From teacher to Instructional Design pro: a journey of career transition, transformation, and triumph

When you've spent nearly a decade as a teacher, a career transition (especially one as mysterious as Instructional Design) can feel like walking into a dark room without a flashlight. But for Sara Stevick, it wasn't just a choice; it was a necessity. Here's how one teacher turned a health crisis into a thriving Instructional Design career—and what every teacher should know before a career transition.

Sara's journey from teacher to Instructional Design professional started with what seemed like a one-in-a-million event: a giant cell tumor on her bone. Not exactly the kind of lottery win anyone hopes for, right? But for Sara, that difficult chapter became the catalyst for a career transition she hadn't seen coming. Now wouldn't trade for the world. Check out our full conversation here:

The unexpected exit of a teacher

Before her career transition into Instructional Design, Sara spent nine years as a secondary teacher in the U.S., teaching everything from science to English. But when a medical emergency knocked her out of the classroom, the stability and identity that came with being a teacher unraveled quickly.

"It was an identity crisis," Sara said. "I was broke, exhausted, and had no clue what to do next."

Like so many educators, she had built her life and her sense of self around her role as a teacher. The thought of leaving the profession felt like abandoning a part of herself. But being a classroom teacher had also become unsustainable, she needed a career transition. With a new baby at home, a lack of support at school, and no road map forward, Sara turned to the internet for answers.

That's when she stumbled upon the world of Instructional Design.

Discovering Instructional Design (aka: "why didn't anyone tell me this existed?!")

If you're a teacher reading this, pause for a second and ask yourself: Have you ever been told about Instructional Design as a career transition path?

Yeah. Neither had Sara.

But once she discovered what Instructional Design professionals actually do—designing learning experiences, crafting learning strategies, developing digital learning solutions—it clicked. This is what teachers do every day, she thought. "You're creating a learning experience. You're putting in all the elements that it takes to make effective learning."

This realisation lit a fire. Sara dove into upskilling, treating the career transition like a full-time job. She studied Instructional Design frameworks, learned the language of corporate L&D, and slowly translated her experiences as a teacher into a professional portfolio that made sense to hiring managers.

Bridging the language gap in Instructional Design

One of the biggest challenges teachers face during a career transition into Instructional Design isn't their ability, it's translation.

Sara shared, "If I wanted a job in a different industry, I had to communicate my experience in a way that resonated with the industry I was heading toward—not the one I was leaving." And let's be honest, this is where many teachers get stuck in their career transition. We know we've got transferable skills, but the job market speaks a different language: ADDIE, SME, learning outcomes, business acumen.

I couldn't help but chime in with a truth bomb during our chat: "Saying 'I'm a teacher, I can do this already,' can actually send the wrong message to a hiring manager. It tells them you don't know how much you still have to learn."

Applying and upskilling: the career transition hustle is real

Sara applied to over 90 jobs before landing her first role as a senior Instructional Design professional in the financial sector. Yes, 90. That's not a typo.

She reflects on her career transition: "I had to rework my resume, reframe my experience, and keep learning. It's not like teaching where you send one CV and get ten interviews."

And while her first job didn't come with a roadmap, it did come with something powerful: a culture of learning. "I made mistakes," she admits. "But I was surrounded by people who supported learning and growth. That's what made the difference."

For a teacher considering a career transition into Instructional Design…

Here's the good news: you already have the Instructional Design knowledge. But here's what you need to remember:

1. Learn the language. Understanding business terms, project management tools, and Instructional Design models (ADDIE, SAM, etc.) will help you bridge the gaps in your career transition.
2. Niche down. Whether it's a software tool (hello, Articulate Storyline!) or an industry like healthcare, finance, or higher ed—specialising can help you stand out.
3. Build a portfolio. Even if you're volunteering or working on a hypothetical project, start collecting work samples. Just be sure to ask permission to use them.
4. Prepare for autonomy. Unlike a classroom teacher, where your schedule is set, Instructional Design often means self-managing projects. That blank calendar? It's all yours.
5. Stay humble—but confident. You have core skills. But you're also stepping into a new industry. Approach it with curiosity and a willingness to learn.

Why Instructional Design is a natural fit for a teacher

Instructional Design sits at the heart of learning and development, and a good teacher already knows how to build engaging, effective learning. What changes through this career transition is the context and the language.

Sara summed it up beautifully with a metaphor: "It's like baking a sponge cake versus a cheesecake. They're both cakes, but they need different techniques and tools."

So if you're a teacher dreaming of a new path and career transition, know this: your skills are not only valuable, they're in demand. Instructional Design may not be something you studied in university or college, but it could be your next great adventure.

Because teaching may be a calling…

But a career transition could be the plot twist that leads to your next big purpose.

As always, stay awesome.

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