It’s Halloween! Are you wearing a costume?

Many transitioning teachers feel the need to dress up in some sort of mask or costume, trying to show off their skills in a way that allows others to see them as project managers, consultants, or content writers. They think that somehow, the title of “Teacher” is hurting them. “How can I get a job interview if no one will give me a chance?” they wonder.

Teachers seeking a new career often get caught in the mental trap of thinking that people just won’t “give [teachers] a chance.”

“If only someone would give me a chance,” they write. Or “Teachers can do it all! Give me a chance to prove it!”

The trouble with this mindset is that it is just not true.

Sure, there may be people who don’t believe you can do the job. However, the vast majority of hiring managers are not making a blanket assumption that teachers cannot do the work needed to be successful. That just is not the case.

Stop thinking it is because you are a teacher that you are not getting interviews. That mindset is only going to make you bitter.

Instead, realize this. You do have skills that transfer. Lots of them. You can do other jobs. Lots of them. Not all of them, most likely. Nor should you want to. There are some corporate jobs you would love and others you would hate. Don’t say you can or will do any other job. That just is not true.

What you lack is not the skills to do another job, in many cases (although you may lack some. That’s for another post.) What you most likely lack is the ability to speak the language of the corporate world.

Have you read through job postings? Did you understand what every item on that post meant? When you see bullet points like these, do you know what they mean?

• Analyze data across numerous platforms to identify revenue growth opportunities, diagnose customer health and bring valuable insight to partnerships with clients

• Review and propose process improvements that drive client retention and market penetration
• Analyze customer usage data to identify trends and opportunities to improve customer enablement initiatives
• Maximize NPS, customer satisfaction, and revenue recognition through meeting/exceeding individual and team goals
• Organize CRM data of all leads
• Effectively qualify prospects by understanding their goals, plans, challenges, timeline, budget, and decision-making authority
• Proactively monitor customer accounts and take action to prevent churn

All these bullets are taken from job descriptions that teachers seeking a career change might apply for. If you don’t know what these mean, then how can you show someone that you have the skills needed to do the job?

If you want to transition into the corporate world and are asking how can I get a job interview, stop wondering if (or trying to prove that) you have the necessary skills. You do have some of them. Others you can learn.

Instead, focus on learning the language of the corporate world. It’s only when you know the other language that you can be an effective translator. 

This crucial step will help you get an interview.

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Want help with this? Consider my On the Hunt course This course has an entire module devoted to learning to speak the language of the corporate world. Or join my Facebook group for transitioning teachers. You can also subscribe to my newsletter to learn more about upcoming events.