Corporate Speak 101: Say This, Not That.

The Challenge We're Solving Today

You're sending out resume after resume… but hearing crickets.

You’ve swapped “classroom” for “learning environment” and “students” for “learners,” but it’s still not clicking with hiring managers.

Here’s the problem: You're speaking “education.” They're listening for “corporate.”

Why This Matters to You

When hiring managers read your resume, they’re not looking for signs that you were a great teacher—they’re looking for proof you’ll be a great team member.

And unless you’re applying to a student-facing role, they care most about how you worked with other adults.

You’ve already done that work...you just haven’t called it by the right name. Until now.

Common Solutions and Why They Might Not Work

You've tried all of these.

• Replace education terms with generic “corporate-sounding” words

• Say “lifelong learner” to sound professional

• Tone down your accomplishments because they feel unofficial

But here's the truth:
Shell phrases without context fall flat. Metrics and adult-to-adult experience make your story actually make sense to hiring managers.

If your resume just says “customized learning plans,” without showing how you did that or who it impacted (especially adults), you’re still in the “NOPE” pile.

A Better Approach for You

We’ve built a tactical translation chart—designed specifically for transitioning teachers. It shows:

• Exactly which classroom phrases to ditch

• What to say instead

• How to add proof (with real tools + metrics)

• And how to frame the adult-to-adult work you've actually done

This isn’t “fake it till you make it.” This is calling your leadership and strategic work what it actually was.

Say This Instead: The Real Corporate Language Chart

(And what it actually looks like on a resume)

Summary

Let’s break it down:

• You don’t need a different job—you need different language.

• Recruiters want proof: metrics + tools + cross-functional (adult) impact.

• Your unofficial leadership is still leadership—you just need to name it.

Your Next Steps

✅ Pick 2–3 rows from the chart above that apply to your experience
✅ Rewrite your resume bullets using the full formula: corporate phrase + metrics + adult work
✅ Practice using this new language in your interviews and LinkedIn profile

P.s.

If this made your wheels turn (or your shoulders drop in relief), you’re the perfect fit for the Career Change Accelerator inside Elevated Careers.

It’s where we take your classroom wins and turn them into interview-ready, offer-worthy corporate experience.

→ Learn more here 

That's it for this week.

To my readers in the USA- Happy 4th of July!

Steph Yesil

Find me on LinkedIn, Get My Career Change Kit, Book a 1:1 Call