What Can I Do If I Quit Teaching? 8 Career Paths to Explore
- Sean G. McCormick
- 3 days ago
- 7 min read
Updated: 22 hours ago
Thinking about quitting teaching because burnout is eating you alive?
In this post, you’ll learn how to figure out whether you need a full career change or a role tweak, plus 8 realistic paths former teachers often thrive in including how to transition into executive function coaching.👇
Table of Contents:
If you’re feeling burned out and ready to wave goodbye to the classroom, you’re not the only one.
Many teachers reach a point where they realize they love teaching, but the rigid schedules, mounting pressure, and lack of autonomy just aren’t cutting it anymore.
Teacher burnout is an incredibly common phenomenon, and while it’s something that’s garnered more media attention over the last few years, it’s not anything new.
However, it is becoming more common.
It’s estimated that 8% of teachers left the profession between 2020 and 2021 alone.
Since the pandemic, those numbers have increased.
10% of educators left their jobs in 2021-22, and while turnover rates have more or less leveled out, about 55% of all teachers say they’re planning to quit sooner than they expected.
Rather than feeling discouraged by these statistics, take heart.
You're not the only one feeling disillusioned by the classroom.
If you want to continue to make an impact (and bring in a paycheck), you might be wondering,
“what can I do if I quit teaching?”
Consider this your ultimate guide.👇
What Should I Do if I Don’t Want to Be a Teacher Anymore?
Before you print out that resignation letter and slap it on your principal’s desk, take a step back.
It’s worth understanding why you want to quit teaching in the first place.
Identifying your reasons often reveals whether you need to make a major career shift, or just some minor tweaks to your current role.
1. Consider Why You Want to Quit, and See if You Can Make Any Changes
Do you hate teaching altogether, or is it an issue with your current role?
If it’s the latter, consider:
Changing Schools: Maybe the environment you’re in doesn’t align with your values. A new position at a different school could make all the difference.
Seeking a Promotion: Love teaching but crave new challenges? Consider transitioning into an administrative or leadership role.
Investing in Professional Development: Sometimes, adding new tools to your toolkit, like learning a specialty skill or switching to a niche like special education, can reignite your passion.
That said, if no change would make a difference, it might be time to explore life outside the classroom.
2. Find a New Career Path
Next, have an idea of where you want to head.
More on this later, as we’ll highlight 8 promising options to consider.
In general, though, start brainstorming career paths you can pursue to help you make a difference (and pay your bills) once you’re no longer teaching.
3. Network
Start connecting with professionals in fields you’re interested in.
Use LinkedIn, attend industry events, or simply talk to friends and family who might have valuable connections you can leverage as you begin job hunting.
4. Learn New Skills
Chances are you already have many transferable skills like communication, collaboration, and organization.
But if your dream job needs specific knowledge (think project management tools or content creation platforms), take a short course to get up to speed.
5. Draft Your Resume and Cover Letter
Transitioning out of teaching means you’ll also need to craft a resume and cover letter that focus on your transferable skills.
Highlight things that matter across the board, like:
instructional design
public speaking
conflict resolution
team leadership
What Jobs to Do After Quitting Teaching
Now, on to the fun part. Here are 8 career paths that former teachers tend to thrive in:
1. Freelancing
Want to dip your toes into something new without committing to a 9-to-5?
Freelancing lets you monetize skills like writing, curriculum design, or tutoring.
Plus, it gives you the flexibility that teaching rarely offers.
The caveat here, of course, is that you’ll need to have some sort of specific skill you can market with your freelancing services.
Whether it’s SEO writing, foreign language tutoring, or even just working as a virtual assistant, make sure you know what kinds of work you’d like to do as you begin pursuing roles.
2. Project Management
It’s no secret that teachers are pros at:
managing schedules
coordinating different stakeholders (hello, admin and parents!)
meeting deadlines
Project management uses many of the same skills, with roles available in tech, healthcare, and more.
3. Corporate Training
Think you’ll miss teaching, just not the classroom?
Corporate training could be your ideal fit.
Many companies are looking for professionals who can design and deliver employee training programs.
4. Event Planning
Organizing field trips and school events already gives you an edge here.
Event planning is a great option if you:
thrive under pressure
enjoy coordinating logistics
have a knack for creative problem-solving
5. Instructional Design
Teaching experience translates seamlessly into creating educational content for organizations.
Instructional designers create training materials and e-learning courses for corporations, universities, and nonprofits.
6. College Consulting
If you’ve always been someone who loves helping students plan their futures, transitioning to a college consultant role might be a natural fit.
In this role, you’ll help high schoolers craft compelling applications, choose the right schools, and nail their essay submissions.
7. Sales
Teachers naturally excel at persuasion, active listening, and clear communication, all of which are skills that are highly valued in sales roles.
That’s true whether you’re selling products, services, or software.
8. Executive Function Coaching
Last but certainly not least, you may want to consider dipping your toes into executive function coaching.
Executive function coaching is a field that’s growing in demand among teens and adults alike.
Essentially, you’ll help students develop core executive function skills like time management and organization, working to set and achieve goals that benefit them for life.
As an EF coach, you’ll work one-on-one with clients, helping them improve everything from staying on task to managing stress.
Best yet, you can be your own boss, since most EF coaches work independently and consult with clients remotely.
At EFCA, our EF Coaching Certification Course teaches the foundational knowledge to help former teachers make the move into the rewarding career of executive function coaching.
Click here to check out our library of EFCA graduate case studies and read real stories of former teachers who now run profitable executive function coaching businesses.
Take the Next Step with Our 10-Minute Transition Toolkit
Ready to make the leap into EF coaching, but not quite sure where to start?
Executive Function Coaching is an incredibly rewarding path, offering flexibility, autonomy, and the chance to create meaningful changes in your clients’ lives.
If you’re ready to make the transition even smoother, check out The Special Educator's 10-Minute Transition Toolkit.
For just $11, it is a quick, no-fluff course that will help you figure out your niche, highlight your unique expertise, and get started in your brand-new career with confidence.
The life you’ve been dreaming about living is closer than you think.
The Bottom Line
You don't have to stay stuck being burnt out as a teacher. If you're looking for a way out, here's a recap of the 8 options to consider:
Freelancing
Project Management
Corporate Training
Event Planning
Instructional Design
College Consulting
Sales
Executive Function Coaching
If you want to transition into EF coaching, start with the Special Educator’s 10 Minute Transition Toolkit for $11 and map your first steps today.
And if you already know you're ready to build your own executive function coaching business, apply for the certification and get the training, support, and structure to launch it the right way.
Hope this helps! 🤙🏻
FAQs
Do I need to go back to school or get a new certification to switch careers?
Not always. Many roles on the list value your transferable skills and you can bridge gaps with a short course, portfolio samples, or a targeted certification instead of another degree.
How do I translate teaching experience into a resume that non school employers will understand?
Lead with outcomes and business friendly language like project coordination, stakeholder communication, training facilitation, and data driven improvement.
Then add a simple “Skills” section and a few bullet points that show measurable results rather than job duties.
What is the fastest path to replacing my teaching income?
It depends on your risk tolerance and timeline, but roles like project management, corporate training, sales, and instructional design often have clearer salary ranges and structured hiring.
Freelancing and executive function coaching can scale well too, but usually require more upfront marketing and consistency before they feel stable.
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About Me
Hey! I'm Sean 👋
I'm a former public school special education teacher who realized that executive function skills are more important than knowing when George Washington crossed the Potomac.
Since then, I've made it my mission to teach anyone who will listen about how to develop these key life skills.
In 2020, I founded Executive Function Specialists to ensure all students with ADHD and Autism have access to high-quality online executive function coaching services. We offer online EF coaching and courses to help students and families.
Realizing I could only reach so many people through coaching, in 2021 I started the Executive Function Coaching Academy which trains schools, educators, and individuals to learn the key strategies to improve executive function skills for students.
In 2023, I co-founded of UpSkill Specialists, to provide neurodivergent adults with high-quality executive function coaching services.
When not pursuing my passions through work, I love spending time with my family, getting exercise, and expanding my brain through reading. You can connect with me on LinkedIn.