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Educational Consultant Jobs: Transitioning Out of the Classroom

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Educational consultant jobs are a great fit for teachers transitioning out of the classroom. One of the most common questions I get asked is “what is educational consulting?” This blog will help you understand what you need to know and some next steps to help you if this is a path you are interested in.

If you need help leaving the classroom, check out the  Teacher Career Coach Course .  This step-by-step guide has helped thousands with a transition from teaching. Save time and get support with every step of picking a new path, rewriting your resume, and answering tricky interview questions.

If you are a teacher looking for a career outside of the classroom but still want to remain in education, one successful career path is becoming an educational consultant. Teachers often flourish in these positions because the work needed combines their teaching skills, administrative skills, and presentation skills. Educational consultants do a wide range of duties, sometimes providing qualitative advice on policies and procedures for companies. Some educational consultant jobs are similar to the duties of a professional development training position, training schools and districts. Educational consultant jobs, simply put, are looking for experts in education and job duties will vary depending on who the employer is.

Educational Consultant Jobs: I s this the right career for you?

A large majority of educational consultants work as freelancers. They reach out to school districts on their own and book training opportunities. They charge for full day PD packages or an hourly rate to help with onboarding new teachers, etc. Schools have an available amount of funding that they can use for this type of work.

There are companies that hire teachers specifically as educational consultants to train on specific trainings for districts. They will hire the top candidates to conduct PD (and often allow current teachers to do this as a lucrative side-gig) and fly them around the country to host trainings.

When working as an educational consultant freelancer, you don’t have to only work as a professional development trainer for districts. There are also educational consultant jobs within education companies. But you’ll need to have everything in place in order to start approaching companies as a freelancer. Click here if you want to learn more about freelancing for teachers .

An educational consultant’s job is to provide guidance on curriculum, resources, and teaching styles. Educational consultants make decisions and improvements in school systems, corporations, and home-based settings as well. An educational consultant job may be a full time career change or a part-time or freelance deal to start. This, of course, will depend on your personal goals – long and short term.

Skills for Success

First, teachers with an eye the big picture and finding innovative ways to solve problems have an aptitude for many of the skills needed for educational consultant jobs. You’ll want to showcase your subject-matter expertise with pedagogy and best practices.

The suggested skills and certifications for educational consultant jobs include: competence in researching, reporting, and analyzing data; experience or aptitude monitoring teachers to offer constructive suggestions; and knowledge of state and local rules regarding curriculum requirements.

You’ll want to create high quality presentations in order to deliver the information to clients or school districts. You can create a branded look by using a free program like Canva.

A Key Skill For Success: Networking

Networking is also important, especially for educational consultants who are working in a freelancing capacity. You’ll want to stay in with others who have ins at companies or districts they may be able to refer your services to. You’ll also want to attend conferences to meet others in your field.

If you have an entrepreneurial spirit, then an independent educational consultant job, where you are hired by parents or schools, is an option. It can give you the freedom to set your own schedule and work in any area you choose. This will take quite a bit of research and networking to get started. But, once you build a robust set of contacts to rely on, you’ll find plenty of opportunities.

Do Your Research

While you are on the job search the internet is a useful and valuable tool, especially Google. You can start by searching for educational companies or school districts near you. This should provide you with a helpful list of companies and school districts that are already looking for consultants. You will be surprised at how many companies are in need of a person with the skills of a teacher.

You can research other educational consultants to see what types of packages they are offering to help you prepare your own.

Where to Find Educational Consultant Jobs

Online job boards, such as LinkedIn , Glassdoor and Indeed , will also help to find open educational consultant jobs. Plus, you can use these sites to find additional information and reviews on topics. Such as: growth potential, employee profiles, promotions after 10 years, etc. This will help you decide if a company is a good fit and worth pursuing. 

What to Look for in a Company

Educational consultants are in demand in companies large and small, and there are pros and cons to both.

Larger companies have more name recognition, stability, organizational impact, but are harder to move up the corporate ladder. They will often have more hiring power so educational consultant positions may be more available at a larger education company.

Smaller companies are more flexible with job openings and growth potential variety. Employees will also be able to take advantage of opportunities to take on multiple roles and learn new skills. But a smaller company is less stable, especially if it is a start-up. Educational consultant jobs here may end up becoming much more long-term.

Here’s a helpful tip:

If you love the idea of working for yourself, sign up f or educational conferences as a speaker and pick a subject you are passionate about teaching. This is a great networking opportunity where you can meet companies or districts that may hire you. Meet people in your community with connections and contacts that may prove to be useful while building your client base and offer to do the same presentation at their school or district.

Be Willing to Take a Chance

Finally, I’ll share a story about how I got into educational consulting – by taking a chance. After I’d left the classroom, I stumbled across an educational consulting job with a software company. This job opening was amazing because I am passionate about technology in education.

The job was training teachers on how to effectively implement technology in the classroom. My classroom experience gave me a huge advantage over the other applicants. This educational consultant job had amazing perks. “ But what’s the catch ? ? ” I thought.

I’ve created a Teacher Career Coach podcast episode where I talk about my role as an educational consultant .

When opportunity knocks, don’t be afraid to answer the door. Transitioning out of the classroom is a big step. It can be overwhelmingly scary to leave a career that you once thought would bring you to retirement. But taking that step into an educational consultant job or any ot her career outside the classroom could impact your life in ways you never imagined.

Help for soon-to-be Former Teachers

This is proof positive that there are plenty of opportunities out there. Companies are looking for the talent and the skills teachers specialize in, including jobs as an educational consultant in particular.

If the classroom is no longer your cup of tea, there are plenty of opportunities and resources available to you. You can find the right job to match your skills, just like I did. Because of this, I created a course to help walk teachers through transitioning out of the classroom. The Teacher Career Coach Course has helped thousands of teachers transition out of the classroom.

This complete course will walk you through all the steps to transitioning out of the classroom. For example: identifying the positions you are the most qualified for, writing your resume, network with the right people to get your foot in the door, answer tricky interview questions, and more! We’ve helped thousands of teachers begin their transition. Are you ready?

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