Teachers in Transition: Career Change and Real Talk for Burned-Out Teachers

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Most people who are thinking about changing their job or career start with the question, "What am I qualified to do other than what I am doing now?" This is a question that stumps a lot of the teachers with whom I work. They have only ever been teachers. In some cases, that's all they ever wanted to be. So, they really feel stuck and are unable to fathom "what else" they can do.

I contend that this is the wrong question to start with. Instead, ask yourself, what do you WANT to do? And worry about how to become qualified to do it later.

Sound counter-intuitive? Maybe at first. But that is how I wound up where I am now doing what I do today. And I think that's where others should start, too.

To learn more, watch/listen to this episode of "Teachers in Transition."

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Today's episode is about how certain diseases and conditions can be triggered or aggravated by stressful events in our lives whether the stress is "happy" or "bad" stress. The body's natural state is healthy, but when the body experiences certain conditions like arthritis, Lupus, diabetes, heart disease, etc., stress can cause flare-ups and aggravate their conditions. One solution is to practice extreme self-care in an effort to restore the body to its "natural healthy state." Learn more by listening to the podcast episode.

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We make different career choices at different times in our lives. Sometimes our choices are based on we are in life. Young people in their 20's and 30's often look for careers that pay well so they can establish themselves financially. They can pay off college loans, buy a home, start a family, etc. By the time they reach their 40's and 50's they start to think in terms of doing work that has meaning and isn't only focused on money. And by the time they reach their late 50's and 60's, they want their work to have meaning and leave a mark in the world. What we choose to do may vary over the course of our lives to meet those different needs. What has driven your career choices so far in your life? Where are you in your career continuum? And are you keeping yourself current on your skills so that if a job disappeared or you decided on a different career path, you would be able to make the transition easier?

For a full transcript of today's episode, click here:  http://bit.ly/makingcareerchoices

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We tend to think of stress on only negative terms. It is something we think we need to eliminate or avoid. The trouble is that life is full of things that cause stress, both good and bad. We need some stress in our lives, after all, or we would be bored! We need to strive for the type of stress where we are at our peak performance level. The term for that is "eustress" as opposed to no stress or distress. Listen to Kitty Boitnott of Teachers in Transition talk about how we want to go for the "good kind of stress."

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When you are looking to change your job or career, you need to know what you are looking for. You also need to be able to communicate clearly to others what it is you are seeking to find. That's why having a well thought out, well-crafted "elevator pitch" is key to your success. It communicates to others what you are looking for and helps them to better help you in your search.

Learn in this episode of "Teachers in Transition" how you should approach your "elevator pitch" and when and where you should be prepared to share it.

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We live in a world that is full of stress and drama. We need to turn it off periodically and remind ourselves of the importance of having FUN! We need to take a break each day to just do something for the pure enjoyment of it. Whatever it is for you that helps you de-stress and relax, do it! Your brain will benefit as well as your body and spirit.

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Many people overthink what they should put in their resume. They go for fancy fonts and overly formatted styles. That isn't the way to go! You want to keep it simple! Keep it clean. Make it concise. Offer lots of white space so it's easy on the eye. Direct the reader's attention to the important details. Provide context for your accomplishments and where possible, quantify them. Avoid overselling yourself with buzzwords like "go-getter" or "people person." Stick with the facts. Let other people talk you up. And no matter what else you do, make sure it is error-free! No spelling, punctuation, grammatical, or spacing errors unless you want to land in the "no" pile. Mistakes indicate a lack of attention to detail or a lack of real interest in the job. Get someone to proofread for you.

Want to learn more about how to approach writing your resume? Then listen in to this episode of "Teachers in Transition."

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In this episode, Kitty Boitnott, Heart-Centered Career Transition and Job Search Coach shares some findings from an article she found entitled, "7 Conclusions from the World's Largest Teacher Burnout Survey" by James Anthony. 

The article may be found at https://notwaitingforsuperman.org/.

The survey may be found at https://notwaitingforsuperman.org/teacher-burnout-assessment/.

Kitty's "7 Signs of Teacher Burnout" may be accessed at https://kittyboitnott.lpages.co/7-signs-of-teacher-burnout/

And Kitty's ebook (which is free to download) entitled, Stressed, Stretched, and Just Plain Overwhelmed:  A Guide to Managing Your Stress and Developing a Greater Sense of Work-Life Balance, may be found at https://kittyboitnott.lpages.co/ebook/.

If you have any questions about this episode or any of the resources made available, please contact [email protected].

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Many people who aren't actively looking for a job or career change mistakenly believe that they don't need LinkedIn. I disagree. I believe LinkedIn is the platform for every professional to showcase his or her abilities, skills, areas of expertise, and levels of education. Even if you aren't actively looking for a change, you never know when a recruiter or hiring manager may be looking for someone just like you.

Learn from this episode of Teachers in Transition why Kitty Boitnott, a Heart-Centered Career Transition and Job Search Coach, believes that LinkedIn is a platform you cannot overlook or ignore.

Also, learn about how you can use PhotoFeeler.com to get free feedback on the best headshot you should use for your profile.

If you would like to connect with Kitty on LinkedIn, please feel free to go to http://linkedin.com/in/kittyboitnott to offer a connection request.

A transcript of this podcast is available at http://bit.ly/2OhgpSY.

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This episode of "Teachers in Transition" offers that one can manage stress by employing a day-to-day practice of meditation, intentional mindfulness, and prayer. These practices help to slow one's mind and allows one to step back from the noise and chaos of our day-to-day world so that we can become more like third-party observers. We need to establish some distance from the chaos to deal with it more effectively.

Kitty Boitnott is a Stress Management Coach and expert on teacher burnout. She offers a free eBook entitled, *Stressed, Stretched, and Just Plain Overwhelmed; A Guide to Managing Your Stress and Developing a Greater Sense of Work-Life Balance.* It is available for free download at http://teachersintransition.com/ebook. For more resources, feel free to contact Kitty at Kitty Boitnott at Gmail.

A transcript is available here:  http://bit.ly/2lMaBDl.

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