To change career from teaching to a 9-5 type job?

[careerchangerranger]

Just as the title says really.
I'm not happy in teaching anymore and I have succeeded in getting a non teaching job that pays well. It hasn't started yet as I have to work in my notice. However, I am starting to have niggles and want to make sure I'm doing the right thing.
Obviously childcare needs will be all year round now. I plan on using a mix of holiday clubs and my holiday days (and dh's) to cover that. What else could potentially be different or would need time to plan ahead for or think of?
TIA.

I am seriously looking at upgrading my knowledge and returning to the sector I was in pre teaching, 2 decades ago! It was private sector and fairly specialised but I think I could catch up on the intervening years. I seriously regret leaving it now. At the time, and for a decade, I was filled with teaching joy. Labour were in, there was money, some optimism.

And now it's a grind with no money, private academy trust micro managers, much larger classes, fewer resources and absolutely no respect for teachers professionally. There are less opportunities for children and more hurdles to leap. I still love the actual teaching but I hate that everything else means it can't be done well. I don't know one happy teacher that isn't less than 2 years in. The drop out rate is rising exponentially.

I work far harder than I did in the private sector and for less money and no overtime. I accept that the private sector is also probably more cut throat now, but at least i'd have my weekends. My kids are teens and I could juggle holiday, friends and leaving them alone now.

I did this a couple of years ago but moved to a large public sector organisation so still have a good pension. The only thing I miss is the kids, I don't really miss the long summer break now as my kids are older. Of course this summer break I was at home anyway and there are no plans to return to the office until next year which has pros and cons. But I have never regretted leaving and I thank my lucky stars I got out before Covid times. Jobs are surely harder to get at the moment so well done and I would be leaving without a backward glance if I was you.

@careerchangerranger

Just as the title says really. I'm not happy in teaching anymore and I have succeeded in getting a non teaching job that pays well. It hasn't started yet as I have to work in my notice. However, I am starting to have niggles and want to make sure I'm doing the right thing. Obviously childcare needs will be all year round now. I plan on using a mix of holiday clubs and my holiday days (and dh's) to cover that. What else could potentially be different or would need time to plan ahead for or think of? TIA.

OP, I did this 6 years ago after teaching for 11 years. It took me 2+ years to take the plunge and hand in my notice, and I had regular wobbles throughout working my notice. But it was the best decision I could have made. I now have work/life balance, new hobbies that I didn't have time for previously and time to relax. There are times that I miss teaching, always in September and Christmas, but then I remember why I decided to leave and the nostalgia passes quickly! Good luck, I'm sure you'll be fine x

Thank you all. Looks like there should be nothing I haven't covered or thought of so that's great. I am very excited to start a whole new career and I'm looking forward to a quieter working environment and lack of marking to take home each evening

Good luck to you, OP. I did this a few years ago - now my wages are better, pension is better and nobody treats me like shit, as they did in teaching.
I don't miss the holidays and I don't really miss the kids. I certainly do not miss SLT! If anyone wants a chat about making an escape plan, PM me.

I did this a few years ago after over a decade of teaching a shortage subject, getting out was the best decision I could have ever made for my DH and our DC and all other family.
Evenings and weekends off, flexible working to allow some school runs, no drop in wage, pension is just as good, no one ever swears at me or is aggressive at work. People actually respect the work I do and I get credit for my own work, I also don't have unrealistic and unattainable targets anymore.

We pay a few extra ££ each month into our childcare vouchers to save up for school holidays and use a mix of childcare, family and our own split holidays. We budget one week a year together and use the rest to cover school hols. And because I'm not doing endless marking and prep on weekends we can go away more. So we actually get more time together now even tho I have less time "off" work.

I'm not a teacher, but am in a professionally qualified role. dp is a dept head at an independent school.

I'd say other than the holidays and pension he has, my job is now better for life balance in every way. I work 35 hours a week, out-earn him, have a relaxed working environment with lovely boss and colleagues and rarely need to work out of hours. For him, it's a cycle of working flat out and then drop.

The contrast has really intensified in the last few years. His place is utterly toxic now, having gone from a lovely culture. It's awful to see the impact on the staff.

@Musmerian

It makes me so sad seeing all these posts from burnt out teachers. I’ve been lucky in that my school - although hugely busy and pressured in the sense that it’s very academic and full on - is a very human place to work. I feel valued and love teaching my subject. I think so many schools now have very toxic cultures and terrible management.

It's not really the culture at my school that's the problem. It's mainly public attitudes towards teachers that make me want out at the moment. The other thing I really dislike is management of appalling behaviour and parents who feel entitled to have a really nasty, personal pop for such things setting a detention, or awarding a mark that reflects actual performance rather than what the parent thinks their child deserves. I'm sick of it.

I want a job that involves sitting behind a desk, with as few colleagues as possible and no dealing with the public (a pipe dream, I know).

Do not take your pension out of the TPS, please! Any private pension is extremely unlike to compete with a DB scheme.

Sounds like you’ve made a good move, the only other thing I’d think about is future progression as IMO there are sometimes fewer opportunities than in teaching as structures tend to be “flatter” than in schools so not so many layers to move up. Also incremental progression is rare outside public sector. Good luck with your new job.

I did 20 years teaching and loved my job but I'd had enough by that point. I don't regret leaving one bit! I did wonder how on Earth I would cope without the holidays. But honestly, when you're not teaching you don't need them!!!! It's amazing how many months I can go without taking leave in my current job without feeling exhausted.

Those who've left teaching and found better pay and conditions elsewhere, would you mind saying very generally what you're doing now please? While I'm a core subject teacher, I don't think any sector is crying out for my skills unfortunately. I tried the NHS for a while but couldn't get more than band 3 or training ) progression. I found the disdain from HCPs for non-HCPs more toxic than school culture.

@BikeTyson the sky is really the limit with this job, once in the company I can move sideways or upwards. Obviously that comes with responsibility but I can expect to be on well over 60k in 5years.

Utterly depressing to see so many teachers leaving or wanting to leave. When will this crisis actually bite and things start to change for the better?

This crisis has been going on for 15 years they pay lip service to change but nothing does I tried to put off my highly intelligent niece who was insistent she was going to be a teacher...she didn't last two years...

I'm all talk. I can't leave as I live in a rural area with very few opportunities. The vast majority of the jobs on Indeed pay less than £20k here.

I suppose in your shoes I would be concerned about in your shoes. You haven’t said what sector you’re new job is in, but we’re almost certainly heading for a very deep and prolonged recession - Covid fallout and probably no deal Brexit. How recession-proof is your new job? You’re very vulnerable without two years’ service - or in your probation period. I assume teaching is about as recession-proof as it gets.

The only other thing I’d say - and of course it’s hard to say without knowing more about your new job - but it’s not incredibly common to find well-paid jobs where you can always clock out on the dot and there isn’t an expectation of unpaid overtime. I realise there’s a huge expectation of unpaid overtime in teaching so you’re no stranger to that, but I wouldn’t assume your contracted hours are your working hours if you’re being paid (or could soon be paid) a £60k salary.

Sorry total fail in the first sentence there, I meant to say ‘in your shoes I would be concerned about job security’

Also ‘your’ not ‘you’re‘ in the second sentence!

Best of luck.

Could you maintain skills etc by supply teaching? Just in case?

I start a new role mon. Still within my professional remit but less hours and less responsibility. It's a last ditch attempt to fall back in love with my profession. If I remain disillusioned and unhappy in 6 months I will leave altogether.

@Monkeynuts18 my contract is a 3 year contract to start with and then leads to a permanent position. It would be outing to say I think but it's pretty much a recession proof sector. In fact with the current situation it is a sector that is growing. The ppl I know in the company are all on 50k-70k and all work core hours with a few demanding periods per year. But those times are demanding across the board in that sector.

@1FootInTheRave I wouldn't have the time to do supply unfortunately.

Seconding PeaseBlossom's comment about not moving your pension already accrued into anything else. Anyone with years service vested in a public sector pension should leave well alone, unless they can see next week's newspaper financial pages.

Good luck OP. I tried part time job share, part time Ppa cover but still had subject responsibilities in big subjects. Then a HLTA post came up in my DCs' school, local to home rather than fannying about with a 50 min commute. The difference between HLTA and teacher workload is stark. I get the best bits, teaching, being with the children then I bugger off at 4pm and the class teacher worries about progress, reports, parents etc. Obviously I teach to the best of my ability but I'm not in any class for a sustained period so it's nice to hand them back to the class teacher. Everything is prepped for me. I think for me it's the best of both worlds although the pay is shite, although I get the holidays but completely understand teachers wanting to get out of toxic schools. It's so tough.

Id say its quite rare to find a job in the private sector that pays really well, has a good life balance, doesn't involve loads of overtime & offers long term security.

Which is why I moved to the public sector!

Bloody hell, I’m desperate to know what your new job is, OP

It's so good the pay is better!

My wife and I both used to teach, she still does and I left last year to do office hours.

It has worked well in terms of I'm still working from home so do the school runs. Also flexi so can work later to fit them in.

Was lovely having time together during lockdown but I really found it hard during the summer holidays. I was working while she was off with the kids.

I'm also aware that Oct half term is looming and the kids have 2 weeks off.

I hate not having the holidays together, I hate that they do lovely things without me.

I love that my job is less stressful that I can pop out for appts and use flexi.

I would be careful regarding buying time. I'm allowed to carry 10 days over and buy 10. They really don't like it and tends to be decided by your immediate manager.

Also I've found I've not taken much time off. It's so wearied being able to book it rather than having the set holidays!

Good luck with what ever you decide