Has Covid made anyone want to change career?

[Witchcraftandhokum]

The way school staff have been treated throughout the Covid outbreak has really begun to affect the way I think about my job. I feel like we've become collateral damage in the strive to keep schools open. The government guidelines seem to think it's safe for me to be unmasked in a class of 30+ kids, say it's not safe for me to be in a supermarket without a mask and tell me I can't see my family.

I feel we've been attacked by entitled parents who tell us that our safety and the safety of our families don't matter as long as long as their little darlings have a so i life.

I'm sick of pupils who don't wear masks or don't wear them properly. And parents who won't allow their children to wear masks because the think it's 'dangerous' and we can't enforce it.

I started looking at other jobs today.

Just wanted to post on here and say that further to another poster’s advice, I took the plunge and applied for an SEO role in the civil service. Was put on the reserve list but was contacted a month later with an offer of a role. Excited to start and try something new. There’s always hope.

How fantastic, well done. Are they happy to wait your notice period?

@Quarks69

How fantastic, well done. Are they happy to wait your notice period?

Thanks. More or less, yeah.

Congrats picklespark

@picklespark well done!

@picklespark Congratulations

Thanks people! I still can’t quite believe it. I hope everyone is managing ok 💖

Me. I was a corporate bunny in my early 20s before switching to teaching. 15yrs in and I'm feeling like I'm don't but I have no idea what do do.

Picklespark that's amazingly good news - well done you? What will you be doing in your new role? And is the salary comparable to an experienced teacher? Say, UPS1?

I desperately want to leave. My colleagues and SLT are great but I hate the fact that children are going to each others houses, having haircuts etc. It feels like their parents couldn't care less about my health life or that of my family.

I'm training for another career but that will take a year or so. I'm seriously considering not going back in September.

my health OR my life

@SuperMoonIsKeepingMeUpToo

Picklespark that's amazingly good news - well done you? What will you be doing in your new role? And is the salary comparable to an experienced teacher? Say, UPS1?

Thanks :). I’m an M6 and I’ll be making about the same (outside of London). I’ll be working in policy. Quite a change but looking forward to it.

Everyone who wants to get out - I don’t blame you. Wishing everyone the best in their job hunts!

Congratulations to those of you with new jobs outside of teaching. Can I ask how you go about finding jobs in the civil service? I have only ever been a teacher so don’t know where to begin! My school is ‘consulting’ about leaving the TPS and it feels like the final straw!

@Selfcarequeereyestyle

Congratulations to those of you with new jobs outside of teaching. Can I ask how you go about finding jobs in the civil service? I have only ever been a teacher so don’t know where to begin! My school is ‘consulting’ about leaving the TPS and it feels like the final straw!

Oh no, are you in an academy? Go on the Civil Service jobs website and just browse. Think less about your experience and more about your skills - it doesn’t matter if you have only been a teacher. As long as you can show them at interview that you have the skills they need, you can get the job. Some of their jobs require specific and technical skills (i.e. statistician) but a lot just require general Behaviours (competencies) which you have as a teacher - Leadership, Working Together, Delivering at Pace, etc. Look for roles such as policy, administration or whatever you want to do.

You do have to spend a lot of time combing through the job listings but keep looking. Google Civil Service Success Profiles to read about how they recruit. If you see a job you like, just apply and go for it! Teachers have loads of transferable skills, you just need to spend some time thinking about it and coming up with relevant examples for their criteria - I’m sure you have loads.