I’m No Rookie

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Have you noticed more SEN and SEND tutor jobs appearing?

When you're searching for teaching and education roles, you may have come across vacancies for SEN tutors, SEND tutors and specialist tutors. But what do these roles actually involve, and what qualifications do you need to apply?

With the number of pupils identified as having special educational needs continuing to rise in England, supporting learners with SEND is an increasingly important part of education.

In this episode of I'm No Rookie, Ayo Bamgbose looks at SEN and SEND tutoring as a potential career direction for experienced professionals considering their next move in education.

Rather than assuming a role isn't for you because of the job title, this episode will help you understand what SEN tutors can do, the different settings they can work in and why it's important to check individual job requirements before deciding whether you qualify.

What You'll Learn

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What SEN and SEND mean and the types of learners an SEN tutor may support
• What an SEN tutor can do day-to-day and the different settings they can work in
• Why SEN and SEND roles are becoming increasingly visible within education
• Why qualification requirements vary depending on the role and education setting
• How to investigate SEN tutor vacancies and identify the skills, experience and qualifications employers are actually asking for.

Thinking About Becoming an Educator?

If teaching or training is something you've been considering, don't rule yourself out before you've explored what's possible.

Developing Educators Academy offers the CIBTAC Level 3 Award and Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training, as well as the Level 3 Assessor qualification.

Download the course brochure

Enjoyed this episode?

If you found this conversation helpful, I'd really appreciate it if you subscribed to I'm No Rookie and left a review on your favourite podcast platform.

Your reviews help more experienced beauty, spa and wellness professionals discover the podcast and realise they're not alone in thinking about what comes next.

Connect with Me

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayo-bamgbose-assoc-cipd-ma-msc-bsc/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/developingeducatorsacademy

Website: https://www.developingeducatorsacademy.com/

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

There can be an assumption that career progression means continually moving up to the next qualification.

You complete one level, so naturally, the next step must be the level above. But where does experience fit into that progression?

In this episode of I'm No Rookie, Ayo shares her own experience of progressing through education and training qualifications over more than a decade. From becoming a trainer before gaining her first teaching qualification, to eventually completing her Level 5 after years of teaching and training, she reflects on why she didn't rush from one level to the next.

This episode looks at the importance of gaining experience, applying what you've learnt and recognising when you're genuinely ready for the next stage.

What You'll Learn

• Why completing one qualification doesn't automatically mean you're ready for the next level
• How practical experience can help you get more from your qualifications
• Why qualifications and experience should work alongside each other
• How to think about whether you're genuinely ready for your next step

Thinking About Becoming an Educator?

If teaching or training is something you've been considering, don't rule yourself out before you've explored what's possible.

Developing Educators Academy offers the CIBTAC Level 3 Award and Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training, as well as the Level 3 Assessor qualification.

Download the course brochure

Enjoyed this episode?

If you found this conversation helpful, I'd really appreciate it if you subscribed to I'm No Rookie and left a review on your favourite podcast platform.

Your reviews help more experienced beauty, spa and wellness professionals discover the podcast and realise they're not alone in thinking about what comes next.

Connect with Me

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayo-bamgbose-assoc-cipd-ma-msc-bsc/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/developingeducatorsacademy

Website: https://www.developingeducatorsacademy.com/

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

Nobody enjoys being told no.

Whether it's a job application, an opportunity you've put yourself forward for or something you've spent weeks working on, rejection can make you question whether you were good enough in the first place.

I've recently had two papers rejected for publication, but the experiences were very different. One came with constructive feedback that helped me improve my work, rethink where I was submitting it and eventually try again. The other gave me far less to work with.

It got me thinking about how we respond when something doesn't go the way we'd hoped.

In this episode of I'm No Rookie, I share what those two experiences have taught me about rejection, constructive feedback and why a no can sometimes give you information that a yes never would.

What You'll Learn

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Why constructive feedback can make rejection genuinely useful
• How to separate the rejection of your work or application from rejection of you as a person
• Three questions to ask yourself after receiving a no
• Why some rejections can redirect you towards a better opportunity
• What to do when you're rejected but aren't given useful feedback

Thinking About Becoming an Educator?

If teaching or training is something you've been considering, don't rule yourself out before you've explored what's possible.

Developing Educators Academy offers the CIBTAC Level 3 Award and Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training, as well as the Level 3 Assessor qualification.

Download the course brochure

Enjoyed this episode?

If you found this conversation helpful, I'd really appreciate it if you subscribed to I'm No Rookie and left a review on your favourite podcast platform.

Your reviews help more experienced beauty, spa and wellness professionals discover the podcast and realise they're not alone in thinking about what comes next.

Connect with Me

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayo-bamgbose-assoc-cipd-ma-msc-bsc/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/developingeducatorsacademy

Website: https://www.developingeducatorsacademy.com/

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

You find a teaching or lecturer role that sounds like a great fit. You have the industry experience, teaching experience and qualifications, then you spot QTS or QTLS in the person specification.

Does that mean you're not qualified for the role? Do you need to gain another qualification? And what's the difference between QTS and QTLS anyway?

In this episode of I'm No Rookie, Ayo Bamgbose looks at the difference between QTS and QTLS after noticing both appearing regularly while searching for tutor and lecturer opportunities. She shares what she discovered, who each route is relevant to and why your starting point shouldn't automatically be another qualification.

What You'll Learn

In this episode, you'll learn:

• The difference between QTS and QTLS and the types of teaching settings they're associated with
• What you currently need to be eligible for QTLS and what the six-month professional formation process involves
• Why looking at real job descriptions can help you decide which qualifications or professional status you may need next

Most importantly, you'll hear why it makes sense to start with the career and teaching environment you want, then work backwards to identify what you actually need to get there.

Resources Mentioned

Thinking about QTLS?

QTLS is awarded through the Education Training Foundation. Check the current eligibility requirements, application dates, fees and professional formation process before applying.

Education Training Foundation: [Find out more about QTLS]

Thinking About Becoming an Educator?

If teaching or training is something you've been considering, don't rule yourself out before you've explored what's possible.

Developing Educators Academy offers the CIBTAC Level 3 Award and Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training, as well as the Level 3 Assessor qualification.

Download the course brochure

Enjoyed this episode?

If you found this conversation helpful, I'd really appreciate it if you subscribed to I'm No Rookie and left a review on your favourite podcast platform.

Your reviews help more experienced beauty, spa and wellness professionals discover the podcast and realise they're not alone in thinking about what comes next.

Connect with Me

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayo-bamgbose-assoc-cipd-ma-msc-bsc/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/developingeducatorsacademy

Website: https://www.developingeducatorsacademy.com/

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

Sometimes your career starts changing before you've made a firm decision about where you're going next.

You might find yourself becoming interested in different opportunities, learning new skills or stepping into spaces that weren't part of your original career plan. What makes this stage difficult is that you can't always see where it's leading while you're in it.

In this episode of I'm No Rookie, Ayo Bamgbose reflects on how starting her PhD introduced her to opportunities she didn't know existed, from presenting research and writing academic papers to submitting abstracts and proposals.

She explores what can happen when experienced professionals allow themselves to become beginners again and why you don't always need to know exactly where a new direction will take you before taking the first step.

What You'll Learn

• Why some career opportunities only become visible once you start moving in a new direction
• How stepping outside familiar environments can change what you see as possible for your career
• Why becoming a beginner again can introduce you to opportunities you couldn't have planned for

Thinking About Becoming an Educator?

If teaching or training is something you've been considering, don't rule yourself out before you've explored what's possible.

Developing Educators Academy offers the CIBTAC Level 3 Award and Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training, as well as the Level 3 Assessor qualification.

Download the course brochure

Enjoyed this episode?

If you found this conversation helpful, I'd really appreciate it if you subscribed to I'm No Rookie and left a review on your favourite podcast platform.

Your reviews help more experienced beauty, spa and wellness professionals discover the podcast and realise they're not alone in thinking about what comes next.

Connect with Me

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayo-bamgbose-assoc-cipd-ma-msc-bsc/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/developingeducatorsacademy

Website: https://www.developingeducatorsacademy.com/

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

Sometimes we rule ourselves out of opportunities based on assumptions we've carried for years.

Perhaps it's a job you don't think you're qualified for, a career change that feels out of reach, or an experience from your past that still influences the decisions you make today.

In this episode of I'm No Rookie, Ayo shares what happened when she finally questioned an assumption that had influenced her career choices for almost twenty years, and why sometimes the first step forward is simply finding out the facts.

What You'll Learn

• How old experiences can continue to influence the career opportunities you consider today.
• Why assumptions can quietly become barriers when we never stop to question them.
• Why taking action can be as simple as asking a question, checking the requirements or getting the information you need.

Thinking About Becoming an Educator?

If teaching or training is something you've been considering, don't rule yourself out before you've explored what's possible.

Developing Educators Academy offers the CIBTAC Level 3 Award and Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training, as well as the Level 3 Assessor qualification.

Download the course brochure

Enjoyed this episode?

If you found this conversation helpful, I'd really appreciate it if you subscribed to I'm No Rookie and left a review on your favourite podcast platform.

Your reviews help more experienced beauty, spa and wellness professionals discover the podcast and realise they're not alone in thinking about what comes next.

Connect with Me

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayo-bamgbose-assoc-cipd-ma-msc-bsc/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/developingeducatorsacademy

Website: https://www.developingeducatorsacademy.com/

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

How many times have you told yourself, "I'll do it next year"?

For many experienced professionals, wanting something different doesn't simply go away. We tell ourselves we'll make the move after Christmas, when work settles down or when life feels less hectic. Then another year passes and we're still thinking about the same change.

In this episode of I'm No Rookie, Ayo Bamgbose looks at the hidden cost of waiting and shares her own experience of putting off her Level 5 Education and Training qualification for several years.

What finally made her take action, and what happened afterwards, became a reminder that sometimes the opportunity we're waiting for starts with one small decision.

If "maybe next year" has become a familiar phrase, this episode might give you something to think about.

What You'll Learn

• Why we convince ourselves it's never the right time to make a career change.
• The difference between preparing for change and simply postponing it.
• Why confidence usually follows action, rather than coming before it.
• How one small decision today could completely change where you are this time next year.

Enjoyed this episode?

If you found this conversation helpful, I'd really appreciate it if you subscribed to I'm No Rookie and left a review on your favourite podcast platform.

Your reviews help more experienced beauty, spa and wellness professionals discover the podcast and realise they're not alone in thinking about what comes next.

Connect with Me

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayo-bamgbose-assoc-cipd-ma-msc-bsc/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/developingeducatorsacademy

Website: https://www.developingeducatorsacademy.com/

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

Have you ever found yourself thinking about becoming an educator, only to push the idea to one side because life got busy?

Then, a few months later, the thought comes back again.

If that's happened to you, you're not alone.

Some career ideas disappear almost as quickly as they arrive. Others seem to stay with us, quietly returning time and time again. But why?

In this episode of I'm No Rookie, I share some of my own story of moving from the treatment room into education, reflecting on the small moments, conversations and opportunities that eventually led me to realise teaching wasn't just another career option. It was the next chapter I had been preparing for without even realising it.

This isn't an episode about convincing you to become an educator.

It's an invitation to pause, reflect and ask yourself why this particular idea keeps coming back.

What You'll Learn

• Why some career ideas stay with us for years while others quickly disappear.
• How to recognise the difference between curiosity and a genuine desire for change.
• Why confidence usually comes after taking the first step, not before.
• How your everyday experience could already be preparing you for a career in education.
• Questions to help you reflect on whether teaching could be the right next step for you.

Enjoyed this episode?

If you found this conversation helpful, I'd really appreciate it if you subscribed to I'm No Rookie and left a review on your favourite podcast platform.

Your reviews help more experienced beauty, spa and wellness professionals discover the podcast and realise they're not alone in thinking about what comes next.

Connect with Me

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayo-bamgbose-assoc-cipd-ma-msc-bsc/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/developingeducatorsacademy

Website: https://www.developingeducatorsacademy.com/

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

Have you ever attended something with no expectations, and it ended up shifting how you see your career?

In this episode, I share a moment from a workshop I attended during my PhD that made me pause and reflect. It was not about learning something completely new. It was about recognising what I was already doing and seeing it differently.

This episode is for you if you have been thinking about your next step, whether that is moving into teaching, progressing in your career, or simply trying to figure out if you are on the right path.

Sometimes, it is not about doing more. It is about seeing more clearly.

What You’ll Learn

• Why do you need to wait until the end of a qualification to start thinking about your next move
• How small, everyday actions can quietly position you for new opportunities
• Practical ways to recognise and build on what you are already doing

Key Mentions & Resources

If you’re thinking about stepping into education or creating your own courses, these resources will help you understand what is required:

• Explore Education and Training Qualifications (Level 3 & Level 4) https://developingeducatorsacademy.com/CIBTAC
• Learn more about the Assessor Qualification https://developingeducatorsacademy.com/assessor
• Download the course brochure https://developingeducatorsacademy.com/brochure

Subscribe & Share

If this episode resonated with you, subscribe to I’m No Rookie on your favourite podcast platform. Your reviews and shares help more beauty, spa, and wellness professionals find the podcast and feel supported in their journey.

💬 Follow and connect with me

• LinkedIn: Ayo Bamgbose
• Facebook: Developing Educators Academy
• Website

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

At some point in your career, the idea comes up.

You’ve built your skills. You’ve gained experience. Clients trust you. And then the thought appears… maybe it’s time to start teaching.

For many salon and spa owners, adding courses feels like a natural next step. It sounds like growth. It sounds like impact. It sounds like another stream of income.

But there’s a side to this decision that doesn’t get talked about enough.

In this episode, I open up a conversation around what it really means to step into education. Not just from a business point of view, but from a responsibility point of view.

Teaching is not just about showing someone what you do. It is about ensuring they can do it confidently on their own.

If you have ever thought about adding training to your business, this is one of those episodes that will make you pause and reflect before you take that next step.

What You Will Learn

• Why adding courses to your salon is not as simple as it sounds
• The difference between being experienced and being able to teach effectively
• What many training providers get wrong and how it impacts learners
• The responsibility that comes with stepping into education
• Key things to consider before introducing training into your business

Key Mentions & Resources

If you’re thinking about stepping into education or creating your own courses, these resources will help you understand what is required:

• Explore Education and Training Qualifications (Level 3 & Level 4) https://developingeducatorsacademy.com/CIBTAC
• Learn more about the Assessor Qualification https://developingeducatorsacademy.com/assessor
• Download the course brochure https://developingeducatorsacademy.com/brochure

Subscribe & Share

If this episode resonated with you, subscribe to I’m No Rookie on your favourite podcast platform. Your reviews and shares help more beauty, spa, and wellness professionals find the podcast and feel supported in their journey.

💬 Follow and connect with me

• LinkedIn: Ayo Bamgbose
• Facebook: Developing Educators Academy
• Website