How to Choose a Career After Teaching: The 1-Year Test

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The Challenge We're Solving Today

You like a lot of things.

That’s great! That means you can do SO MANY THINGS.

Buuuuut, it can make it really hard to choose what to do next in your career.

Every time you start to pick something, you think:

“What if I choose the wrong thing and waste a whole year?”

A Better Approach for You

Try this simple shift:

Use the 1-Year Test

Instead of asking:

“What should I do with my life?”
Ask:
“Which interest do I want to explore for the next 12 months?”

It’s just a season. It isn't the rest of your life.

But Wait... What If I Choose the Wrong Thing?

Good question.

You won't.

Even if it’s not the thing, it’s not a waste.

Trying something for a year teaches you:

What you like
What you don’t
What matters most to you at work
And how to pivot more confidently next time

That’s progress. Progress is WAY more important than trying to get it ALL right, right this second.

Let me tell you about Jordan.

Jordan was desperate to leave teaching but couldn’t decide between Customer Success, Professional Learning, and Curriculum Development.

Each one sounded exciting… but choosing felt risky.

After months of spinning, Jordan used the 1-Year Test:

“What am I most curious about right now?”

His answer? Customer Success.

That decision made everything clearer.

He rewrote his resume to highlight his communication and problem-solving skills. He started using “customer success” as a keyword in searches. And he focused his networking on people in edtech and SaaS companies.

Suddenly, things felt less overwhelming.

A few months later, he got hired by a startup EdTech company expanding like crazy.

Summary

If you like lots of things, choosing one can feel scary but, seriously, staying stuck costs more.
Use the 1-Year Test to pick one direction to explore. You do NOT need to make your "forever decision." (Psst- there's no such thing)
Even a “wrong” choice moves you forward.

Your Next Step

Write down your top 3 interests.
Pick the one you’re most curious about right now.
Commit to landing that role and exploring it for 12 months.
(And remember, you reserve the right to change your mind later.)

P.s.

The Career Change Accelerator helps you take one clear step at a time so you can start building a career you’re actually excited about.

That's it for this week.

Hope this gives you the direction you need to make a choice and see it through.

Steph Yesil

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

When you're ready, there are 2 ways I can help you:

1. The Elevated Career Change Accelerator™: Join countless educators in my core program. It’s built for folks who want a clear path out of the classroom and into corporate roles without guessing, over-applying, or wasting months trying to piece things together. Inside, you’ll work through six focused modules that cover role selection, positioning your experience, resumes, LinkedIn, interviews, negotiation, and what actually matters once you’re hired. This is the same framework I’ve refined over a decade of making this move myself and helping others do it faster and smarter.

2. 1:1 Action Planning Session: If you want direct guidance, this is a focused working session. We’ll map out exactly where you’re headed, what roles make sense for you, and the next concrete steps to take. You’ll leave with a clear plan you can execute immediately, based on your background and constraints, not generic advice.

Either option is a strong move.
Both put you on my radar and into my corporate-ready pipeline. That matters because recruiters and hiring managers regularly reach out to me when they’re trying to fill roles and want candidates who are already vetted, positioned well, and realistic about the work. As a customer, you’re invited into that pipeline by default.

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How to Pick a Career When You Like Too Many Things