If you are wondering what else to do with your education or teaching degree, let’s help you fix this with the best alternative careers for teachers in the UK.
Teaching in the UK is an amazing and exciting profession with exciting areas for interpersonal relationships. But, with so much workload attached during and after working hours, it’s no surprise teachers easily burn out while attending to several responsibilities. So, it is completely understandable why most teachers need a career change or transition.
But, before you consider a career switch, think deeply about the reason you want to change and analyze the benefits and steps you must take. If you still have a career switch after these, then you can proceed with your choice.
In this article, you will find a list of the highest-paying alternative careers for teachers in the UK. Also, we will explore the steps to take when changing your career for a simple transition.
How to Change Careers from Teaching To Alternative Careers
To be successful in your career transition, you need to plan the process with strategic steps. Here is a simple guide to help you with a seamless transition:
1. Conduct deed self-research and assessment
- Consider why you need a career change
- Research on the best alternatives according to your personal strength and skill level
Identifying why you want a career change and the alternatives that match your skills will make the process easy and less stressful for you.
2. Conduct a Skill Gap Analysis
- Identify the skills needed for the alternative career of your choice
- Make provision on how to fill those gaps
- Source for resources to begin the process e.g. enroll in online tutorials, take videos on YouTube or enroll in a degree program.
3. Carry out your Research into the New or Alternative Career Path you Have Chosen
- At this stage, research about the industry you are transitioning into.
- Consider the best path for you according to your skill sets. This will help you compete for the best positions and enhance a career switch.
- Research for open roles so you know how best to position yourself when the opportunity comes. For a straightforward process, consider the services of UK job recruitment agencies, they help connect you with better job insights.
4. Start Applying and Networking for Jobs
- Build relationships with professionals in your alternative career path and be open to them about your search. This way you stand the chance of getting firsthand information when there is an open role
- Attend events and career fairs to stay updated with current trends in your new industry.
5. Update your Resume
- Update your resume and emphasize your transferable skills and experience accordingly
What are Transferable skills?
Transferable skills are those skills you take from one job to another. A good percentage of the skills you would need in most of the roles mentioned above are transferable skills you acquired while teaching. As earlier mentioned, these skills were formed while you carried out your daily duties in the classroom. Transferable skills make it easier for you to transition effortlessly into a new career path.
Moreover, Aside from needing these skills to excel in your alternative career path, they are important while filling in your experience in your resume. You can explain why you have chosen an alternative career in a particular industry by connecting your skills to your experiences and achievements in your previous career — You may need a skilled resume writing service like Fasthire to help you pull that off.
Below is a list of some of these transferable skills acquired while teaching :
- Decision-making skills
- Communication skills
- Writing skills
- Leadership skills
- Project management skills
- Negotiation skills
- Self-Motivation
- Organization
- Time management
- Social skills
- Listening
These are just a few examples of the transferable skills gained while teaching, which makes career change a decision for those seeking alternative careers for teachers.
10 Alternative Careers for Teachers in the UK
If you are convinced about changing your career as a teacher, there are so many alternative careers available for ex-teachers. While some of these careers may remain in the educational field, a good number of them branch out to other fields and industries. For a successful career change or switch, you need to possess certain core skills to excel in a new field.
Luckily, as a teacher, over time you developed some core transferable skills (Soft skills mostly)that employers look for in skilled workers. Some of these skills make up your super strength.
For instance, your critical thinking ability helps you manage a classroom of personalities, excellent organizational skills, project management, and incredible communication skills. These and more make up the basic transferable skills most organizations look out for when recruiting for new intakes.
Therefore, with this in mind, Here are the top-paying alternative careers for teachers in the UK with salary range and necessary hard skills:
- Private tutor
- Elementary, Middle, and High School Principals
- School/Child Psychologist
- Curriculum Designer or designer
- Education consultant
- Learning Support Assistant (LSA)
- Youth worker
- Corporate Trainer
- Events Coordinator
- Human resources advisor
1. Alternative Careers for Teachers in the UK – Private Tutor
Role Description: A private tutor,r as the name implies, is a type of teacher who offers private tutorials to students outside the classroom. This could be done either at students’ homes or via online platforms. This is an excellent alternative career for teachers because it comes with much flexibility and an opportunity to engage in multiple jobs at different hours of the day.
Education: No special training is needed, your teaching degree is enough.
Average Salary: £37,075 per year
2. Administrator (Elementary, Middle, and High School Principals)
If you enjoy administrative duties, this is an excellent alternative career for you.
Role Description: As an administration, you wear different hats. Your duty covers every facet of the school under your care. The admin must attend directly to parents and ensure the school operates on the best standard recommended by the national education. Also, administrators help instructors and general staff hone their skills to maximize the performance of staff.
Education: May require a master’s or doctorate in education and other certificates depending on the administrative position, nature of the school and location.
Average Salary range: $61,480 to $153,520
3. Alternative Careers for Teachers in the UK – School/Child Psychologist
Role Description:If you love interacting with students of different age grades, then transitioning from a classroom teacher to a school psychologist may be the perfect alternative career for you. As a school psychologist, your role could include conducting one-on-one counselling sessions with students, holding therapy sessions, working on classes with prevalent social vices and more. You are expected to have a deeper connection with students too to understand them better.
Additionally, a school psychologist could work specifically for schools or as a consultant in different schools.
Education: A doctorate as a school/child psychologist and a recognized state practice license.
Average Salary range: $47,850 to $133,890
4. Alternative Careers for Teachers in the UK – Curriculum Leader or Designer
If you have a flare for setting strategies and planning, working as a Curriculum Leader or designer can be a great way to influence the educational system for educators seeking alternative careers for teachers.
Role Description: A curriculum leader is in charge of tracking the execution and improvement of an educational curriculum. As a curriculum leader, your duty includes planning students’ academic schemes and ensuring teachers understand how to carry out the plans.
Education: You may need to possess a teaching degree or license to work as a curriculum leader or designer.
Average Salary: £35,600 per year
5. Education Consultant
If you still wish to maintain your contact with the classroom and continuous interaction with young minds, then you consider an alternative career as an education consultant.
Role Description: As an education consultant, your duty ensures the schools under your care employ the best curriculum and other resources in executing classroom duties. You are also required to offer consultancy to both teachers, instructors and other staff to ensure maximum output.
Education: Depending on the school, state, or district of assignment, you may need a master’s degree, a doctorate or just a teaching certificate and some other complete continuing education requirements. This may vary from state.
Average Salary range: $38,000 to $104,000
6. Alternative Careers for Teachers in the UK – Learning Support Assistant (LSA)
If you enjoy helping little or older children master the act of reading and watch them grow, then this could be a great alternative career in teaching you should consider.
Role Description: As a learning support assistant, you have to work closely, guiding them through the learning journey while providing specialist support along the line. This is a special role as it allows you to connect deeply with students while being a part of their growth journey.
LSAs don’t just work in schools, they are also needed in schools with disabled students, universities, guidance and counselling institutions and after-house clubs. However, learning support assistants are found mostly in elementary schools, high schools and universities.
Education: a teaching degree and special training certificate to prove you are a professional.
Average salary:
7. Youth Worker
Here is another exciting career path for those seeking alternative careers for teachers in the line of education.
Role Description: As a youth worker, your primary duty is to work with children and younger adults in developing their academic competencies and general physical growth. As a youth worker, you play a crucial role in helping children nurture the right values, and life skills and grow and develop healthy relationships. You achieve this often through creative outdoor activities.
Education: Any Degree in Adult and Childhood Education
Average Salary: £22,485 per year
8. Alternative Careers for Teachers in the UK – Corporate Trainer
As a corporate trainer, you can work within or outside the conference of education. First, you need to be an excellent speaker and communicator to excel in this role.
Role Description: The duties of a corporate trainer include creating training materials, educating and interacting with staff and may even include educating managers and directors on how to better communicate with staff. This is an excellent career alternative for teachers who are reading to explore new fields aside from the classroom
Education: You need at least a bachelor’s degree to work as a corporate trainer. However, in most cases, you might need a master’s degree.
Average Salary: £22,485 per year
9. Events Coordinator
Project management is one of the excellent transferable skills teachers possess which comes in handy in a job role such as this. Events coordinator is another exciting career path for those seeking alternative careers for teachers aside from the educational role
Role Description: As an event coordinator, you are responsible for planning and meaning the execution of events. This includes social and work-related affairs. To excel in this job role, you must have strong organization abilities, critical thinking and project management is a plus.
Also, working as an event coordinator or planner comes with many perks some of which include working-from-home opportunities, travelling and bonuses.
Education: A bachelor’s degree in a field would do. However, a certification as an event planner is a great plus.
Average Salary: £23,027 per year
Additional Alternative Careers for Teachers
- Human resources advisor
- Editorial Assistant
- Curator
- Business and Education Consultancy
- Life Coach
- Freelance Writer or Graphic designer
- Adult Education
- Career Counseling
- Recreation director
- Camp Director
- Museum Education/Tour Guide
Conclusion on Alternative Careers for Teachers in the UK
Although Teaching is an honourable career path, like every other career, it has its ups and downs. Thankfully there are so many options available for those seeking alternative careers for teachers.
With the transferable skills acquired during your teaching profession, you can work in fields and industries not directly related to education.
So, if you are thinking of changing your career to other fields, there are countless opportunities with a high salary range to choose from.
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