For people working in education
Career coach for education: stay or do something else?
For teachers, teaching assistants and school leaders who have doubts about their work. You may stay, with a different set of tasks or at another school. You may look further, outside education. Which it will be is what you work out during the programme.
Why people in education get stuck
Having doubts about your work in education does not automatically mean the profession is wrong for you. The cause may also be the workload, the organisation or a lack of development opportunities. It is worth finding out where your dissatisfaction comes from before you decide to leave.
The workload never lets up
Besides teaching, cover, meetings, parent conversations and preparation take up a lot of time. As a result you may also be working in the evenings and at weekends, leaving little time to recover.
Teaching has shifted towards administration
You may spend more time than you would like recording pupil data, writing reports and accounting for your work. That leaves less time for lesson preparation, individual support and improving your teaching.
Growing means managing
If you want to develop further, management roles can seem like the only option. But not everyone wants to become a team leader or head teacher. You may instead want specialist tasks, work on educational development or more responsibility within your own subject.
Is it mainly the lack of development opportunities you recognise? Then it is more likely the room your role gives you than the profession itself. If that goes on for a long time, it can turn into bore-out.
What a career coach for education does
A career coach who knows education understands how schools are organised and how salary scales and timetables work. The coach also knows the different roles and development opportunities within the sector. That means you can look straight away at which changes are realistic for you, without first having to explain how education is organised.
What is going on
We look at which parts of your work cost you energy, which tasks you still enjoy and how long you have had these doubts.
What you can do
We map out your knowledge, experience and skills, and look at how you can use them outside education.
What you want
We discuss which tasks, responsibilities and terms of employment matter to you, even if you do not yet have a clear picture of them.
What that yields
We compare what you want with concrete options inside and outside education, and agree on a first step you can take.
Staying in education, but differently
You do not have to leave education to do different work. Another type of school may suit you better, or you may want to specialise or combine teaching with educational development. Roles in pupil support, guidance or curriculum development can also be options.
During career guidance you find out which roles are available and which qualifications they require. If it turns out you want to stay in education, you make a plan to adjust your current job or move to a different role. That can also be a good outcome of the programme.
Leaving education: where do people end up?
With experience in education you can explore a range of roles outside the sector. Think of training and development in business, policy roles at government bodies and sector organisations, educational publishing, student support and HR. In these roles you can use skills you have developed while working in education.
It helps to describe your experience in terms other employers recognise. Teaching involves presenting, guiding, planning and monitoring progress, for example. Below you can see how your experience in education translates into skills for other roles. If you know you want to move on, read our article on career switch.
- Running a class of thirtyGroup facilitation, group management and organising
- Explaining something until it landsInstruction, training and knowledge transfer
- A timetable, a term plan and a test schedulePlanning, coordination and process organisation
- Difficult conversations with parentsConversation skills, conflict handling and stakeholder management
- Tracking and reporting on progressMonitoring, reporting and quality assurance
What it costs and who pays
A short programme starts at €1,000 excluding VAT; a full programme costs more depending on the number of sessions. What that depends on is set out in the cost of career coaching.
You may be able to have the coaching paid for from the professional development budget, arrangements in the collective agreement or your school's training budget. What is possible differs per collective agreement and school board. So ask your line manager or HR which budget is available and under what conditions you can use it.
From
€1000
for a career scan - tailored options on request
- A programme built around your question
- Transparent rates, no hidden costs
- Often payable from the professional development budget
- Online or at one of our locations
- A quick start, usually within a week
Frequently asked questions
Can my school pay for the coaching?
That is possible through the professional development or training budget. Ask your line manager or HR what arrangements apply at your school. You can explain that you want to explore how to develop further and which work suits you in the longer term.
Does it stay confidential if my employer pays?
Yes. What you discuss in the coaching sessions stays confidential, also when your employer pays for the programme. Your employer may receive information about progress or practical arrangements, but nothing about the content of the sessions without your consent. Agree beforehand with your coach and employer what information will be shared.
Do I have to retrain if I leave education?
Not usually. You already have skills that are useful in other roles, such as guiding, presenting, organising and communicating. For most of the directions above, your experience plus a short additional course or training is enough. For regulated professions or roles that require specific qualifications, more extensive retraining may be needed.
Is this also for teaching assistants and school leaders?
Yes. The guidance is tailored to your role and your career question. As a teaching assistant you may want to grow into a qualified teaching role or other support work. As a school leader you may be looking for a role with different responsibilities or a better work-life balance. In both cases we look at your options and make a plan for the next step.
Do you have another question about your career in education? Feel free to get in touch, without obligation.