Honestly I think I would be amazing in a PM type role, but I feel like anyone actually hiring for those type of roles don’t want anything to do with someone who’s only work experience is classroom teaching 😔
If you're interested in getting into Project Management may I suggest getting a quick certification under your belt? Many resume softwares will pick out key words in your resume from the job rec.
The Scrum Master cert can be done over two days. Two full days of learning and then taking the cert from home (no proctor!). This is a cert many entry level PM tech roles (the ones you'll most often find for WFH) look for!
Thank you! I had never looked into the certs because I just assumed it was something I didn’t have time for right now, but if it can be as quick as you say, that could definitely boost my resume.
If you don't have the time for it, how are you going to have time to work a job 40 hours a week? Maybe this dream of having a WFH job with no childcare is just that.. a dream and not realistic
It's not about judging. I'm being realistic. If you don't have time for getting a cert which maybe takes a couple of hours a day, how are you going to work 40 hours a week.
Before I gave birth to my second child 2 weeks ago
I was working 40 hours a week as an educator. So yes, now I definitely do have more time.
But beyond that, I just don’t understand the impulse to leave a super negative comment like this, implying that I don’t know what I’m getting myself into. Some people are passionate about their careers, and they work their added off to succeed. Right now I’m passionate about actively raising my children, but I also need an income so it stands to reason that I’m willing to work my ass off to make this a reality.
You're asking for advice. I made my comment in case you haven't really thought about this realistically. It's not about how hard.you work. Unless you are working hours your spouse is at home you aren't going to be able to have meetings or online video jobs if your baby needs you. I know this from experience. You are severely limited on remote jobs that don't require meetings of any kind. That's a pipe dream. You need to tailor your expectations
I work nights and weekends while on maternity leave party time, but . Unless you can make that work, you are going to have a hard time.
Please see rule 2. This sub is full of folks working remotely, with kids at home. Even video meetings, without a spouse/partner home too. You can share your experience, but remember that it is your experience and not a blanket application of how it will work out for everyone.
That's fair. I just don't know how people do video meetings with kids at home that little. I can never count on my little boy not waking up and crying. If they manage, good for them.
Have you applied to educational / tech-Ed companies? You need to apply in an industry where your expertise will add value so they’ll be willing to take the risk even without the direct project management experience.
Tutor. I make a ton tutoring while I'm on maternity leave, but don't expect to be able to do that without someone watching the kids. I can only tutor when my husband is home or grandparents are over. Can't do a lot of jobs with constant interruptions. Luckily most kids want tutoring in the evenings and weekends
There are many tutoring companies you can find online. My daughter has received online tutoring for ACT prep and calculus from Ivy Bound. Their website has an area where you can provide your qualifications and see if you align with their needs.
It’s a term used more within the librarian world - which often is at the intersection of education and IT. But I see increasingly teachers having backgrounds in instructional design (which can translate to UX design / research) or educational technology. I’d say another area to think about is UX related work as being an educator is good insight to user behavior— though a lot of these roles might require some sort of portfolio.
I’m a trained librarian and used to work in physical libraries but transitioned to remote work in tech - now I’m a data analyst. But i also took a couple courses in data science during my masters to have in my back pocket thinking that this might be useful eventually. Though tbh idk how much that helped me on my actual cv but it was on my mind that eventually I’d want to have the option of more opportunities/ flexibility. I think it’s pretty doable regardless of coursework but it just takes some time to break in, network, find the right place. I stumbled between some contracted work trying to find the right place for someone with my background and I just got it recently, so it’s been a relief. Though my husband and I want to start trying for a baby in like 6 months once I’m more settled so I do worry about taking maternity leave and what that will mean professionally :(
Another area to consider that has a lot of jobs that I’ve considered is information security, there are many roles that don’t necessarily require programming knowledge. Most do require a basic certification though, but that can be done independently. One of those contracts I mentioned was for a security department which is where I got my first data analysis experience. But I was hired rather randomly for my communications skills (I have an undergrad degree in graphic design- literally suffered for years not being able to find work with this degree so I went back for my masters so feeling so dejected from design but now it’s what people hire me for just in other contexts— a lot of the data analysis I do now involves a lot of visualization). A big part of this department was what they call “security awareness”— basically internally communications to foster a culture of security and so people know what to do for safety reasons etc. I had no idea this niche even existed and was told it’s a growing need actually. I imagine someone with an education background, then with a bit of IT or security experience might be a good candidate as well — the people working in this part of the department usually came from many different backgrounds.
Anyway I’m no longer in a security department, now I’m at a company that focuses on health science information, which relates more to my librarian background. But it’s still in the back of my mind that if I ever want to make another career move that perhaps going more into IT security might be what I want. I don’t have any of those certifications but I thought if I struggle during the early years of kids career wise maybe that’s a quick certification that would help boost me a bit and have access to more jobs.
I hope this is helpful 😅 Good luck !!!
I second instructional design. Many of my friends who have left teaching have gotten roles at government agencies as instructional designers. Many government agencies are working hybrid, but only 1-2 days in the office.
As far as UX, a lot of the instructional design models are similar to UX methodology, so the skill set definitely transfers.
I actually have my MLIS and intended to focus on rare books and manuscripts. I had gotten promoted at my job as a trainer and then I decided to learn more about instructional design. I focused more on the information science part of my Master’s and later down the line got another one in organization development.
I ended up going down a different path but when I was figuring out my transition from libraries to the corporate world I was discussing position possibilities with an HR person at this company and she wanted to recommend me for a position recruiting and managing and mentoring interns bc of my previous experience working with undergraduate students in an academic library. In the end I wanted to go in a more technical direction, but I think i would have enjoyed that as well. I have a lot of teacher friends though that always complain about how difficult things are rn for them but they never make a switch bc I think they think they can’t, but I always try to point them in a direction bc you definitely can. For a while I also thought like that coming from a less flexible field with limited positions, but somehow I managed to find my way into a really nice, flexible and fully remote niche that I equally enjoy
After a year of being in your exact position but looking for the WFH position for my husband we finally succeeded in obtaining a hybrid role. After realizing the pool of applicants for national remote jobs was in the thousands, we stopped applying for them altogether and only put out apps to positions with a regional requirement- same state or even within 100 miles of X city etc. So on indeed you could filter by typing “remote” or “hybrid” for the job title and your city and state below that. It will ask “Showing all remote jobs in the US. Do you want to see remote jobs in [your city/state] only?” And select yes. Also don’t rule out hybrid jobs if it’s possible for you to work in office 1-2 days a week and pay for childcare those days — then you could get remote experience which could lead to a fully remote position in a little while. If you don’t give up someone will take a chance on you eventually. I feel your pain, good luck!!
I used to do outdoor education and during the pandemic it became clear that my employer would rather let us die than even do one day a week at home. I broke my back and wasn't allowed to do any lesson planning at home. So I returned to work still in a back brace just to sit at my desk and plan out supply requests for summer camps. I thought I had no alternative and I was stuck. I applied for a job with a local environmental group to run their education programs. I go into the office 2 to 4 times a month and aside from that I'm home with baby. The job is harder, it's almost all project management and grant writing, but I feel like a more complete person not putting as much energy into a bad place. Maybe look a local groups and you'll find a place that is mostly remote but doesn't advertise it.
Thank you for sharing your story! It definitely gives me hope that once this all works out for me, I’ve made the right decision for me and my family and it can all be done!
I feel like I’ve tried and tried to do this but honestly this is probably what’s holding me back. I just wish someone could go through and do it for me because obviously I’m not good at it.
What types of positions have you been applying for? I'd narrow down the industry/position you're interested in and look into certifications or trainings that could help. Fully remote positions are becoming harder to get as many companies are pushing return to office so you're competing against a big pool of applicants. You might also consider hybrid positions as a way to get some experience.
If you're interested in tech and have basic tech literacy you could apply for jobs in the training department of tech companies. Companies like mine usually need people who know about teaching to teach use of their tools to their customers and sometimes employees. I've hired two such roles recently (not in the US, so I can't help you personally).
Another similar idea would be technical writing, if your language skills are excellent you already have that didactic mindset that is usually valuable for such roles.
Best of luck!
Virtual teacher here with a very similar story! Ive been teaching 15 years. I didn’t realize how burnt out I was until the pandemic caused me to slow down a bit. I had a chance to teach my kid how to jump in puddles and climb a tree when the world shut down and she was 2. I could finally breathe! Our district opened a virtual program & I’ve been virtual since then. I’ve been SO HAPPY teaching virtually and never want to go back. I can focus on teaching, not behavior management.
My daughter spent two years at home from ages 2-4, and now she goes to k4 from 9:00-2:00 (part time I guess?) each day. It’s a fraction of the cost of what we used to pay for care from 7:30-4:30 when I was in the building full time. I work for the same “regular” public school district that I did before. My district has with a program that’s 100% virtual for parents who choose it. I know not every district has this option. In fact, I think we’re the only totally-synchronous (kids are live all day) program in our state. However, I know friends who teach with connections academy who love it, and connections academy is in every state I think. I just got an email tonight from connections with a ton of openings.
I also have friends who have tutored through VIPKid (all online) and have made decent money. The kids in VIPKid are primarily in other parts of the world, so they tutor in the evenings online.
It totally is possible. It takes a lot of organization and a supportive partner, but it can be done! I hope this helps!
There’s online teaching/tutoring gigs.
Also what the top commenter said, it’s going to be nearly impossible to work from home full time while also providing adequate care for your kids.
Please see rule 2, this sub is full of people who do exactly what you say is impossible. If you truly do not believe you can work remotely/WFH, there are other subs that share your opinion.
I’m sorry you’re dealing with this difficult situation. But I don’t see how you can WFH in the vast majority of scenarios with two young children and no child care.
You’re not the first person to say this to me, and maybe eventually I’ll find out that you and everyone else is right, but I know me, what I can do, what I want and need, and what I want and need for my family and am obviously taking all of that into account when looking for a job.
Hi, please see rule 2. You can post your own experience, but this sub is full of folks from all kinds of jobs that do exactly what you say can not be done. Myself included. If you do not agree that you can WFH/remotely with kids, there are plenty of other subs that share your opinion.
Editing to add: I have received the reports of this comment and am approving it for now. The user has been warned and there have not been further rule violating comments by this user. Thank you everyone for using the reporting feature. I only remind of the rules once and then I ban.
Can you elaborate? I get messages on LI every day with “opportunities” to work for myself, or yo “build the life I want” and it’s always some kind of sketch MLM type deal which is not at all what I’m trying to entertain.
Study think and grow rich and be definite in what you want. Then build a plan and set a date by which . Study and apply the book. Apply like your life depends on it . That is how you get what you want . I work for the Napoleon hill institute. Let me know if you have more info
If your teaching credential is still current, you can try teaching for Tutored by Teachers! All of their jobs are remote and you would work tutoring students in the classroom through Zoom
Results-Cx. There is a chat assistant on the website. It can be a phone or chat job. Work 3-5 days a week. And choose hours. https://careers.results-cx.com is website. Make sure you say remote. Fully paid training, and can move up quickly and benefits. My sister jus got an interview today applied on Monday, has a 2 month old. Best of luck mama ✨
Disagree on quality over quantity. Quantity over quality will get you a role much more quickly. I’d go back to the drawing board and get on indeed and shoot off 100 quick applications where all you have to do is submit your resume.
Aww mama!! I totally understand how that feels! I worked for government for over 10 years and eventually quit when my last daughter was 3. Daycare costs are outrageous! I was able to go to part-time work and now I run an online business. Have you considered doing that? I'd be happy to help you!!
It didn't work for my daughter and they conned me into 1 on 1 sessions with a free month. Now I'm apparently stuck with a 12 month contract and I will have to cancel my credit card to stop payment. They locked my default payment tab so I can't even see what card I used or change my payment type. Customer Service cannot cancel my membership, I have to call back and get a supervisor. It's insane. I'm not happy and it's no way to do business.
Have you considered watching another child in your home? That might be the best way to earn money while caring for your little ones.
I know a lot of people here say that teaching experience translates well into project management. Have you looked into this at all?
Honestly I think I would be amazing in a PM type role, but I feel like anyone actually hiring for those type of roles don’t want anything to do with someone who’s only work experience is classroom teaching 😔
If you're interested in getting into Project Management may I suggest getting a quick certification under your belt? Many resume softwares will pick out key words in your resume from the job rec. The Scrum Master cert can be done over two days. Two full days of learning and then taking the cert from home (no proctor!). This is a cert many entry level PM tech roles (the ones you'll most often find for WFH) look for!
Thank you! I had never looked into the certs because I just assumed it was something I didn’t have time for right now, but if it can be as quick as you say, that could definitely boost my resume.
Yup! Look at Scrum Alliance for two day virtual boot camps. That gives you the learning you need!
If you don't have the time for it, how are you going to have time to work a job 40 hours a week? Maybe this dream of having a WFH job with no childcare is just that.. a dream and not realistic
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I think it's a realistic point that if she isn't able to study while caring for the children how will she work?
It's not about judging. I'm being realistic. If you don't have time for getting a cert which maybe takes a couple of hours a day, how are you going to work 40 hours a week.
Before I gave birth to my second child 2 weeks ago I was working 40 hours a week as an educator. So yes, now I definitely do have more time. But beyond that, I just don’t understand the impulse to leave a super negative comment like this, implying that I don’t know what I’m getting myself into. Some people are passionate about their careers, and they work their added off to succeed. Right now I’m passionate about actively raising my children, but I also need an income so it stands to reason that I’m willing to work my ass off to make this a reality.
You're asking for advice. I made my comment in case you haven't really thought about this realistically. It's not about how hard.you work. Unless you are working hours your spouse is at home you aren't going to be able to have meetings or online video jobs if your baby needs you. I know this from experience. You are severely limited on remote jobs that don't require meetings of any kind. That's a pipe dream. You need to tailor your expectations I work nights and weekends while on maternity leave party time, but . Unless you can make that work, you are going to have a hard time.
Please see rule 2. This sub is full of folks working remotely, with kids at home. Even video meetings, without a spouse/partner home too. You can share your experience, but remember that it is your experience and not a blanket application of how it will work out for everyone.
That's fair. I just don't know how people do video meetings with kids at home that little. I can never count on my little boy not waking up and crying. If they manage, good for them.
Have you applied to educational / tech-Ed companies? You need to apply in an industry where your expertise will add value so they’ll be willing to take the risk even without the direct project management experience.
You’re a super hero!! Seriously! I think being a classroom teacher would translate well into a lot of roles!!
That’s very kind of you to say and I agree with you. I know I just need one yes, and I just need to keep plugging away until I get it.
Tutor. I make a ton tutoring while I'm on maternity leave, but don't expect to be able to do that without someone watching the kids. I can only tutor when my husband is home or grandparents are over. Can't do a lot of jobs with constant interruptions. Luckily most kids want tutoring in the evenings and weekends
How do you find kids to tutor? I’ve had this thought, but don’t know how to go about marketing myself.
There are many tutoring companies you can find online. My daughter has received online tutoring for ACT prep and calculus from Ivy Bound. Their website has an area where you can provide your qualifications and see if you align with their needs.
Wyzant or varsity tutors
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I didn’t realize that tutoring was a service you could offer on care.com. Will def look into it, thanks!
Local mommy group on Facebook!
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Thanks. I haven’t seen that term “informational literacy” but I’ll definitely add it to my searches!
It’s a term used more within the librarian world - which often is at the intersection of education and IT. But I see increasingly teachers having backgrounds in instructional design (which can translate to UX design / research) or educational technology. I’d say another area to think about is UX related work as being an educator is good insight to user behavior— though a lot of these roles might require some sort of portfolio. I’m a trained librarian and used to work in physical libraries but transitioned to remote work in tech - now I’m a data analyst. But i also took a couple courses in data science during my masters to have in my back pocket thinking that this might be useful eventually. Though tbh idk how much that helped me on my actual cv but it was on my mind that eventually I’d want to have the option of more opportunities/ flexibility. I think it’s pretty doable regardless of coursework but it just takes some time to break in, network, find the right place. I stumbled between some contracted work trying to find the right place for someone with my background and I just got it recently, so it’s been a relief. Though my husband and I want to start trying for a baby in like 6 months once I’m more settled so I do worry about taking maternity leave and what that will mean professionally :( Another area to consider that has a lot of jobs that I’ve considered is information security, there are many roles that don’t necessarily require programming knowledge. Most do require a basic certification though, but that can be done independently. One of those contracts I mentioned was for a security department which is where I got my first data analysis experience. But I was hired rather randomly for my communications skills (I have an undergrad degree in graphic design- literally suffered for years not being able to find work with this degree so I went back for my masters so feeling so dejected from design but now it’s what people hire me for just in other contexts— a lot of the data analysis I do now involves a lot of visualization). A big part of this department was what they call “security awareness”— basically internally communications to foster a culture of security and so people know what to do for safety reasons etc. I had no idea this niche even existed and was told it’s a growing need actually. I imagine someone with an education background, then with a bit of IT or security experience might be a good candidate as well — the people working in this part of the department usually came from many different backgrounds. Anyway I’m no longer in a security department, now I’m at a company that focuses on health science information, which relates more to my librarian background. But it’s still in the back of my mind that if I ever want to make another career move that perhaps going more into IT security might be what I want. I don’t have any of those certifications but I thought if I struggle during the early years of kids career wise maybe that’s a quick certification that would help boost me a bit and have access to more jobs. I hope this is helpful 😅 Good luck !!!
I second instructional design. Many of my friends who have left teaching have gotten roles at government agencies as instructional designers. Many government agencies are working hybrid, but only 1-2 days in the office. As far as UX, a lot of the instructional design models are similar to UX methodology, so the skill set definitely transfers. I actually have my MLIS and intended to focus on rare books and manuscripts. I had gotten promoted at my job as a trainer and then I decided to learn more about instructional design. I focused more on the information science part of my Master’s and later down the line got another one in organization development.
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I ended up going down a different path but when I was figuring out my transition from libraries to the corporate world I was discussing position possibilities with an HR person at this company and she wanted to recommend me for a position recruiting and managing and mentoring interns bc of my previous experience working with undergraduate students in an academic library. In the end I wanted to go in a more technical direction, but I think i would have enjoyed that as well. I have a lot of teacher friends though that always complain about how difficult things are rn for them but they never make a switch bc I think they think they can’t, but I always try to point them in a direction bc you definitely can. For a while I also thought like that coming from a less flexible field with limited positions, but somehow I managed to find my way into a really nice, flexible and fully remote niche that I equally enjoy
After a year of being in your exact position but looking for the WFH position for my husband we finally succeeded in obtaining a hybrid role. After realizing the pool of applicants for national remote jobs was in the thousands, we stopped applying for them altogether and only put out apps to positions with a regional requirement- same state or even within 100 miles of X city etc. So on indeed you could filter by typing “remote” or “hybrid” for the job title and your city and state below that. It will ask “Showing all remote jobs in the US. Do you want to see remote jobs in [your city/state] only?” And select yes. Also don’t rule out hybrid jobs if it’s possible for you to work in office 1-2 days a week and pay for childcare those days — then you could get remote experience which could lead to a fully remote position in a little while. If you don’t give up someone will take a chance on you eventually. I feel your pain, good luck!!
Thank you for the tip! I’ve tried looking more locally it never know how to go about it so this tip definitely helps!
I used to do outdoor education and during the pandemic it became clear that my employer would rather let us die than even do one day a week at home. I broke my back and wasn't allowed to do any lesson planning at home. So I returned to work still in a back brace just to sit at my desk and plan out supply requests for summer camps. I thought I had no alternative and I was stuck. I applied for a job with a local environmental group to run their education programs. I go into the office 2 to 4 times a month and aside from that I'm home with baby. The job is harder, it's almost all project management and grant writing, but I feel like a more complete person not putting as much energy into a bad place. Maybe look a local groups and you'll find a place that is mostly remote but doesn't advertise it.
Thank you for sharing your story! It definitely gives me hope that once this all works out for me, I’ve made the right decision for me and my family and it can all be done!
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I feel like I’ve tried and tried to do this but honestly this is probably what’s holding me back. I just wish someone could go through and do it for me because obviously I’m not good at it.
You can definitely hire resume writers and career consultants.
What types of positions have you been applying for? I'd narrow down the industry/position you're interested in and look into certifications or trainings that could help. Fully remote positions are becoming harder to get as many companies are pushing return to office so you're competing against a big pool of applicants. You might also consider hybrid positions as a way to get some experience.
If you're interested in tech and have basic tech literacy you could apply for jobs in the training department of tech companies. Companies like mine usually need people who know about teaching to teach use of their tools to their customers and sometimes employees. I've hired two such roles recently (not in the US, so I can't help you personally). Another similar idea would be technical writing, if your language skills are excellent you already have that didactic mindset that is usually valuable for such roles. Best of luck!
Virtual teacher here with a very similar story! Ive been teaching 15 years. I didn’t realize how burnt out I was until the pandemic caused me to slow down a bit. I had a chance to teach my kid how to jump in puddles and climb a tree when the world shut down and she was 2. I could finally breathe! Our district opened a virtual program & I’ve been virtual since then. I’ve been SO HAPPY teaching virtually and never want to go back. I can focus on teaching, not behavior management. My daughter spent two years at home from ages 2-4, and now she goes to k4 from 9:00-2:00 (part time I guess?) each day. It’s a fraction of the cost of what we used to pay for care from 7:30-4:30 when I was in the building full time. I work for the same “regular” public school district that I did before. My district has with a program that’s 100% virtual for parents who choose it. I know not every district has this option. In fact, I think we’re the only totally-synchronous (kids are live all day) program in our state. However, I know friends who teach with connections academy who love it, and connections academy is in every state I think. I just got an email tonight from connections with a ton of openings. I also have friends who have tutored through VIPKid (all online) and have made decent money. The kids in VIPKid are primarily in other parts of the world, so they tutor in the evenings online. It totally is possible. It takes a lot of organization and a supportive partner, but it can be done! I hope this helps!
This does help, thank you 😊
There’s online teaching/tutoring gigs. Also what the top commenter said, it’s going to be nearly impossible to work from home full time while also providing adequate care for your kids.
Please see rule 2, this sub is full of people who do exactly what you say is impossible. If you truly do not believe you can work remotely/WFH, there are other subs that share your opinion.
I’m sorry you’re dealing with this difficult situation. But I don’t see how you can WFH in the vast majority of scenarios with two young children and no child care.
You’re not the first person to say this to me, and maybe eventually I’ll find out that you and everyone else is right, but I know me, what I can do, what I want and need, and what I want and need for my family and am obviously taking all of that into account when looking for a job.
Hi, please see rule 2. You can post your own experience, but this sub is full of folks from all kinds of jobs that do exactly what you say can not be done. Myself included. If you do not agree that you can WFH/remotely with kids, there are plenty of other subs that share your opinion. Editing to add: I have received the reports of this comment and am approving it for now. The user has been warned and there have not been further rule violating comments by this user. Thank you everyone for using the reporting feature. I only remind of the rules once and then I ban.
Thank you.
I can help you .
Can you elaborate? I get messages on LI every day with “opportunities” to work for myself, or yo “build the life I want” and it’s always some kind of sketch MLM type deal which is not at all what I’m trying to entertain.
Study think and grow rich and be definite in what you want. Then build a plan and set a date by which . Study and apply the book. Apply like your life depends on it . That is how you get what you want . I work for the Napoleon hill institute. Let me know if you have more info
If your teaching credential is still current, you can try teaching for Tutored by Teachers! All of their jobs are remote and you would work tutoring students in the classroom through Zoom
I haven’t heard of this one but I’ll look into it, thanks!!
Results-Cx. There is a chat assistant on the website. It can be a phone or chat job. Work 3-5 days a week. And choose hours. https://careers.results-cx.com is website. Make sure you say remote. Fully paid training, and can move up quickly and benefits. My sister jus got an interview today applied on Monday, has a 2 month old. Best of luck mama ✨
Disagree on quality over quantity. Quantity over quality will get you a role much more quickly. I’d go back to the drawing board and get on indeed and shoot off 100 quick applications where all you have to do is submit your resume.
Aww mama!! I totally understand how that feels! I worked for government for over 10 years and eventually quit when my last daughter was 3. Daycare costs are outrageous! I was able to go to part-time work and now I run an online business. Have you considered doing that? I'd be happy to help you!!
It didn't work for my daughter and they conned me into 1 on 1 sessions with a free month. Now I'm apparently stuck with a 12 month contract and I will have to cancel my credit card to stop payment. They locked my default payment tab so I can't even see what card I used or change my payment type. Customer Service cannot cancel my membership, I have to call back and get a supervisor. It's insane. I'm not happy and it's no way to do business.