I can’t go back

[Jobseeker2026]

I’m on maternity leave. I’ve not enjoyed my role for a few years but I’ve always managed to motivate myself to get up and go to work, now that I have a baby I just don’t want to do it anymore. I’ve felt real happiness recently and I can’t go back to a career that makes me miserable.
I need to earn at least £40k for 4 days a week work, I’m currently a teacher. I’ve considered setting up as a childminder but I don’t think I would earn enough. Any suggestions of alternate careers?

Oh love, that clarity you've found during maternity leave is so valuable, don't ignore it. With your teaching skills you've got loads of transferable options that could hit 40k for four days. EdTech companies love former teachers for roles like curriculum design, training, or customer success. Corporate learning and development is another route, businesses pay well for people who can train staff and design programmes. Tutoring agencies or setting up private tuition for exam prep can be surprisingly lucrative if you go high end. Some teachers also move into local authority roles like education advisors or send specialists. Have a look on LinkedIn for "former teacher" and see where people have landed, it might spark some ideas.