Choose Your Next Role FIRST
As a mentor for TPLD, I speak with many teachers seeking employment outside of the classroom.
The discussions are often much more productive if the mentee knows the exact role they want.
The first step in any job hunt should be to research jobs and choose your ideal position. That becomes your target and you move forward with laser focus on that particular job.
Former teachers often say they want to get into edTech, instructional design, UX, or customer success roles. These are all very different. Even within instructional design, there is a gap between corporate and higher ed.
Are you interested in training or facilitating roles? Consulting positions, or more eLearning development?
This needs to be decided before you do anything else. Your portfolio, job applications, resume, cover letter, and work samples should be tailored to the job you want.
My biggest advice for this step in a job search? Think about what daily tasks bring you JOY. For me, it was clearly curriculum work. I love writing lesson plans and developing curriculum. So, I chose to go the instructional designer route.
Do some soul searching. Look at job descriptions, peruse LinkedIn profiles, interview people in the field, and investigate all of your options.
Only when you narrow down the field to the specific job you want, should you then move forward and begin developing application materials.
