Should I start updating my resume? Cover letter? Or LinkedIn profile first?

Many transitioning teachers have the same first thought which is, “I’d better dust off my resume and start applying to dozens of jobs right away!” This is the worst thing you can do if you are just getting your career pivot started.

If you have been teaching for any length of time, then what do you think your resume will look like to a recruiter or hiring manager outside of the education field?

Like a teacher resume. That’s what.

Unless you are trying to get rehired as a teacher, then this just won’t be an effective place to begin.

The best action you can take right now is to figure out why you want to leave teaching in the first place.

What is driving you out the classroom door?

What led to you feeling this way?

Is there anything you can do to alleviate those feelings and stay?

If the answer is “no way!” then don’t stay.

But before you start dressing up your old teacher resume, or try to pen a compelling cover letter, you need to get crystal clear on a few things:

1/ What do you love to do?

2/ Why you love to do those things?

3/ Who directly benefits from your efforts?

4/ Why are those benefits important to them?

With that information at hand, you will be ready to start crafting a resume that speaks to your unique value proposition and answers the question that every recruiter and hiring manager has when reading resumes which is….

“What’s In it for us if we hire you?”