How to Talk About Your Teaching Skills in Job Applications 

“But all I’ve ever known is teaching. What else can I do with my degree?” 

Since I started helping teachers leave the classroom and become successful virtual assistants, I can’t tell you how many people, students, and teacher friends have said this to me. 

But honestly, I get it. 

Before deciding to start my business, I went into many job interviews with the same sentiment. I have two degrees related to teaching and when I started the job search, I had no idea how to market myself for those non-teaching positions. 

At first. 

After a few interviews, I started to realize that my teaching skills and experience made me an excellent candidate for the majority of the roles I applied for. Even though my resume didn’t tout the “expected” degree or experience, I was able to take my skills and apply them to almost every job I applied for. 

Why?

Because teachers have the soft skills that employers dream of. Strong communication, expert organization, and the ability to command a room. The list goes on and on. So if you’re considering leaving the classroom but feel totally stumped on how to talk about your classroom experience on your resume or in a job interview, I’ve got you. 

Consider this your new checklist for how to talk about your teaching skills as you transition out of the classroom. 

Identify your transferable skills 

Transferable skills in the name of the game in any career change. How do you take those key skills from your first career and connect them to the field you’re looking to enter? You focus on their relationship. 

As a teacher, this is going to be a lot easier than you think. Here are some of the most common transferable skills. 

• Communication: Clearly explaining complex concepts, active listening, and effective verbal and written communication.
• Leadership and management: Leading a classroom, managing student behavior, planning engaging and timely lessons, and coordinating activities.
• Organizational skills: Creating lesson plans, organizing materials, and managing time effectively.
• Interpersonal skills: Building relationships with students, managing parent issues, connecting with colleagues, and working collaboratively.
• Adaptability: Adjusting to different learning styles, language barriers, and unexpected changes in the classroom environment.

Tailor Your Experience to The Job

When you create your resume post-teaching, take a clear look at the job’s responsibilities that you’re interested in. Let’s use this account manager job posting as an example. The first bulleted responsibility says: serve as the primary contact for several large clients, ensuring their needs are met and fostering long-term partnerships.

While you haven’t necessarily worked with “several large clients,” you have managed the needs of your students while fostering relationships with them throughout the semester and school year. If you were applying for this job, you would want to highlight your classroom management experience and your ability to create and foster relationships with your students. 

Also, studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. I’m here to cheer you on and remind you to apply for the job. 

Highlight Your Achievements 

This is a moment where all the standardized testing data that we agonized over can live on. This time without the headache. Did you teach a state-tested course? Include data points. Share any and all quantifiable information you might have. 

For example, maybe you taught AP Lang and 75 percent of your students received a 5 on the AP exam. You’d of course want to be conscious of using education jargon, but including proof points that speak to your professionalism and skillset will go very far. 

If you don’t have data, highlight other achievements, like Teacher of the Year, Teacher of the Month, etc. Maybe you led a successful initiative at school or worked as a club advisor. Your resume is one of the few places where you get to boastfully talk about how great you are. Take advantage of it! 

Lean into the Cover Letter 

Every teacher transitioning to a new career should include a cover letter with their resume. This letter serves as an introduction to who you are and highlights what you can contribute to the specific role at the given company. A frequent error people make is crafting a generic cover letter for all their applications.

Some hiring managers might assume you’re eager to leave the classroom for any available job. While that might be true, it’s not something you want them to perceive. Instead, use the cover letter to demonstrate why you’re an excellent fit for their position and what unique skills you bring. Hiring managers look for candidates who are not only qualified but also genuinely interested in the role and aligned with the company culture.

Ensure each cover letter is tailored to the specific job and company. Mention what excites you about the position and how your background aligns with the new responsibilities. Research the company thoroughly and express your enthusiasm for its mission and values. Company websites often provide valuable insights into their mission statement and core values, which you can reference in your cover letter.

Too many teachers let the fear of being unqualified to stop them from pursuing a new career. As someone who has built a successful virtual assistance business, I’m here to tell you that your skillset has prepared you for a wide range of jobs. And because of your teaching experience, you will probably be even more prepared for that next career. Don’t discredit your work ethic, experience, and ability to make a career switch based on your degree. I promise you, you’re the ideal candidate for so many jobs. You just have to start applying.