careers for ex-teachers

At the age of 40, Paul retrained as a teacher, fulfilling a lifelong dream.
Since 2022, through Compass Fostering, Paul and his wife have cared for a sibling group of four, their first and only placement. With patience, structure, and love, Paul and Sarah have helped the children flourish into confident young individuals who know they are safe and valued.

“I’d leave teaching… but I’ve no idea what else I’m qualified to do.”
It’s one of the most common fears we hear from the brilliant educators who follow Those Who Can. And we get it, it was one of the reasons we created our website in the first place. 

Teaching isn’t just a job, it’s an identity. It’s all-consuming. For years, you’ve lived the rhythm of the school calendar, led classes like clockwork, and poured energy into everyone else. The thought of stepping outside that world feels scary, especially when you’re not sure where you’d even begin.

If you’re a teacher thinking about your next chapter but are not sure where to begin, then our Career Transition Workshop is specifically for educators who want to move in a new professional direction—with clarity, confidence, and support.

Teaching online opened my eyes to a new way of working—one without the traditional workforce constraints. No commute, no rigid hours, and no geographic limits. Suddenly, I realised that this kind of work wasn’t a stopgap or a fallback; it was a gateway to a new lifestyle. 

Opting for a career in teaching, demonstrates you are motivated to make a difference and it can be leveraged as evidence to show your values align with the causes of a charity employer. You possess a wealth of soft skills that are in demand. This blog explores the important skills needed to forge a successful career in the third sector and why as a teacher you have them covered. 

I was a college principal for 13 years before I took up social work. I cultivated a deep respect for the social workers I interacted with while I was in education. I’ve always worked in London and had a soft spot for young people in the capital facing adversity. Read more of Paul’s journey here:

Neil made the decision to swap teaching for property in 2019, qualifying as a residential property surveyor in 2022 through the Sava Diploma in Residential Surveying and Valuation. Fast forward to 2024 and Neil is a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors running his own successful surveying firm providing condition surveys for homebuyers and homeowners as they buy, sell and renovate their homes. 

For teachers a career as a financial adviser is both rewarding and promising. From high earning potential & job security to the satisfaction of making a tangible difference in clients’ lives, the benefits are substantial. Hear from 2 teachers who have made that journey.

There are so many important skills that I developed during my years of teaching which have gone on to support me with building my franchise business. I find myself meeting people, visiting new settings and communicating with a variety of age groups. It’s such a wonderful part of the job and I believe the communication skills developed from teaching have really supported me with this.

The role of career guidance for young people is essential in today’s complex job market, providing them with the tools and confidence to navigate their future careers successfully. Teachers, with their unique skills and experience, are well-positioned to transition into this rewarding field.

The Data School’s webinar was a treasure trove of knowledge for beginners, by focusing on the fundamentals, choosing the right tools, adhering to best practices, and learning from real-world examples, anyone can enhance their data visualisation skills.

If you’re looking to get out of teaching, Emma’s story could be just the inspiration you need to embark on a new chapter. Emma transitioned from the classroom to being her own boss, read about how much her life has changed for the better since making the switch.

Making the jump from a guaranteed wage in teaching to working for yourself is scary and you do need to have a bit of a financial safety net to help you through the first months of building your business up but teaching has prepared you with so many skills. 

If you are seriously thinking about running your own business or starting a franchise after teaching you need to do your research. Find out about the realities of these options, and talk to people who have swapped teaching to run their own business or franchise.

The educational landscape can be tumultuous. Many schools reorganise, restructure and merge as Multi Academy Trusts, a big shift in focus towards STEM subjects and the reduction in contact time experienced by creative subjects has left them overstaffed and underfunded. Such disruption has inevitably led to some staff redundancies.

Lisa made a decision to leave teaching and start her own business. Read about her journey from the classroom here. Lisa kindly offers tips and advice for any teacher wanting to follow the path to become a Virtual Assistant.

Bias can help us make decisions but it can also reduce inclusivity and ultimately have an impact on the diversity of a company. Bias is also one of the reasons whilst you might be overlooked by companies when you apply for jobs from a background in teaching. 

What are the different types social media screening?

Why are more companies carrying out social media checks on candidates?

Why it pays to be aware of this growing aspect of recruitment.

This blog delves into the answers to help teachers become more aware of social media screening.

Embrace failure – the first time I started the business it failed. It turned out it was the best thing that could have happened. Don’t be afraid to fail – just learn from your mistakes and go again. 

We are always being asked ‘If I leave teaching do I have to take a drop in salary?’ This blog with 4 practical reasons why leaving teaching might be more affordable than you think. You know your annual salary but some variables mean your monthly take-home pay isn’t the equivalent of that of a job outside of teaching.

Many teachers won’t have a CV, you may have applied with a personal statement only. This quick easy guide has 5 top tips when you are thinking about creating your own CV. We have seen 1,000’s of CV’s use our experience to support you.

Teachers deserve support and celebration no matter what stage they are at in their career. They also deserve options. 
If you’re a teacher and you’re reading this: you are amazing, your potential is as limitless as that of your students, and you deserve to be happy. 

I passionately believe that teachers make AMAZING virtual assistants, whether or not they choose to niche into education businesses as I have.  We are confident communicators, able to work with loads of different stakeholders, brilliant at juggling many, many balls without ever dropping them, and uber-organised.

In my business journey, I came to realise that teachers really do have vital key skills and attributes which are readily transferable to other sectors – especially when it comes to running your own business.