Leaving the Classroom: A Transitioning Teacher Podcast

Leaving the Classroom Podcast: Your 2025 Roadmap to Leaving the Classroom | 59

In this episode of the Leaving the Classroom podcast, the host Kristi Oliva provides a roadmap for teachers looking to transition out of the classroom by 2025. Tune in to hear:

1. How to clarify your career goals and identify your transferable skills.
2. Strategies for optimizing your resume, LinkedIn profile, and networking approach.
3. Tips for staying organized and confident during the job search and interview process.

The free Leaving the Classroom Roadmap Workbook and Webinar Kristi references in this episode can be found here: idolcourses.com/roadmap

 Listen to the episode here:

Connect with Kristi on LinkedIn

This podcast is sponsored by IDOL Courses and is the only authorized vocational school and implementation program of its kind that not only shows you exactly how to create your job application assets and build a portfolio from scratch but also includes credentials, mentorship, expert coaching, and paid experience opportunities in corporate instructional design and online learning for life! Learn more about the program here. 

Enjoy the podcast transcription:

Kristi Oliva  

Welcome to Leaving the Classroom. This is a podcast for teachers who are ready to transition out of the classroom and into a new career. Each week, I'll share stories about what I've learned moving from education to the corporate world. I'll answer the most common questions and share my best tips to help you get started. If you are considering leaving the classroom, this show is for you. 

Hello everyone, and welcome to Leaving the Classroom, the podcast for teachers who are ready to take the leap into a new career. I'm Kristi Oliva, your guide and your biggest cheerleader on this journey. Today, we're diving into your 2025 Roadmap to Leaving the Classroom. I'll walk you through practical tools and strategies, from clarifying your goals to updating your resume and acing interviews. Plus, I've got a free workbook to help you put everything into action. Let's get started. First, go to idolcourses.com/roadmap and download your free roadmap.

All right, let's get into it. The first tool in your 2025 Roadmap to Leaving the Classroom is clarity. You can't build a career you love if you're not clear on what you want out of that career. So here's a few questions to help you reflect and get started. What skills do I want to use every day? What industries or roles excite me? How do I want my work life/balance to look? These questions, especially for transitioning teachers, are really going to help you narrow this down. Now, take some time to jot down those answers and really reflect. Talk to your partner, talk to your family, and remember, this is about what you want, not what anyone else thinks you should do.

If you're feeling stuck, I've got you covered. Head to my website and take my Career Clarity quiz. It's a great way to identify your strengths and interests and start narrowing down your options. So you can get started by going to idolcourses.com/leavingtheclassroom. 

All right now the first step is to write down your top three career goals for 2025 and they don't have to be perfect, just get them on paper. Do you want to leave your career? Do you know what career you want to end up in? Write these all down. Do you want to make more money? Do you want to have more flexibility in your day? Get them on paper. And so now that you've clarified your goals, or once you've clarified your goals, let's talk about the practical tools you need. Your resume, your LinkedIn profile, and a strong networking strategy. So number one is your resume transformation. Your resume is the first impression that you will make on potential employers, so you need to make it count. Focus on transferable skills, those things you've mastered as a teacher that will apply to other roles. And I know you might think that there's not many, but there are so many. Listen back to other podcast episodes where I have listed off all of these skills. For example, classroom management can translate to project management. Yes, it can, second of all, use bullet points that start with action verbs and show results. For instance, implemented a classroom management system that increased on task behavior by 20%. 

Now I've got a free resume template on my website that's designed specifically for transitioning teachers. So download it and start customizing that's also at idolcourses.com/leavingtheclassroom. That's your resume. 

Number two, you need to optimize your LinkedIn. Now, if you're not on LinkedIn yet, it's time to create a profile. LinkedIn is the most powerful networking tool for job seekers. Make sure your headline is clear and compelling. Use a professional photo and write a summary that highlights your skills and goals. Start engaging with posts in industries you're interested in. It's a simple way to build visibility. In my group coaching sessions, we spend an entire week on LinkedIn optimization. So if you want extra help, that's a great option for you. 

Number three, networking for career growth. Networking isn't about asking for a job, it's about building relationships. Reach out to people in roles or industries you're interested in and ask for informational interviews. A simple message like this works. "Hi. I admire your work in instructional design, and would love to learn more about your career journey. Would you be open to a quick chat?" If you're not sure where to start, my networking formula will walk you through the process, step by step.

Now let's move on to the next part of your toolkit, the job search and interview process. Number one, in this part is you need to stay organized. Keep track of your applications with a simple spreadsheet. Include columns for the company, name, job title, application day and follow up status. Setting weekly goals, for example, applying to five jobs is a great way to stay on track without feeling overwhelmed. Number two: Interview Preparation. Interviews can be nerve wracking, but preparation is key. Use the STAR method: Situation, Task, Action, Result, to structure your answers. For example, if you're asking about teamwork, or if you're asked about teamwork, you might say, in my role as a teacher, I led a grade level team to develop a new curriculum by collaborating effectively, we increase student engagement by 15%

If you struggle with what to say about yourself, my Leaving the Classroom Elevator Pitch Formula can help you craft an elevator pitch that's confident and authentic.

Finally, let's talk about mindset. Career Transitions are challenging, but you've already overcome so much as a teacher. Remember the skills that made you a great educator-resilience, adaptability, creativity are going to make you a valuable asset in any field. So here's an affirmation to keep in your back pocket. "My experience is valuable, and I am capable of thriving in a new career". You need to write that down everywhere, say it every day, because I know that is something I struggled with. I no longer felt like my experience was valuable, and I did not think I was capable of thriving in a new career. But guess what? You are and you can. I want you to celebrate every small win along the way, whether it's updating your resume, attending a networking event or landing your first interview. Progress is progress, no matter how small, so keep that in mind. 

So to recap, your 2025 Roadmap to Leaving the Classroom has the following items. It helps you clarify your career goals. It will help you transform your resume and LinkedIn profile. It's going to help you build a strong network, and it's going to help you stay organized and confident during the job search. Now there's a free webinar that goes along with the workbook that goes into much more depth than this podcast does today, so I highly recommend that you watch that as you go through the workbook.

Now if you want personalized support, my group coaching sessions and one on one packages are open for enrollment. Head to my website to learn more. Thank you so much for being part of the Leaving the Classroom community this year. I'm so grateful for all of my listeners, and I'm so grateful for all the teachers who are brave enough to reach out and really look for what's next for them, and I can't wait to see what you achieve in 2025

Until next time, it's time to take the career change that will change your life. It changed mine. See you next time. 

That's all for this episode, but you can find more at idol courses.com, or subscribe to the podcast, and if you are ready to leave the classroom, use my code classroom 100 and get $100 off enrollment to IDOL courses Academy.

 Send your stories or questions to [email protected] or share them with me on Instagram @leavingtheclassroom.