Everyone knows a getting a bachelor’s degree in education can get you a teaching job. But you may have just graduated and realized that being in the classroom is not your dream after all. Or you could be looking for a career change after years of teaching children or teens. There are many other job options both within academia and without that can benefit from your education, experience, and character traits. Here are some alternatives to teaching that an education degree can open doors to.
Nonprofit organizations often look for candidates that are organized, efficient, and team players. Your degree in education or prior teaching experience can make you an excellent candidate for nonprofit jobs like grant writing and education coordinators.
Grant writing requires you to draft persuasive proposals to government agencies to obtain fundraising on behalf of the non-profit, one of its programs, or an affiliate. Education coordinators, on the other hand, generally work with the people the non-profit serves to improve their writing skills or help make them more employable. Education coordinators can also help create and implement educational programs aimed at specific demographics like children or offenders looking to reenter society.
Teachers tend to have an eye for organization and proofreading. They also know how to deconstruct and convey complex information to those with less knowledge of the subject. These characteristics also make for effective writers and editors.
Writers must express their thoughts clearly and draft articles or blog posts for clients that meet their needs and requirements. Editors, on the other hand, must be familiar with the rules of grammar and style, and have a knack for providing useful feedback on numerous topics.
The business world may seem overwhelming and off limits for people used to the classroom. However, experience in supervision, discipline, and time management can easily be translated into the business world.
Managers have to know how to delegate, as well as how to keep order. They also need to know how to interact in a team environment with people with different personalities and from different backgrounds. Sales associates are a hallmark of the business world that requires tenacity and determination in the face of rejection. While some management positions require a business degree, sales positions generally do not. These positions also provide ample room for moving up within a company.
Like nonprofits, government agencies typically hire people with education degrees to participate in educational development on a national scale. The Department of Education or your state department of education can be an excellent source for a new career in the teaching or teaching-adjacent field.
If you have a degree in education and do not want to give up the field altogether, you can still find alternatives to classroom teaching within the field of academia. If you pursue a career within the field of academia you may have an easily time securing a job without further training or education to supplement your degree.
Guidance counseling is a good choice for those who like to interact and aid children, but no not necessarily thrive within a classroom environment. Guidance counselors are often the first-person children seek advice or help from when they have problems with friends or family, need help selecting what classes to take, or deciding where to go to college.
Similarly, if you want to teach, but not teach children, you can look into the licensing requirements in your state for Adult Literacy or GED programs. Many schools offer online teaching degrees in these fields. Your new students would consist of adults who want to obtain an education to better themselves or make themselves more competitive in the job market.
As you can see, there is a lot of room for alternative careers after pursuing a degree in education. Don’t let the classroom limit you.
Eileen O'Shanassy is a freelance writer and blogger based out of Flagstaff, AZ. She writes on a variety of topics and loves to research and write. She enjoys baking, biking, and kayaking. Check out her Twitter @eileenoshanassy.