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The Challenge We’re Solving Today
Let’s talk about something that doesn’t get said out loud enough.
Not every teacher who wants to leave will successfully transition.
And the difference between those who do and those who don't has nothing to do with intelligence, passion, or even teaching ability.
It comes down to this:
Have you been A.) an active builder or B.) a passive doer?
If your professional story is:
“I showed up. I followed the curriculum. I entered grades. I made sure my students followed the rules. I went home.”
You an I both know that's not the case BUT, if this is how you're presenting yourself (or worse, believe about yourself), you’re going to struggle to position yourself for corporate roles.
Hiring managers are listening for ONE THING.
Ownership.
Why This Matters to You
When companies hire, they are not asking:
“WeRe YoU gOoD aT yOur jOB?”
They are asking:
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Did you improve anything?
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Did you build anything that hadn't been built before?
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Did you lead anyone, even informally?
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Did you solve problems that weren’t assigned to you?
Let me say this directly to you:
If you’ve only ever executed what was handed to you, we don’t have a story yet.
And career change is all about story.
The good news?
Most teachers have done WAY more than they give themselves credit for.
They just don’t recognize it yet. (Keep reading. We're going to get you fixed up in a jiffy.)
Common Solutions and Why They Might Not Work
When teachers decide to leave, they often try to:
1. Highlight how hard teaching is.
Hard does not equal transferable.
2. List responsibilities.
“Delivered instruction.”
“Managed classroom.”
“Collaborated with colleagues.”
Duh. That's not what makes you special.
3. Apply to dozens of roles hoping something sticks.
Without a clear story of ownership or impact, the applications blend into the pile.
Your. Problem. Isn’t. Effort.
A Better Approach for You
Here’s the real dividing line:
Passive doer vs active builder.
Do any of the following describe you?
Joins committees and actually contributes
Leads professional development
Pilots new programs
Fixes broken systems
Mentors new staff
Creates processes that did not exist before
Tracks data and changes strategy because of it
If you nodded yes to literally any of the above, even on a small scale, we have something to work with.
Because now you can say:
“I improved this.”
“I built this.”
“I led this.”
“I solved this.”
THAT is what catches a hiring manager's eye.
Customer Success teams want people who drive adoption and retention.
Implementation teams want people who can guide change.
Operations teams want people who create order out of chaos.
L&D teams want people who design learning that produces business results.
All of that starts with one thing:
Evidence that you don’t just show up. You build.
And if you’re reading this thinking, “I haven’t really done that yet,” here’s your move:
Start now.
Raise your hand.
Volunteer for the rollout.
Document a messy process and improve it.
Track a metric and change something because of what you see.
You don’t leave the classroom by applying harder.
You leave by becoming someone who has clearly applied yourself.
TL;DR:
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Career change is about proof of ownership
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Listing assigned duties will not help you
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Hiring managers look for builders and problem-solvers
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Committees, initiatives, and process improvements are powerful stories
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If you haven’t built yet, start now
Your Next Steps
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Make a list of everything you’ve built, improved, led, or fixed.
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If the list feels thin, choose one new initiative to step into this semester.
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Write your brag book including outcomes. Make it happen, people!
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Shift your story from “what I was responsible for” to “what I improved.”
And let me say this clearly:
You don’t need to be extraordinary.
You need to show evidence that you take initiative.
Hit the "reply" button and tell me if you're not sure if something you've done qualifies as "good enough." I'll be honest with you.
P.s.
Inside my Career Change Accelerator™, you won’t just rewrite your resume. I'll walk you through how to identify the leadership and ownership you already have, then position it so hiring managers see you as a builder.
You are too cool for flailing. Let's get you to your new job.
Steph Yesil
Find me on LinkedIn, Get My Career Change Kit,
Book a 60-Min Strategy Call
