Question: K-12 Teacher to Corporate/Technical Trainer? Hello,\n\nI am curious if any former K-12 Teachers have switched careers from public teaching to corporate training/technical training.  I am currently a high school computer/business education instructor with a plethora of technical expertise.  Sadly, my school finds it of no use and only wants to target "No Child Left Behind" standards.  What are some similarities and differences between the positions?  Working conditions?  Expectations?   Are you earning more in your salary?  Opportunites for growth?  Any help on this would be appreciated.  \n\nThanks,\nKevin

Answer: One of the biggest hurdles you face is having been a teacher, oddly enough.  The corporate world in general doesn't see teaching as a happy match of personalities.  Rightly or wrongly, the corporate world sees a teacher as someone who made the decisions, as opposed to following others' decisions and, to a degree, an isolationist. It is a hard transition to make, not because of your actual talents, but in the way they preconceive you.\nCorporations like to see evidence of being a team player, following orders and working well in a hierarchy.  Fortunately, depending on the number of years you have been in school, it is not something you cannot overcome.  \nI taught for three years during the time I got a masters degree and when I moved into the corporate world, people were really afraid I was going to start telling them how to do everything. Maybe to some degree they were right.  Worse, it took me a long time to discover their preconception!!  I pass it to you in the hope that you might profit by it.\nMy advice to you is to find work in a small business in your spare time just for the experience, even if the job is somewhat beneath your skill level.  You want to have experience in being a "team player."  That way you can tell them you were trying it out to make sure that's what you wanted to do.\nKeep in mind that when you are making any obvious transition, people are afraid you will chuck it all and return to it.    The key question on the interview will be, "Why do you want to change professions?"  If you say you are tired of teaching and all the hassles, they will nail you to the wall.  Tell them something about how much you enjoyed teaching in schools, but that you are ready for greater challenges that only come in climbing the corporate ladder.\nSometimes, if you manage to get one of those corporate jobs,  you have to take extra crap just to alleviate their fears.  Whatever you do, never give anyone, even in confidence, any reason to think that you ever think about going back.
This question from the Yahoo Q&A forum is categorized in the topic: Education & Reference