![]() In fact that high is what kept me teaching for eight years before deciding that it wasn’t worth the stress, anxiety, and lack of respect. Teaching is a career that gives meaningful purpose to your life, and that is hard to replace. But there is something about watching a struggling student grow into a capable, confident person that keeps teachers in the classroom when no one else would do it. Unlike us teachers, if you have never taught it might be hard to quite understand why teachers would put up with the crazy hours, horrible working conditions and pitiful career development opportunities. If you’re wondering why 1 in 3 teachers are leaving teaching in Australia within their first five years it probably has something to do with the fact that more than 60% of early career teachers feel they do not have a good work-life balance. ![]() ![]() – Show you are enthusiastic about the job and willing to do whatever it takes to succeed.įormer teachers, how did you tackle the WQQ in interviews? Please share your tips in the comments.If you’re hoping to make this your last term in the classroom, one of the biggest hurdles is finding the best careers for ex-teachers. – Don’t be afraid of the “Why Quit?” question - be prepared for it! And when I interviewed for jobs in educational publishing, I also made sure to talk about my desire to help students and teachers. When I interviewed for writing and editorial jobs, for example, I talked about how much I’d enjoyed working on my college newspaper, and how that experience made me miss working on team projects for publication. Just as you tailored your resume to different jobs, so should you tweak your answer to the WQQ for each interview. ![]() Check out my post on transferable skills from teaching - and related posts about action verbs and business skills - for more ways to impress your interviewer with your education experience. An anecdote about how you managed a difficult parent, student or class, for example, can show how well you can collaborate with and influence others. You can also use the WQQ as an opportunity to show off your skills from teaching and explain how useful they’d be to the new position. Talk about how teaching has prepared you for the job. I felt these responses showed my desire to learn new things and set ambitious goals - qualities every employer wants. For instance, I said I was ready for a new challenge after 7 years of teaching (my first and only job out of college), and that I wanted better opportunities for career advancement. While you shouldn’t criticize teaching outright, it is possible to be honest and strategic in explaining your wish to move on. Use the question as an opportunity to highlight your strengths. Most importantly, don’t undermine yourself with statements like, “I know I don’t have the right experience, but…” or, “I know I probably won’t get this job, but…” Keeping your insecurities from slipping might seem like a challenge, but remember: your role is to help the interviewer see you in the job - not eliminate you from the competition! There’s no need to confess your doubts about leaving teaching or worries about liking the new job, even if your interviewer is friendly and nice. Treat the interviewer as a friend or confidant. Instead, focus on what you can offer the employer. Doing so could play into the dreaded “lazy teacher” stereotype - and make you sound self-absorbed. Talk about how much you hate teaching in general, even if you do.Īn interview is also not the time to rant about standardized testing, how many papers you have to grade, or talk about how a boring office job is just what you need. Don’t give the interviewer a chance to wonder if you’re the real problem. You should also avoid complaining about colleagues and students. It doesn’t matter if your principal and department chair are making your life miserable - criticizing them will only make you sound unprofessional. Here are some more tips on how to navigate the “Why Quit?” question (WQQ):Ĭomplain about your current job or badmouth anyone you work with. Stay focused on addressing these issues and you’ll be on the right track. – Will you be a reliable, no-hassle employee? – Do you have any personal issues that make you difficult to work with? – If hired, will you commit to the job, or might you quit to go back to teaching? – Are you genuinely interested in the job, or applying on a whim? Of course employers want to know why you want to change careers. I always hoped I wouldn’t get asked this question, but soon accepted it as inevitable. You should also be ready for a new question: “So why are you leaving teaching?” While you can dust off the suit you wore to teaching interviews, you’ll need to draft fresh responses to popular interview questions like “Tell me about yourself” and “Walk me through your resume.” After all your hard work to tailor your resume, proofread it carefully and apply to jobs, you finally land your first post-teaching interview.
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