 25 years, it’s not always easy to see the transferable skills teachers have. After all, when you do something every day, it can feel less like a valuable skill and more like just another part of daily life.
But your classroom experience has absolutely given you unique educational expertise that you can use to do just about any work outside of the classroom. Whether you want to try a side hustle for teachers, take on freelance education jobs or even start an education business, your experience as a teacher will serve you well.
Still finding yourself wondering what transferable skills for teachers you really have? It’s time to start owning your own brilliance. Once you start looking at your skills as unique and valuable, you’ll realize how many ways they can be used to make an impact beyond the classroom.
If you want more support on this journey, be sure to check out Educator Forever’s Beyond the Classroom course. We’ve helped hundreds of teachers to identify their own skills and learn how to apply them to flexible new careers.