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You love your students. You care deeply about your work. And maybe that’s why this thought keeps circling in your head...
“If I leave the classroom, am I giving up on something important?”
Maybe it’s followed by...
“Teaching is my purpose. What if nothing else matters as much?”
“I want work that means something. But will I ever find that again?”
Let me tell you a quick story.
A former teacher I worked with. We’ll call her Mia. She came to me feeling stuck. She loved her students, believed deeply in her work, but was worn out.
She said, “I want to leave, but I’m afraid I’ll be turning my back on something bigger than me.”
Sound familiar?
Here’s what we told her. And here’s what I want you to hear too:
Your work has mattered. But your purpose isn’t tied to one job.
Why This Matters to You
Right now, your role supports something huge: Quality Education.
That’s only ONE of 17 world goals created by the United Nations.
But here’s the surprising part...
Your teaching skills are needed in all 17 of those goals. Not just education.
Things like:
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Ending hunger
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Fighting poverty
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Improving healthcare
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Protecting the planet
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Creating safe communities
You’ve already been doing purpose-filled work. You don’t have to leave that behind. You just need to decide where else your purpose can live.
Common Solutions and Why They Fall Flat
You’ve probably heard advice like:
“Just apply to corporate training jobs”
“Look for jobs in nonprofits”
“Change a few words on your resume and go for it!”
But what if you want more than a job that sounds good?
What if you want work that feels right?
Something where your heart and your values still belong?
That’s where most advice misses the mark.
A Better Approach for You
You already know how to:
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Plan, organize, and lead
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Communicate clearly with all kinds of people
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Break down complex ideas
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Track progress and solve problems
And here’s the exciting part…
These same skills are needed in hundreds of jobs connected to big, meaningful work.
Like:
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Health & Wellness → becoming a patient educator or wellness trainer
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Climate Action → teaching communities how to protect the environment
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Economic Growth → leading learning programs at mission-driven companies
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Gender Equality → designing inclusive training programs for nonprofits or global orgs
Mia didn’t sell out when she left the classroom.
Hell no.
She stepped into a new role where her impact grew even bigger.
So can you!
Remember- your efforts compound.
Where to Find These Jobs
Use these two job boards to start your SDG job search:
TL;DR:
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If you’re worried about leaving your purpose behind, that means you care
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Teaching supports global change...and so do many other roles
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Your classroom skills already fit what the world needs
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You don’t have to settle for a job. You can still choose purpose
Your Next Steps
1. Grab your phone and search the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals
2. Find 1 or 2 that speak to your heart
3. Make a quick list of how your teaching skills connect to those goals
There’s more than one way to make a difference.
You’re allowed to change how you serve, without changing who you are.
P.s. Inside the Career Change Accelerator™, we help teachers find their next path without giving up their values, purpose, or paycheck.
You already have the skills. I’ll help you figure out where they belong next.
P.p.s. A huge thank you to Carissa Kerrissey for hanging out with me on a Zoom call to flesh out ideas around this topic. Grateful for her thought leadership and for sharing her lived experience with me.
That's all for this week.
Hope you'll give this a try.
Steph Yesil
Find me on LinkedIn, Get My Career Change Kit,
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